1961-1970
(Ten continuous years, unlike all the others who have listed eleven years in their replies.)
This is right about where I’d land too…Hits the height of college/modern rock, get’s you some punk and ska. Yes, it’s missing a LOT of good stuff, but still, as good an answer as any.
I’d say 65 to 75-ish. While I grew up on early rock and Motown, that period was an awakening, with some of the most innovative and freshest sound ever produced.
Per the OP!
1963 – 1973 (from Please Please Me through Quadrophenia or thereabouts)
Yeah. I decided to go with what he said, rather than what he showed.
1975 through 1984.
That would lose me a lot of my favorite Rush albums and all my favorite industrial/EDM stuff, but those were my formative music years. I could definitely stand being stuck with those ten.
If it’s an actual decade I would choose the 1960s. But if I could choose any 10 year span I would choose 1966 to 1976.
Agree wholeheartedly!
Looking at my 10 most recent bands listens (I prefer listening to discographies) 6 of them had one or more album releases in that timeframe.
That’s my era for sure!
[Now listening to 2002’s “The Romance of Helen Trent” by The Killing Tree]
I’m going to say 1973-1983.
Another vote for 1967-1977
I’d go with 1985-1995 because that takes me from childhood to just after my high school years. I certainly won’t argue that this decades is any better than the other choices presented thus far, and it’s painful because there’s plenty of good music before and after, but this is what I’d choose.
1900-1910. Ragtime was at its peak, and there were terrific popular songs like “Wait Till The Sun Shines, Nellie”, “Sweet Adeline”, “In The Good Old Summertime”, “A Bird In A Gilded Cage”, “Give My Regards To Broadway” and many many more.
A fabulous era in popular music, I says.
I’d rather have an extra year of music than be right 
I’ve already submitted my choice (1975-1985), but I popped back to mention that I really had a struggle to differentiate “important” and “classic” music from “music that I actually listen to on a regular basis these days.”
As a 70+ YO guy, I grew up with all the 60s and 70s bands. They were foundational. But I simply don’t put on Beatles albums or Led Zep when I’m driving somewhere.
But I will admit that I would miss The Doors, Tull, and Layla.
Lots of good answers, but I’m going to go with 1969-1978. Gets me from the end of the Beatles to some early Police and plenty of good stuff in between.
Exactly! More for the rest of us.
My years, from when I passed from childhood into adulthood, and which were 1966-1975. After that Disco killed music.
The music from when I was 13-22 (or 23). It contains all my memories of that period of time. It represents friends, good and bad times, and so forth. Losing those songs would be losing part of my life.
However, I would miss out on three of my four favorite songs, about half of the songs from my favorite group and other favorites that I really don’t want to do without.
I’ll decline.
And Video Killed the Radio Star. 