It’s universally accepted that the worst decade in pop music history was the 00s.
It’s not even open for debate.
[/QUOTE]
I’m not even sure that it’s now really possible to say that a certain year or a decade represents the best or worst in terms of popular music. During the last 15 to 20 years, the audience for popular music has fragmented into so many different niches that the days of dominating mega-selling artists or genres are receding into the past. Having a number one single or album doesn’t matter as much as it used to. On one hand, this is a good thing since if you don’t like whatever song that’s topping the pop charts at the moment, there’s still a lot of new (and old) stuff out there to pick from that can be easily accessed thanks to Amazon, iTunes, YouTube, and music-streaming sites like Rhapsody, Pandora, and Spotify. Yet, on the other hand, this also means that fewer of us are on the same page in terms of popular culture.
Oh, come on. Sure, it was terrible if you were just into the mainstream Dressler, but are you telling me you never rocked out to some Gilbert & Sullivan?
Walks off humming “Oh, Better Far To Live And Die”
Why do people think that the 70’s were just bell-bottoms and Disco? A bunch of the most influential music and movies came out of the 70’s:
Bruce Springsteen
Billy Joel
Elton John
Led Zeppelin
Pink Floyd
Yes
Rush
Judas Priest
The Allman Brothers
Lynyrd Skynyrd
James Taylor
The Who (Who’s Next)
Stevie Wonder
The Eagles
Black Sabbath
David Bowie
Chicago
Aerosmith
Steeley Dan
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Three Dog Night
Rod Stewart
Bob Seger
Supertramp
Genesis
AC/DC
Van Halen
Jethro Tull
And I’m leaving out many great artists.
Basically every major musical artist that I like, and many I don’t, made major contributions throughout the 70’s.
No, no, no. Granted, the decade was a little down after the deaths of Bizet and Offenbach, but Gilbert and Sullivan were in their prime, Wagner completed Parsifal before he died, John Phillip Souza was making a name for himself, and Tchaikosky became an international superstar.
Any decade that produced the 1812 Overture AND the Washington Post March can’t be all bad!
I think what’s becoming apparent is that top 40 hits are largely forgettable and only a small percentage have staying power beyond the moment, regardless of the decade.
I’m beginning to agree. I never listened to any of it and am admiring my good taste.
Though the decade produced both Jack and Meg White, I don’t think they fit in the decade as artists, especially since Meg is in the running for Worst Professional Drummer of All Time.
I was going to counter with “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen” because the Muzak at the hospital played it Saturday, but it was written in 1875. And though the population of a hospital skews old, nobody there remembers it from its first time on the charts and most remember it as the song with which Lt Riley serenaded the crew from the Enterprise’s engineering com.
Thank you, MrKnowItAll (from Whatsamatta U.)
I’m going way out on a limb, here: Someone tell me what was so wrong with the Captain & Tenille. She had an excellent voice (sang backups for Elton John), he was a first-rate arranger, played all the instruments except the drums (might have played them, too), and I think he produced their albums, as well. They covered many popular artists (Smokey R., Neil Sedaka, et al). Why the hate? Because they didn’t RAWK OUT enough? James Taylor didn’t RAWK that much. Was their catalog puerile? And REO Speedwagon wasn’t?
They had an idiotic variety show. Pink Lady was actually a legitimate singing duo as well, but they squandered any chance they may have had of a legitimate recording career in the US with their idiotic (but unintentionally hilarious) variety show with Jeff (who probably has a last name, but I don’t remember it). Plus, “Muskrat Love.”
You know, it’s interesting that the Captain and Tennille voluntarily left their HIT variety show in order to further pursue their musical career. I personally think that was a mistake.
Jeff Altman’s had a career, including a part in Highlander II, which I believe is one of the ones you people believe exists, and is an irregular on Letterman. Didn’t make Pink Lady and Jeff a better show.
It may have been a hit show, but it was not a good show. All those “Christmas Special” variety shows from the 60s, 70s, & 80s got huge ratings, but they were stupid (in fact, in the context of Christmas/holiday specials, the Star Wars Holiday Special is pretty typical).
I can name a lot of hit shows that were in fact, pretty stupid shows.
