# What was your favorite decade for Music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 8, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907 "2012-08-08T22:30:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/41 "2012-08-09T16:19:53Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > 80s, and **woodstockbirdybird’s** list could have been mine (with the addition of a stack of other 4AD bands and Goth stuff) Oh, yeah - my list was really the tip of the iceberg. Most people think of the '80s as A Flock of Seagulls (who actually had a couple good songs) and “Mickey” and shit, but there was a ton of great music being made, mostly under the top 40 radar. (And I should mention, given your location, the '80s was when I first heard South African music, thanks to _The Indestructible Beat of Soweto_ and, to some extent, _Graceland_.) I didn’t mean to completely write off the '70s, either - there were a million awesome soul songs (soul/R&B kind of went to shit in the '80s), punk singles, Kraftwerk, Bowie, Roxy Music, Queen, Hawkwind, and all that. But most of the “classic rock” (or, to use a more appropriate term, “butt rock”) of the era does nothing for me. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/42 "2012-08-09T17:03:14Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > For me, it will always be the '70s, for so many reasons. Chief of which is my birthdate: 1959. I have a theory: Everybody likes best, or has an enduring soft spot for, the music that was happening when they were 18. I think that works well for me. I like the music best from 1975-1985, and I was 18 in 1980. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/43 "2012-08-09T17:08:37Z")
Hands down, 2000-2010 for the very simple reason that, over time, music just tends to get better and better over time. Admittedly, 3 of my top 4 favorite albums came out in 1999, but the overall quality of the 00s is just better than the 90s. The only reason I can’t really pick 2010 to present is because there just isn’t enough ought there to really compete fairly with other decades, but I imagine that this will change in a few years. To clarify, I’m refering to music as a collective, not just popular music, I pretty much stay out of popular music. If it were about the popular styles, well, I would actually go with the 70s because I love the hard rock and prog rock sound of that era which, interestingly enough, seems to be in vogue right now. And I also say that music just gets better because modern music gets to pull from so much more as an influence than older music does, and that influence will continue to expand. Modern technology, especially since it became realistically possible to do near studio quality recording on a PC in the late 90s and early 00s, means that there’s some things that simply weren’t possible before but are now. It also means that some musicians who may not have gotten a break before can get their music out there. So with so much more music being generated, sure, a lot more of it is crap, but it also means we’ll generate a lot more gems. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/44 "2012-08-09T17:20:13Z")
Here’s how it breaks down for this headbanger: The '60s and '70s were awesome, formative years. The '80s were great, but it was like watching mutations spring forth: some were viable, some were awesome, some were just cancerous things that needed to be destroyed. The '90s were like watching evolution in action, seeing how and which mutants would survive. The '00s were awesome, and the surviving mutations thrived and begat their own offspring. But so far, the current decade is consistently producing the best music I’ve ever heard, by and large. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/45 "2012-08-09T18:04:57Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > music just tends to get better and better over time The Viennese Classical period wants a word with you. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/46 "2012-08-09T18:51:54Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Woody, I actually agree with everything you wrote. Tons of folks were making wonderfully melodic pop, creative music videos, discovering “world music”, and rockin’ out in the 80s. Good to be reminded that it wasn’t just Madonna and Freddy Goes to Hollywood. > > But I’m still a bit surprised it’s doing so well in this poll, given the other choices. Self-correction: I think it was \* Frankie \* Goes to Hollywood. Whatever. Grody to the max! ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/47 "2012-08-09T19:38:31Z")
Voted the 70s. 1968-78 for pop 1957-67 for jazz 1800-10 for classical ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/48 "2012-08-09T19:44:20Z")
The 80’s for its hard rock/hair metal, as well as its punk. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/49 "2012-08-09T20:12:14Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Self-correction: I think it was \* Frankie \* Goes to Hollywood. > > Whatever. Grody to the max! Aw, c’mon. You couldn’t think of a way to spin it as some sort of extremely clever Queen reference? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/50 "2012-08-09T20:57:25Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Aw, c’mon. You couldn’t think of a way to spin it as some sort of extremely clever Queen reference? Ha! ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/51 "2012-08-09T21:04:53Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Decade? Try “Century!” > > (Die-hard Vivaldi fan.) Why limit yourself? Here’s [a good overview](http://www.richardthompson-music.com/album.asp?id=74)… Card carrying Boomer here. Well, not really; I haven’t returned any mail from the AARP. But I like lots of stuff… ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/52 "2012-08-09T21:09:20Z")
70s. And I wasn’t even born yet. David Bowie Big Star X-Ray Spex Leonard Cohen Tom Waits The Clash Richard and Linda Thompson Nina Simone Tim Buckley Can Faust Pink Floyd Elvis Costello Joy Division Wire Neil Young The Stooges Gram Parsons Having said that, my favorite 10 year span would be something like 1997-2007, with 1997/1998 my favorite years. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/53 "2012-08-09T22:09:46Z")
I’m shifting the goalposts slightly. **1985-1995** is the greatest 10 year span of music for me. It covers 80’s bands at their peak quality, the explosion of college alternative rock, and the birth/peak/death of the grunge revolution. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/54 "2012-08-10T01:49:21Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I’d go 1965-1975. > > Second choice is 1930-1940. Thread tying the two decades together: In both, you get _Deep Purple_. The band was named after the [1930s song](http://youtu.be/hH2-4-drxIg). Because it was Ritchie Blackmore’s grandmother’s favorite song. What a sweet boy, our Ritchie, to do that for his granny! ---
**Author:** ![RedBloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dbc845/32.png) [@RedBloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedBloom)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/55 "2012-08-10T20:36:56Z")
Long live ToTo! ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/56 "2012-08-10T20:42:21Z")
I love doo-wop oldies and “old style” rock 'n roll Which means I voted for the '50s, though really it should be about 1955 to 1966. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/57 "2012-08-10T21:28:19Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Like numerous other posters, my favorite period was 1965-75. (I might refine it to 1964-1973.) Even finer refining: 1966-1972 ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/58 "2012-08-10T22:34:55Z")
The Doors and the Beatles make me favor the '60s, but my generation was grunge so nothing beats the '90s overall for me. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and some '90s metal like White Zombie, Pantera and Living Colour and I’m happy. Not that the '70s and '80s were bad, mind you. Who doesn’t like Queen, New Order, or the Police, for instance? But the '90s were my generation and Kurt Cobain was the voice of it, so I have to go with that. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/59 "2012-08-10T22:49:21Z")
Quoted for truth. The 70’s had by far the greatest range of music. Dance your butt off to Donna Summer and the Bee Gees. Rock out to Arena Rock groups like Queen and Boston. Country had the bad ass Outlaws Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Jesse Coulter captured my heart with _I’m Not Lisa_. Get funky with Patti LaBelle and I watched Soul Train and midnight special every weekend. 70’s was the best! > [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > For me, it was the 70’s. Hard rock and progressive rock were king. I thought that bands could venture out farther and do weirder things than any other time. > > Led Zeppelin became Gods. > Punk was born > Yes, Genesis and Rush were free to do whatever the fuck they wanted! > > I still like music from all the decades but the 70’s was the best! (and some of the worst!) ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907/60 "2012-08-10T23:02:03Z")
Born in '86 here, and I voted for 1980-1990, but it’s a hard choice. I absolutely love stuff from the 50’s and 60’s as well, and I agree with sentiments that music really does just keep getting better and better. So I really like all of it, but I picked the 80’s because that’s were most of my personal favorite songs and artists were at their best. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-favorite-decade-for-music/630907.md?page=4)