What Was The Best Decade For Music In History?

[evenflow1969]

1. The 50s
2. The 60s
3. The 70s
4. The 80s
5. The 90s
6. 2000-2010
7. 2010-2020
8. Classical Music

Which one of the above was the best decade/period in history for Rock & Roll, Pop Music, or just music in general.
Take into consideration innovation....originality....artistry...or ingenuity.

I believe the 80s was the greatest when it came to popular culture. The Classical period was the most influential....but the 80s changed America.

If you vote....please post at least a short comment.

I think Angelo hit it on the head the seventies creativity and original sounds separate it from the other decades. I can remember just being blown away by Fly like an eagle. I had never heard such a dramatically different sound. The eighties the record companies had to much control and limited the sound to much.

All the previous decades up until Woodstock in 1969 really set a perfect foundation for the inventiveness of the 70's . 1970 in the UK and the US was like a perfect storm with all the right ingredients that culminated in 'the gravy train' as Pink Floyd described it. Up until the end of the 60's - music was almost a passing fad until the Woodstock awakening, the British hard rock/ metal invasion - radio stations started getting flooded with requests for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Steppenwolf and Jefferson Airplane....the antiwar movement was huge after over a decade of the Vietnam War-- I grew up 20 minutes from KSU where the Guard shot 4 students during protests and saw it unfolding first hand, as many of us did. Then you had jazz and blues expanding after Hendrix, developing with Al Dimeola and Robin Trower all those guys. I could ramble on and on . Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan - the list goes on forever. Bonham , Peart, Van Halen..........ELP.

Speaking of KSU my father was there also. He was in the national guard at the time. Lol Luckily for him his unit was just rolling up when all the shit was going down. He was not on patrol yet when the kids got shot. The seventies was a great time to be alive the radio was awesome. No one could call a game like Howard Cossell. The big Red Machine and Woody Hays coaching the Buckeyes. Awesome time to be in Ohio. The fishing on lake erie was crazy good back then. I use to spend every other week end on Kelly's Island at my grandfather's place and would fish that lake like crazy. Ya if I could turn back the clock the 70s were awesome. People even still had a sense of humor back then. Not a master piece but I always got a chuckle out of Disco Duck.

 

[evenflow1969]

1. The 50s
2. The 60s
3. The 70s
4. The 80s
5. The 90s
6. 2000-2010
7. 2010-2020
8. Classical Music

Which one of the above was the best decade/period in history for Rock & Roll, Pop Music, or just music in general.
Take into consideration innovation....originality....artistry...or ingenuity.

I believe the 80s was the greatest when it came to popular culture. The Classical period was the most influential....but the 80s changed America.

If you vote....please post at least a short comment.

I think Angelo hit it on the head the seventies creativity and original sounds separate it from the other decades. I can remember just being blown away by Fly like an eagle. I had never heard such a dramatically different sound. The eighties the record companies had to much control and limited the sound to much.

All the previous decades up until Woodstock in 1969 really set a perfect foundation for the inventiveness of the 70's . 1970 in the UK and the US was like a perfect storm with all the right ingredients that culminated in 'the gravy train' as Pink Floyd described it. Up until the end of the 60's - music was almost a passing fad until the Woodstock awakening, the British hard rock/ metal invasion - radio stations started getting flooded with requests for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Steppenwolf and Jefferson Airplane....the antiwar movement was huge after over a decade of the Vietnam War-- I grew up 20 minutes from KSU where the Guard shot 4 students during protests and saw it unfolding first hand, as many of us did. Then you had jazz and blues expanding after Hendrix, developing with Al Dimeola and Robin Trower all those guys. I could ramble on and on . Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan - the list goes on forever.

One of the things that helped the industry, not necessarily the artists, was the lousy contracts that forced the artists to tour and record until they collapsed.
Every suit running a record company thought they had the next "Beatles".

