# You can only listen to music from a single year. Which year do pick? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2011, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243 "2011-12-06T07:51:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/1 "2011-12-06T07:51:48Z")
One night while enjoying a kip you are overcome in a brilliant white light. You’ve been abducted by aliens - fortunately for you, they don’t wanna shove anything up your arse, but they are curious about the concept of music and stick an implant in your head. Through wild gestures and interpretive dance, they make it clear that from now on you can only listen to music published in one of your Earth years. Anything else comes in as incomprehensible static, it registers as a sound but is no longer heard as music. They’ll give you seven of your Earth days to make up your mind, whereupon you will be picked up again and the implant activated and attuned to your chosen year. For clarity, a song must be released and available to the public in the year you picked to be included - it doesn’t matter when it was written or recorded. So, what’s your chosen year? Looong poll incoming. ---
**Author:** ![Naxos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Naxos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Naxos)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/2 "2011-12-06T07:55:00Z")
1. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/3 "2011-12-06T08:52:40Z")
In order… 1984 1985 1983 1982 1981/1986 1980 1979 1987 1988 ---
**Author:** ![rikc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c57346/32.png) [@rikc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rikc)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/4 "2011-12-06T10:02:45Z")
Easy: [1979](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_in_music). you get Elvis Costello’s _Armed Forces_, probably my favorite album of all time, as well as some of the best work recorded by Nick Lowe, XTC, Joe Jackson, The Clash, Fleetwood Mac, Wire, Sparks, Gang of Four, Talking Heads, Michael Jackson, Devo, The B-52s, Neil Young and The Cars. You even get some Greatest Hits treatment from The Bee Gees and ABBA, so you’ll never be bored (if Greatest Hits compilations are allowed). The only sad part would be having to live with Prince’s self-titled album (the weakest of his earlier albums, imo) and knowing you could be listening to so much more from him. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/5 "2011-12-06T11:42:28Z")
1. That was the year that Rock really advanced and exploded, but had still retained it’s freshness and pop appeal without indulging in some of the excessive noodling of the following years. Off the top of my head, some groundbreaking albums from the year: The Beatles - Revolver Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde The Kinks - Face To Face The Byrds - Fifth Dimension The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground And Nico Otis Redding - The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield Add to that the many classic singles of that year. My second choice would be 1977, the year that Punk famously broke. Note that I was born in 1968 and have been listening to music from about 1920 to today, so I don’t think that I’m overtly influenced here by the music of the time of my youth. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/6 "2011-12-06T12:10:19Z")
No brainer, 2012 or later. I already know all the stuff I like since 1963. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/7 "2011-12-06T12:44:53Z")
Everything changed in 1967. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/8 "2011-12-06T12:49:12Z")
2011 (although I hit 2010 by mistake) - the year my favourite album by my favourite band came out (plus a number of singles from the band and one by the singer in one of her solo projects)…I’d miss a lot of stuff before that, and a little bit after it, but… ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/9 "2011-12-06T12:57:00Z")
1987, just in terms of some of my favourite albums: The Cure: Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me The Swans: Children of God Sisters of Mercy: Floodland Einsturzende Neubauten: Fünf auf der nach oben offenen Richterskala Shelleyan Orphan: Helleborine Dead Can Dance: Within the Realm of a Dying Sun The Smiths: Strangeways, Here We Come The Young Gods: The Young Gods Fields of the Nephilim: Dawnrazor Half Man Half Biscuit: Back Again in the DHSS Jesus and Mary Chain: Darklands Depeche Mode: Music For The Masses Lloyd Cole & The Commotions: Mainstream The Christians: The Christians Swing Out Sister: It’s Better To Travel Deacon Blue: Raintown The Housemartins: The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death The Stone Roses: Sally Cinnamon E.P. R.E.M.: Document Pixies: Come On Pilgrim Big Black: Songs About Fucking 10000 Maniacs: In My Tribe Spear of Destiny: Outland The Men They Couldn’t Hang: Waiting For Bonaparte Midnight Oil: Diesel and Dust I’d be cheesed at missing out on Cocteau Twins, Bad Seeds, Kate Bush, Thomas Dolby, The Fall and This Mortal Coil. Can’t have everything. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/10 "2011-12-06T13:53:26Z")
I picked 1995 for No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom and Alanis Morissette’s jagged Little Pill, but a quick google search reveals that I would also get Garbage, Oasis’s What’s the Story (Morning Glory)?, Tupac’s Me Against the World, 311, Jewel’s Pieces of You, and Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. ---
