Inspired by this thread.
Sometimes you hear a song and it makes you instantly think of a decade. Not an arbitrary 10-year period, but the 30s, 40s, etc. The song sounds like the decade in your memory.
1970s: Sundown, Gordon Lightfoot. Nice slow pace, just like the days before all this PC (personal computer) crap.
1980s: Drive, The Cars.
A more obscure one but nails the sound of the 80s is
1980s: The Brazilian, Genesis.
Your examples?
For Sixties: The Byrds “Turn Turn Turn”
Seventies: England Dan and John Ford Coley’s "Really Love to See You Tonight
Eighties: “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins
Nineties: "What Is Love by Haddaway
Two Thousands: “Hey Ya” by Outkast.
I can give more examples for each decade but these are just songs really of their decade.
For Sixties: The Byrds “Turn Turn Turn”
Seventies: England Dan and John Ford Coley’s "Really Love to See You Tonight
Eighties: “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins
Nineties: "What Is Love by Haddaway
Two Thousands: “Hey Ya” by Outkast.
I can give more examples for each decade but these are just songs really of their decade.
For the Sixties, I like Itchykoo Park.
Can’t quibble with the 60s-80s songs so far, but never having heard What is Love or Hey Ya, I’d like to instead nominate:
90s: Superman’s Dead by Our Lady Peace
00s: Float On by Modest Mouse
70s Brown Sugar
80s When Doves Cry
90s Smells Like Teen Spirit
00s Lets Get the Party Started by Pinkor Tupacs Only God Can Judge Me
These are before my time, but I’ll nominate…
'40s: In the Mood, Glenn Miller
'50s: Splish Splash, Bobby Darin
'60s: Incense and Peppermints, Strawberry Alarm Clock
This Country Joe and the Fish song might be perfect for the 60s
It was recorded in 1939. I suppose some of its popularity spilled over into the forties.
20s: Let’s Misbehave by Irving Aaronson and His Commanders
30s: Sing, Sing, Sing by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
40s: Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy by The Andrews Sisters
50s: Maybellene by Chuck Berry
60s = The Mamas and the Papas, California Dreaming
70s = Abba, Dancing Queen
80s = Duran Duran, The Reflex
90s = REM, Everybody Hurts
00s = Justin Tiberlake, SexyBack
*MacArthur Park
Inna Gadda Davida
Light My Fire*
Although I may have misunderstood the question.
Early 50s: Tennessee Waltz, Moments To Remember, and many others
Late 50s: Heartbreak Hotel or Rock Around The Clock
Mid 60s: I Want to Hold Your Hand
Late 60s: Purple Haze
70s: Bohemian Rhapsody
80s: Everybody Wants To Rule The World (but really, there are dozens)
90s: Smells Like Teen Spirit
The 60s: Incense and Peppermints
The 70s: Disco Inferno
The 80s: Borderline
The 90s: Smells Like Teen Spirit
The 2000s: All The Small Things
The 2010s: Blank Space
For most of these decades you could probably make separate Pop and Rock lists but some time in the 2000s Pop basically won.
60s - Sunshine Superman - Donovan
70s - You Turn Me On I’m a Radio - Joni Mitchell
80s - Stop Making Sense - Talking Heads
90s - Hallelujah - (Jeff Buckley version)
'60s: The Rain, the Park, and Other Things - The Cowsills
'70s: If You Leave Me Now - Chicago
'80s: I Wonder if I Take You Home - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force
'90s: In Bloom - Nirvana
'00s: Umbrella - Rihanna
'10s: can’t say, not enough perspective
No question, that song totally nails the '10s.
The 10s for me is “Bicycle built for two”
Either the teens, or 2001.
Pop music decades are rarely ten years. Musicians don’t count too well, which also explains some of the contracts…
(Note: In just about every case, other songs were better. These songs just give the strongest possible form of a specific moment in a single piece of music.)
The decade from 1967 to, maybe, 1973 or so: “San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)” - Scott McKenzie.
The decade from 1991 to 1997: “Misery” - Soul Asylum.
I have to disagree on The Brazilian. As a proggish instrumental done by serious craftsmen…I feel it kind of stands out on its own without any temporal attatchments.