Ya, old interviews with the Beatles and Tommy James that was a common theme . Especially old interviews with Tommy James he spoke about not only did he not make alot of money but the head of his label was a mob boss. He did say his boss pretty much gave him full creative control.

Morris Levy?
Guess it's not coincidence that the label was called "Roulette"....

No not a coincidence at all. I guess there is a movie about the Tommy James story that came out like 2010 is. I would like to hunt that up and watch it.

 

[Pogo]

Hm, I wonder. Depends on what one means by 'concert' but I once added up all the live shows the Beatles did, including Hamburg, the Cavern, everything. Whatever I came up with was in the thousands.

Playing at school dances and Toronto area church gatherings don't count ?

Why wouldn't they count? They're all shows.

I wanted to say the number was ten thousand. I shied away as that seems like a ton. But it might be. Have any idea how many shows the Beatles played in Hamburg, working 12-16 hours a day?

They weren't called the Beatles then, and Ringo wasn't with them. Doesn't count.

Sure they count. Ringo was only the drummer.

I believe they were indeed called the Beatles upon arrival in Hamburg.

 

[Harry Dresden]

I saw a lot of concerts in the 70s and 80s...... The two I missed the most that I didn't get to see were Pink Floyd and Emerson Lake and Palmer

seen both of them in the early 70's .....both were in a 4 Channel sound setup.....

 

[MisterBeale]

Hm, I wonder. Depends on what one means by 'concert' but I once added up all the live shows the Beatles did, including Hamburg, the Cavern, everything. Whatever I came up with was in the thousands.

Playing at school dances and Toronto area church gatherings don't count ?

Why wouldn't they count? They're all shows.

I wanted to say the number was ten thousand. I shied away as that seems like a ton. But it might be. Have any idea how many shows the Beatles played in Hamburg, working 12-16 hours a day?

They weren't called the Beatles then, and Ringo wasn't with them. Doesn't count.

Sure they count. Ringo was only the drummer.

I believe they were indeed called the Beatles upon arrival in Hamburg.

Belief, and knowing are two different things.

I am telling you, you are wrong.

Read a book.

The Love You Make - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Pogo]

So I'm kinda wondering how long this thread goes with references to the 1970s, somehow without anybody mentioning the Allman Brothers.... and their ilk.....

 

[Harry Dresden]

Harry Dresden should be in this thread....

i was going to comment on this this morning,i would have been the first one,but had to go do something, so here i am....a lot of comments since i left....

 

[Pogo]

Hm, I wonder. Depends on what one means by 'concert' but I once added up all the live shows the Beatles did, including Hamburg, the Cavern, everything. Whatever I came up with was in the thousands.

Playing at school dances and Toronto area church gatherings don't count ?

Why wouldn't they count? They're all shows.

I wanted to say the number was ten thousand. I shied away as that seems like a ton. But it might be. Have any idea how many shows the Beatles played in Hamburg, working 12-16 hours a day?

They weren't called the Beatles then, and Ringo wasn't with them. Doesn't count.

Sure they count. Ringo was only the drummer.

I believe they were indeed called the Beatles upon arrival in Hamburg.

Belief, and knowing are two different things.

I am telling you, you are wrong.

Read a book.

The Love You Make - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Already did. Here, lemme read to you.

>> By January 1959, Lennon's Quarry Bank friends had left the group, and he began his studies at the Liverpool College of Art.[9] The three guitarists, billing themselves as Johnny and the Moondogs,[10] were playing rock and roll whenever they could find a drummer.[11] Lennon's art school friend Stuart Sutcliffe, who had just sold one of his paintings and was persuaded to purchase a bass guitar with the proceeds, joined in January 1960, and it was he who suggested changing the band's name to Beatals, as a tribute to Buddy Holly and the Crickets.[12][13] They used this name until May, when they became the Silver Beetles, before undertaking a brief tour of Scotland as the backing group for pop singer and fellow Liverpudlian Johnny Gentle. By early July, they had refashioned themselves as the Silver Beatles, and by the middle of August shortened the name to the Beatles.[14]​

