90s—For some reason, I always immediately think of the song “Move Over (Generation Next),” circa 1997. The (apparently) studio musician version, not the Spice Girls version, mind.
Yep, a 30-second Pepsi commercial. 'Dunno if that’s something deeply telling as a cutting indictment of modern society, or just a sign that some nameless marketing flack was really good at writing a jingle one time.
For me, the 60s can be summed up by 15 seconds of music: Signe Anderson’s verse (starting at 0:55 secs) of Let’s Get Together.
I suspect you are trying to make some kind of comment with that comment, but to me, Let Your Dim Light Shine and Grave Dancers Union simply do not belong in that, or really any, decade. That material seems more like the musical equivalent of comfort food, and its age cannot easily be pinned down. To someone from the '70s, Soul Asylum would sound right at home.
Peaceful Easy Feeling Eagles 1970’s
Lyin Eyes Eagles 1970’s
She Loves You Beatles 1960’s
Don’t Stop Believing Journey 1980’s
Livin on a Prayer Bon Jovi
these pretty much represent the sound that I associate with those decades. For me the Eagles were the 70’s. The sixties had a lot of sounds but that early rock N roll sound of She Loves You is the one I treasure the most. 80’s was Journey and Bon Jovi big ass hair bands
“Over There” --19-teens.
“Daisy Bell” (AKA “Bicycle Built For Two”) – the Gay Nineties.
“Camptown Races” – 1850s.
“Der Erlkönig” – 1820s?
You guys took all the easy decades, I’m trying to fill in the gaps.
“Runaway Train” takes me right back to '93, which is the Soul Asylum song I would pick to represent the decade. Sure, the song itself could have easily been written in the 70s, but the style sounds all 90s, to me. The singer’s kinda-whiny-kinda-edgy voice, the grungy-but-not-too-in-your-face guitars, the social activism/concern. Maybe it’s because I watched a lot of MTV around then, but just listening to that song I can see the singer’s ripped jeans, flannel and long hair, like a tall, blond, black-and-white Pauly Shore.
Candlebox had a very 90s sound, too. Collective Soul, Sponge, “Starseed” by Our Lady Peace, maybe “Cut Your Hair” by Pavement, all contenders. There was much better music then, but the reason it’s better is because it’s more timeless. Say what you will about Nirvana, their stuff still sounds fresh to me. Bush? Soul Asylum? Not so much.
1970’s - “Boogie Woogie Dancing Shoes” - (I don’t know who does it, I just remember hearing it in my babysitter’s car when I was like 4.)
Or anything by Queen.
1980’s - “Forever Young” by Alphaville
Or anything by New Order or Duran Duran.
1990’s - “Animal” by Nine Inch Nails (I think that’s what it was called, the main lyric was “I want to f… you like an animal”)
2000’s - “3 AM” by Matchbox 20. I listened to a lot of Matchbox 20 in college.
2010’s (so far) - “Safe and Sound” by Capital Cities.
The Nine Inch Nails song you refer to is called “Closer”.
Other than the obvious “grunge” answer…
Marcy Playground’s “Sex and Candy” sounds very, very 90s to me. When I hear it my memory goes back to the apartment I rented back with a roomie. I can picture the suits I had to wear to work, then going home and changing into a slip dress and choker necklace to go out.
“Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind has the same 90s vibe for me.
I heard Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” on the radio on the way to work this morning and said to myself, “Now THAT is the '60s.”
1920s - Rhapsody in Blue
Yeah I knew I wasn’t right. Thank you!