What's the greatest decade of music?

[ri Alban]

Some say it's the 80s. JKB... What do you say??

Edited October 9, 2022 by ri Alban

[JFK-1]

60's with no competition.

[Tazio]

It normally comes down to what music people like. But totally keeping that out of it as I’ve got very broad tastes it has to be the 60’s purely because of how much music shifted. Started off with a watered down version of rock and roll and finished with psychedelia and the invention of heavy rock. Also amazing decade for soul music, brilliant pop songs, very important jazz albums that started off with acoustic bebop and ended with Miles Davis’ electric albums. 

[ri Alban]

Which is, I beg your pardon. But what will do.

Edited October 9, 2022 by ri Alban

[Bindy Badgy]

3 hours ago, ri Alban said:

Some say it's the 80s. JKB... What do you say??

 

80s by a mile for hard rock and metal. Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Guns N Roses.

[micole]

For me has to be late 60's to mid 70's.

 

Cream

Led Zeppelin

Deep Purple

Hendrix

TYA

Pink Floyd

Black Sabbath

Yes

 

Countless more, this truly was a great time for music.

[Robbo-Jambo]

Late seventies/early eighties.

[superjack]

For me it has to be the 90s. A good mix of indie, rock, metal, and even the hard-core rave scene as well.

[JudyJudyJudy]

2 minutes ago, superjack said:

For me it has to be the 90s. A good mix of indie, rock, metal, and even the hard-core rave scene as well.

Id agree with that. Also rap   and r and b came to the fore too. 

[Mac_fae_Gillie]

Think most people will pick the decade of thier mid teens, for me thats 80s but I do love 90s too just as much. (born 68)

[JudyJudyJudy]

3 minutes ago, Mac_fae_Gillie said:

Think most people will pick the decade of thier mid teens, for me thats 80s but I do love 90s too just as much. (born 68)

Thats true.  We can become more sentimental about music from our teens years, but it may not necessarily be all that good.  Still consider 1987 to be the best year for pop music though 

[Victorian]

I would say mainly a twin decade era of the 60s and 70s,  but continuing on into the early 80s.  A 20+ year golden era.  Simply down to the sheer volume of a broad spectrum of authentic creativity and recording production.  

Edited October 9, 2022 by Victorian

[davemclaren]

No one picking any of the two decades so far in the the 2st century?

 

For me it has to be the 60s and 70s a those are the decades of my childhood and teens so the music resonates more with me. 

[Roxy Hearts]

1 hour ago, Victorian said:

I would say mainly a twin decade era of the 60s and 70s,  but continuing on into the early 80s.  A 20+ year golden era.  Simply down to the sheer volume of a broad spectrum of authentic creativity and recording production.  

I agree. I listen to mostly 70s and some 80s. 

[Jambo_jim2001]

47 minutes ago, davemclaren said:

No one picking any of the two decades so far in the the 2st century?

 

For me it has to be the 60s and 70s bu t those of the decades of my childhood and teens so the music resonates more with me. 

Is that the 1960s and 1970s auld yin😉

[Cruyff]

60-70's by a distance imo. 

[davemclaren]

4 minutes ago, Jambo_jim2001 said:

Is that the 1960s and 1970s auld yin😉

🥸

[invernessjt]

70's by a long way for me. Stones, Bowie, Queen, Led Zep, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, The Who, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Stevie Wonder, Kiss, ZZ Top, Funk, Punk.

[Malinga the Swinga]

60's first, then 80''s with 90,'sthird. The seventies were depressing and very few new style since 90's rap culture.

The sixties saw music erupt as never before while 80's opened door for what was to follow.

[Roxy Hearts]

17 minutes ago, Malinga the Swinga said:

60's first, then 80''s with 90,'sthird. The seventies were depressing and very few new style since 90's rap culture.

The sixties saw music erupt as never before while 80's opened door for what was to follow.

My fave group Roxy Music were hugely influential, especially on 80s bands, punk and New Wave. Their early 70s albums were superb and sounded like no-one else.

 

Brian Eno their original keyboard player is a brilliant producer. He's produced U2, Talking Heads, Bowie, Coldplay and others.

[millerjames398]

1980s...

[New Town Loafer]

All depends on genre. For rock I think the 70s has to take it. 80s for pop. 90s for rap. 

Edited October 9, 2022 by New Town Loafer

[Australis]

Late 60s and early 70s.

[ri Alban]

I'm a sixties fan. But I'd say the 80s was more groundbreaking in creativity and technology.

[frankblack]

I always find a thread like this hard to judge as I listen to music across the board, 60s to present.

 

If pushed I'd probably go 70s with the likes of Sabbath, Bowie, and punk but I was into a lot of 80s stuff from metal such as Maiden through to alternative rock and Grunge in the 90s.

[Sooks]

As a fan of electronic dance music and what used to be called indy music , I vote for the 90s

[redjambo]

My favourite was a crossover - mid 1970s to mid 1980s. Punk, new wave, electronic, heavy metal, glam rock. All full of energy, constantly creating new sounds.