​

Allan Williams, the Beatles' unofficial manager, arranged a residency for them in Hamburg, and for this they auditioned and hired drummer Pete Best in mid-August 1960. The band, now a five-piece, departed Liverpool for Hamburg four days later, contracted to club owner Bruno Koschmider for what would be a 3½-month residency.[15] Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn writes: "They pulled into Hamburg at dusk on 17 August, the time when the red-light area comes to life ... flashing neon lights screamed out the various entertainment on offer, while scantily clad women sat unabashed in shop windows waiting for business opportunities."[16]​

​

Koschmider had converted a couple of strip clubs in the district into music venues, and he initially placed the Beatles at the Indra Club.,., << (Wiki)​

​

I guess you might say, I am showing you, that you are wrong.

 

[the other mike]

I saw this tour in 1977..... I believe on the tickets it said Wind and Wuthering tour....

 

[Harry Dresden]

40s

I've always enjoyed the Big Band sound.

Glenn Miller. Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Duchin, etc

Cab Calloway was great......

 

[mudwhistle]

And BTW - this just might have been the greatest thing for music in the 20th century.... it changed everything. And opened the world to music no one knew existed, and smashed the shackles of corporate music.


View attachment 462709

What even IS that?

If you don't know.... uh... I can't help you.... holy cow I hope you are kidding

So you don't know what it is, and you posted it anyway?

I've never seen that before. Have no idea where you're going with this.

I will give you a hint...Nap {Fill in the 2nd syllable)...

..ster

 

[mudwhistle]

The 70's has the most good songs by far.

Early 70s had some great songs and Elton John and Billy Joel emerged. Then came Disco and ruined the decade

There were a lot of good disco songs. My second favorite song of all-time is "Funky Town" by Lipps Inc. I also really like "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire, "Car Wash" by Rose Royce, "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward, "Get Off" by Foxy, "Turn the Beat Around" by Vicki Sue Robinson, and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson.

I hated Funky Town with a passion.
I was working civil service for the Navy back then.....and I wanted to shoot the damn radio over that stupid song.

 

[Indeependent]

The 70's has the most good songs by far.

Early 70s had some great songs and Elton John and Billy Joel emerged. Then came Disco and ruined the decade

There were a lot of good disco songs. My second favorite song of all-time is "Funky Town" by Lipps Inc. I also really like "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire, "Car Wash" by Rose Royce, "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward, "Get Off" by Foxy, "Turn the Beat Around" by Vicki Sue Robinson, and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson.

I hated Funky Town with a passion.
I was working civil service for the Navy back then.....and I wanted to shot the damn radio over that stupid song.

Funky Town!

 

[mudwhistle]

The 70's has the most good songs by far.

Early 70s had some great songs and Elton John and Billy Joel emerged. Then came Disco and ruined the decade

Elton John and Billy Joel

An interesting phenomena...
If you listen to both of them you will realize how many melodies BJ ripped off from EJ.
I bet when they went on the Piano Men Tour, it was because EJ was threatening to sue BJ.

No, I don't hear that AT ALL. Never occurred to me, not once.
Elton John did mention Leon Russell as a strong influence, speaking of yet another artist not mentioned in the OP's list above, but I don't hear a musical similarity there either. Why don't you post us some comparative examples.

As for which "came first", I have a Billy Joel album (his first) that dates to 1971 for what it's worth.

For instance, listen to BJ's Movin' Out when he sings, "I'm movin' out", followed his piano solo...its' directly ripped off from EJ's long ass piano solo on the Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road's Funeral For A Friend.

I can't remember the name of the EJ song because I never listen to albums anymore.
I was actually shocked when I started getting into EJ 20 years ago and lost a bit of respect for BJ.