**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:** [December 6, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/11 "2011-12-06T15:15:09Z")
1. Clearly. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour - The Beatles The Doors and Strange Days - The Doors Surrealistic Pillow and After Bathing at Baxter’s - Jefferson Airplane Disraeli Gears - Cream Their Satanic Majesties Request - The Rolling Stones The Who Sell Out - The Who Procol Harum A Hard Road - John Mayall Are You Experienced? and Axis: Bold As Love - Jimi Hendrix Mellow Yellow - Donovan Patsy Cline’s Greatest Hits Absolutely Free - The Mothers of Invention You’re a Big Boy Now - The Lovin’ Spoonful The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion - The Incredible String Band The Piper at the Gates of Dawn - Pink Floyd Goodbye and Hello - Tim Buckley Joan - Joan Baez Safe as Milk - Captain Beefheart Ten Years After Ten Years After Pleasures of the Harbor - Phil Ochs Alice’s Restaurant - Arlo Guthrie Wildflowers - Judy Collins Days of Future Passed - The Moody Blues I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die - Country Joe and the Fish - John Wesley Harding - Bob Dylan The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground Songs of Leonard Cohen Lumpy Gravy - Frank Zappa Mr. Fantasy - Traffic A Gift from a Flower to a Garden - Donovan ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/12 "2011-12-06T16:04:59Z")
\*\*koeeoaddi \*\*is very definitely there. Such a comprehensive list. The only one I’d add is Younger Than Yesterday by the Byrds. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/13 "2011-12-06T16:06:47Z")
I’d have to do a more thorough study of exactly which songs I was on the hook for, but I voted 1974. It would definitely be one of the early post-Beatles years where shit really started to get interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Chris\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chris_1)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/14 "2011-12-06T16:09:46Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > 1. > > That was the year that Rock really advanced and exploded, but had still retained it’s freshness and pop appeal without indulging in some of the excessive noodling of the following years. Off the top of my head, some groundbreaking albums from the year: > > The Beatles - Revolver > Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde > The Kinks - Face To Face > The Byrds - Fifth Dimension > The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground And Nico > Otis Redding - The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul > Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield > > Add to that the many classic singles of that year. > > My second choice would be 1977, the year that Punk famously broke. > > Note that I was born in 1968 and have been listening to music from about 1920 to today, so I don’t think that I’m overtly influenced here by the music of the time of my youth. agreed! those were the days I guess..Also, I’d say any year but the 80’s..:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/15 "2011-12-06T16:12:12Z")
very hard question to answer. a 5 year window might be able to give a real answer. even in the area of 60s music; the late 60s had good music with some groups just getting started, the early 70s had good music with some groups winding down. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/16 "2011-12-06T16:15:47Z")
> [@rikc](#): > > Easy: [1979](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_in_music). > > you get Elvis Costello’s _Armed Forces_, probably my favorite album of all time, as well as some of the best work recorded by Nick Lowe, XTC, Joe Jackson, The Clash, Fleetwood Mac, Wire, Sparks, Gang of Four, Talking Heads, Michael Jackson, Devo, The B-52s, Neil Young and The Cars. > > You even get some Greatest Hits treatment from The Bee Gees and ABBA, so you’ll never be bored (if Greatest Hits compilations are allowed). > > The only sad part would be having to live with Prince’s self-titled album (the weakest of his earlier albums, imo) and knowing you could be listening to so much more from him. Yep, I voted 1979, as well for all those reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/17 "2011-12-06T16:38:04Z")
Since it does not matter when it was written or recorded I’d have to choose whatever the current year is. That way I’d have access to everything so far! Or am I reading the question wrong? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/18 "2011-12-06T16:38:43Z")
> [@koeeoaddi](#): > > 1. Clearly. > [@NineToTheSky](#): > > \*\*koeeoaddi \*\*is very definitely there. > > Such a comprehensive list. The only one I’d add is Younger Than Yesterday by the Byrds. also The Grateful Dead Grateful Dead The Electric Prunes The Electric Prunes Alice’s Restaurant Arlo Guthrie The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw Paul Butterfield Blues Band 1967 would be in my top 3 years. though without going through maybe 7 years of music i really couldn’t give an actual answer. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/19 "2011-12-06T16:56:40Z")
1. Tapestry, Sticky Fingers, What’s Going On, Every Picture Tells A Story, Aqualung, Tumbleweed Connection, Who’s Next etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/20 "2011-12-06T17:14:11Z")
I have a feeling almost everyone will pick a year when they were in high school. 1994: Morrissey - Vauxhall & I Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral Portishead - Dummy Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Let Love In Blur - Parklife Beastie Boys - Ill Communication Weezer - Weezer Sloan - Twice Removed Beck - Mellowgold Liz Phair - Whipsmart Hole - Live Through This Therapy? - Troublegum Not to mention releases by Tori Amos, Sonic Youth, Erasure, Pavement, Elliott Smith, Oasis, Manic Street Preachers, Nirvana, and Suede. I’m pissed about missing Radiohead’s The Bends by three months, but what can you do? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243.md?page=2)