[martoon]

The 60's.

 

I was born in '68 and also loved 1980-86ish. Japan, Dolby and The Smiths amongst others.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2022 by martoon

[Doctor FinnBarr]

11 hours ago, invernessjt said:

70's by a long way for me. Stones, Bowie, Queen, Led Zep, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, The Who, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Stevie Wonder, Kiss, ZZ Top, Funk, Punk.

 

Suppose thats why I listen to Absolute Classic Rock.

[Maple Leaf]

For me it was the 1960s, but that was probably before some of you were born.

 

The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Buddy Holly, the Moody Blues, Dave Clark Five, Freddy and the Dreamers, Herman's Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers.

 

Fantastic songs, fantastic sounds.

[J.T.F.Robertson]

 

60's first, way too many innovative bands/individuals to mention, literally everything was going on.

Loved a lot of the 80's, also.

Oh to be.

 

[il Duce McTarkin]

All good, imo.

[John Findlay]

1963-1980 for me. I was seventeen in 1980.

Gave up listening to Radio 1 around 1993 when I became 30.

[Locky]

I've got a pretty broad taste in music, particularly throughout the decades. I guess every decade has its own story, but for me, I think 80's is up there. The sound of music seemed to totally transform in the 1980's and it's often seen as the birth period of many genre's which are still prevalent today.

[Costanza]

The 80s:

Post Punk

Synth Pop

House Music

Hip Hop

Alternative Indie scene

Alternatively Rock scene

Metal

Madchester 

Beginnings of Shoegaze

 

80s ticks more of my musical tastes despite my era of buying records and clubs being the 90s, so Britpop mainly.

[Fxxx the SPFL]

On 09/10/2022 at 11:53, davemclaren said:

No one picking any of the two decades so far in the the 2st century?

 

For me it has to be the 60s and 70s a those are the decades of my childhood and teens so the music resonates more with me. 

same for me Dave

[Pans Jambo]

I was 10years old in 1980 and 20 in 1990 so my taste had changed dramatically within that decade.

I regularly listen to 80's radio when I am in the car and for me, its my favourite but the 90's were excellent too.

 

2000's huge disappointment. Just shouty, angry, Americans who look like they wanted to kill you boasting about how they are the best at something or other in comparison with their peers. Or "bands" full of dancers that didn't even play any instruments.

 

I don't remember much about 70's music but listening to it now it was just weird. 60's was obviously a great era for tunes.

 

In my 50's now and most music released is just shite. Still a good few today but overall, shite.

[Sooks]

4 hours ago, Costanza said:

The 80s:

Post Punk

Synth Pop

House Music

Hip Hop

Alternative Indie scene

Alternatively Rock scene

Metal

Madchester 

Beginnings of Shoegaze

 

80s ticks more of my musical tastes despite my era of buying records and clubs being the 90s, so Britpop mainly.

This is a good post and I generally agree but all the ones on your list that I like most went through their golden period in the 90s for me 

[Bozi]

I grew up in the 80s and 90s 

I hated the majority of 80s music and always use the Paul Weller measurement, in the 70s he was in The Jam, tremmendous! In the 90s he made Wild Wood and Stanley Road, outstanding.

In the 80s he did the Style Council, pish.

 

Though as I have gotten older I recognise that the 80s gave us The Jesus and Mary Chain, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Stone Roses, Metallica, etc so there was undoubtedly some brilliant music made them amongst the backcombed hair and shoulder pads 

[Sooks]

2 hours ago, Bozi said:

I grew up in the 80s and 90s 

I hated the majority of 80s music and always use the Paul Weller measurement, in the 70s he was in The Jam, tremmendous! In the 90s he made Wild Wood and Stanley Road, outstanding.

In the 80s he did the Style Council, pish.

 

Though as I have gotten older I recognise that the 80s gave us The Jesus and Mary Chain, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Stone Roses, Metallica, etc so there was undoubtedly some brilliant music made them amongst the backcombed hair and shoulder pads 

Some great music that was less mainstream in the 80s , but most of the good ones continued in to the 90s and often that was when they did their  best work 

 

Some decent 80s alternative stuff though and KLF were in their pomp 

[frankblack]

9 hours ago, Costanza said:

The 80s:

Post Punk

Synth Pop

House Music

Hip Hop

Alternative Indie scene

Alternatively Rock scene

Metal

Madchester 

Beginnings of Shoegaze

 

80s ticks more of my musical tastes despite my era of buying records and clubs being the 90s, so Britpop mainly.

 

Synth Pop perhaps started in the 70s.  Germany pioneered it and Bowie changed things with his "Low" album (with Brian Eno).

Edited October 10, 2022 by frankblack

[Cade]

The 60's was when modern music was really invented. 

Yes, the 1950s was the birth of rock'n'roll but it was really perfected in the 60's.

 

The 1970's then saw an explosion of creativity with the birth of many new genres, from punk to disco to heavy metal and technological innovations were accelerating all the time, pushing the boundaries of what was possible.