I loved Elton John when I was in H.S.
They played the heck out of Yellow Brick Road.....it was at the same time I was reading Dracula for the first time.
Reminds me of when I was a Box Boy at a grocery store.

 

[mudwhistle]

Top 7 movies that used Fortunate Son

 

[mudwhistle]

The 70's has the most good songs by far.

Early 70s had some great songs and Elton John and Billy Joel emerged. Then came Disco and ruined the decade

Elton John and Billy Joel

An interesting phenomena...
If you listen to both of them you will realize how many melodies BJ ripped off from EJ.
I bet when they went on the Piano Men Tour, it was because EJ was threatening to sue BJ.

No, I don't hear that AT ALL. Never occurred to me, not once.
Elton John did mention Leon Russell as a strong influence, speaking of yet another artist not mentioned in the OP's list above, but I don't hear a musical similarity there either. Why don't you post us some comparative examples.

As for which "came first", I have a Billy Joel album (his first) that dates to 1971 for what it's worth.

For instance, listen to BJ's Movin' Out when he sings, "I'm movin' out", followed his piano solo...its' directly ripped off from EJ's long ass piano solo on the Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road's Funeral For A Friend.

I can't remember the name of the EJ song because I never listen to albums anymore.
I was actually shocked when I started getting into EJ 20 years ago and lost a bit of respect for BJ.

Okay, here they are.

​

Had to look up the EJ one, not familiar with it --- it's playing as I type and I'm hearing more Chopin than anything else. Give me some time markers.

You wanna hear some direct ripoffs, not counting Jimmy Plagiarist and Robber Plant, check Joe South's direct "quote" of John Lennon's "Day in the Life" in his song "Hush" -- I think Deep Purple did it. Joe South did that a lot.

starting from about 1:45, you can already hear the BJ has listened to this album many times
4:06 is where BJ ripped off the melody.

1:45 of which one? I went to 1:45 of Elton John and that's the part where I'm hearing Chopin. Which is also an element in Joel's music, although not here. Would it not be accurate to say they're both influenced by Chopin in their development? Such as....

​

Actually what you've got there, at both 1:45 and 4:06 is the same theme, repeated. And it's particularly where it dips down into that minor chord that I hear the Chopin (which Joel's melody doesn't do). But no I don't hear one copying the other just because they use a similar bass progression, any more than we can call "Stairway to Heaven" a ripoff of "Taurus" on the same basis.

EJ never copied BJ.

Never been a fan of EJ, wouldn't know. But I just don't hear it here.

Wow! If you don't hear it starting from 4:06 I don't know how to respond.
Through the years I've played some of this to many people and I didn't even have to tell them that BJ was ripping off EJ.
It won't make any difference to their assets ($0.00) at this point in time.

I'm hearing two different themes with somewhat similar bass progressions. And I'm hearing Chopin in both of them.

At 4:06?!
You're respect for BJ is affecting your perception of the obvious.

I'm listening to the notes.
One can always find similarities between two pieces of music, the question is to what degree.

It could be my respect for, I'll say it yet again, Chopin is affecting my perceptions. Is it possible they're both ripping off Chopin, at least in compositional approach? Because that's more what I hear here.

Is Ray Mazarek ripping off Blood Sweat and Tears here? Manzarek at 2:56

​

I wouldn't call that a ripoff, that's just a quick "quote", if it's even intentional.

These songs are prime examples of what most people call muzak.
I have no problem with album fillers sounding alike because nobody thinks they're going to be singles.
When a composer sites at a piano for 10 hours until a catchy melody emerges, that composer should well know whether or not the melody line is original.
I have the feeling that BJ was listening to so many different types of music that he didn't realize it wasn't original.
BJ also drank like a fish.

Country music all sounds the same.
They just change the friggen lyrics....

 

[Harry Dresden]

For instance... The Rolling Stones. In my opinion one one of the most over-rated bands in history, virtually every song you hear today by them, and the songs people think of when thinking of the Rolling Stones - is from the 60s and 70s. After that, they produced drivel for the most part.