 

The 1980's wasn't as important as the 60's and 70's as it marked the takeover of the kind of bland corporatism that kills creativity.
Some damn fine music came out in that decade but it wasn't as inventive as the previous decades (with several notable exceptions like the KLF, Beastie Boys or Prince)

 

The 90's was another 70's style explosion of creativity and technological leaps forward. Britpop, rave, dance, metal and many other genres all had their identities refined during the 90s, despite the mainstream charts still being dominated by the big labels and the bland sludge aimed at young teens.

Many of the genres began merging towards the end of the decade, from nu-metal to indie-dance and new horizons were opened for those coming after.

 

The 2000's aped the 80's, with the big corporations getting into the genres of the 90's and hollowing them out into a beige slime, at least in the USA and UK.

In Europe things kept progressing and some of the finest metal was made in the 2000's.

 

2010s and 2020s have been forgettable so far.

 

I strongly recommend "trash theory" on YouTube for excellent music documentaries; charting the origins and evolutions of specific artists, songs and genres.
https://www.youtube.com/c/TrashTheory

Edited October 10, 2022 by Cade

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

I didn't really like 70s Glam Rock as a kid and Synth Pop was not my thing in the 80s. I didn't like how Brit Pop dominated the 90s in the Uk, and Rap and Superstar DJs don't appeal now.

 

However, Punk was what got me into music in the late 70s or maybe it was just Debbie Harry, the eighties it was Simple Minds, Big Country, U2, and anything else bombastic, I know 🙃

Going into the 90s it was REM, Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins and a bit shoegazing with Mazzy Star and Slowdive who were not the most fashionable. 

I now listen to mostly Americana music and Post Rock or things I liked from the past decades. I now love listening to Hendrix, Led Zepp, ACDC, The Stones  and things that seemed like dad rock when I was a teenager. 

 So what were the best decades overall for my tastes, at a push I'd say the 70s and 90s with the 80s just squeezed out. 

[Costanza]

5 hours ago, Sooks said:

This is a good post and I generally agree but all the ones on your list that I like most went through their golden period in the 90s for me 

That's true and a fair point for some of them; for me as a melting point of genres it's hard to beat. 

[Costanza]

33 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

Synth Pop perhaps started in the 70s.  Germany pioneered it and Bowie changed things with his "Low" album (with Brian Eno).

That's true certainly with Kraftwerk and Moroder; I Feel Love in particular but the 80s was it's heyday; Human League, OMD, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure, Soft Cell, Pet Shop Boys,  New Order, early Simple Minds.

A lot of these bands were experimenting with the technology and lyrically more interesting than today's pop stars.

You've no doubt seen it but if not, the Synth Britannia documentary the BBC did (will be on YouTube) is a brilliant watch and listen.

You also had big pop albums using the technology like Fairlights for ABC's Lexicon of Love, Frankie Goes to Hollywood,  the Blue Nile etc.

It was the golden age of pop I think.

[the posh bit]

90s had the lot for me. 

[Sooks]

24 minutes ago, Costanza said:

That's true and a fair point for some of them; for me as a melting point of genres it's hard to beat. 

Yip . Biggest issue for me was that after that rap and hip hop and modern R and B were over promoted at the expense of every other kind of music and for a good while that was all there really was in main stream pop culture 

[frankblack]

15 minutes ago, Costanza said:

That's true certainly with Kraftwerk and Moroder; I Feel Love in particular but the 80s was it's heyday; Human League, OMD, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure, Soft Cell, Pet Shop Boys,  New Order, early Simple Minds.

A lot of these bands were experimenting with the technology and lyrically more interesting than today's pop stars.

You've no doubt seen it but if not, the Synth Britannia documentary the BBC did (will be on YouTube) is a brilliant watch and listen.

You also had big pop albums using the technology like Fairlights for ABC's Lexicon of Love, Frankie Goes to Hollywood,  the Blue Nile etc.

It was the golden age of pop I think.

 

Yeah - have seen that documentary.  Got tix for DM.

 

Ladytron (more modern) are pretty good in this genre.  Named after a Roxy Music album.   Goldfrapp also (when they do Synth Pop).

[queensferryjambo]

1970s because there was so many genres of music and the biggest variety of music in the charts.

 

In the 70s anything seemed to go. The charts were littered with Classical, Reggae, Rock, Punk, Pop, Disco, Metal, Prog, Glam Rock, SKA, Electronic etc etc

 

Music tended not to be as adventurous after the 70s IMO possibly due to records companies / cash etc.

 

Don't get me wrong the music I am into probably is from the 80s up to date but I recognise the creativity and influence of the 70s.

[Costanza]

3 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

Yeah - have seen that documentary.  Got tix for DM.

 

Ladytron (more modern) are pretty good in this genre.  Named after a Roxy Music album.   Goldfrapp also (when they do Synth Pop).

Ladytron are great, the last band I saw, before the first lockdown. Was strange going to that gig at that time.

I'm annoyed that DM aren't playing Scotland again, tempted to do Ireland and visit a mate there.