Voodoo Lounge from 1994 by the Stones is pretty good.

Nothing they did compares to Some Girls. Super original, nothing liked it existed then. Every song was good. Tattoo You is a distant second I think, but Voodoo Lounge is not original. And what the hell was up with "The Worst"... wanted to do a Hank Williams song??

The slower songs like "The Worst" on Voodoo Lounge just hit the right spot for me, not much for "Waiting for a Friend." And "Start Me Up" was great when it came out, but it got played so much it died a million deaths and became "noise." The other slower songs on Tattoo You, I don't like at all.

The Stones have left a treasure of music until 1984 but became irrelevant in the music world afterwards.
There's comes an age where the composing talent simply is no longer there.

Some Girls is one of my favorite albums of all time.
I know, funny to hear that from a person who said they are the most overrated band of all time.
But it is true. (IMO)
They still produced some good songs after Tattoo You.... of course... but they were farther and fewer in between. Like I say, pretty much every song people think of with Rolling Stones is off of just 3 albums. Maybe 4. They made 30!!
90% of what they wrote stinks.

I always thought Gimme Shelter was their best work

Haha... yeah... which is a compilation of those 4 albums

Is there a compilation by that name? I thought he was referring to the song by that name, and I'd agree.

The Stones died with Brian.

Last week I sold off not one not two but three Stones LPs. Got about $175 for 'em. So there's a market, and I'm not above taking advantage of it.

i felt they died after Mick Taylor....

 

[Harry Dresden]

The 70's has the most good songs by far.

Early 70s had some great songs and Elton John and Billy Joel emerged. Then came Disco and ruined the decade

Elton John and Billy Joel

An interesting phenomena...
If you listen to both of them you will realize how many melodies BJ ripped off from EJ.
I bet when they went on the Piano Men Tour, it was because EJ was threatening to sue BJ.

No, I don't hear that AT ALL. Never occurred to me, not once.
Elton John did mention Leon Russell as a strong influence, speaking of yet another artist not mentioned in the OP's list above, but I don't hear a musical similarity there either. Why don't you post us some comparative examples.

As for which "came first", I have a Billy Joel album (his first) that dates to 1971 for what it's worth.

For instance, listen to BJ's Movin' Out when he sings, "I'm movin' out", followed his piano solo...its' directly ripped off from EJ's long ass piano solo on the Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road's Funeral For A Friend.

I can't remember the name of the EJ song because I never listen to albums anymore.
I was actually shocked when I started getting into EJ 20 years ago and lost a bit of respect for BJ.

Okay, here they are.





Had to look up the EJ one, not familiar with it --- it's playing as I type and I'm hearing more Chopin than anything else. Give me some time markers.

You wanna hear some direct ripoffs, not counting Jimmy Plagiarist and Robber Plant, check Joe South's direct "quote" of John Lennon's "Day in the Life" in his song "Hush" -- I think Deep Purple did it. Joe South did that a lot.

starting from about 1:45, you can already hear the BJ has listened to this album many times
4:06 is where BJ ripped off the melody.

1:45 of which one? I went to 1:45 of Elton John and that's the part where I'm hearing Chopin. Which is also an element in Joel's music, although not here. Would it not be accurate to say they're both influenced by Chopin in their development? Such as....




Actually what you've got there, at both 1:45 and 4:06 is the same theme, repeated. And it's particularly where it dips down into that minor chord that I hear the Chopin (which Joel's melody doesn't do). But no I don't hear one copying the other just because they use a similar bass progression, any more than we can call "Stairway to Heaven" a ripoff of "Taurus" on the same basis.

EJ never copied BJ.

Never been a fan of EJ, wouldn't know. But I just don't hear it here.

Wow! If you don't hear it starting from 4:06 I don't know how to respond.
Through the years I've played some of this to many people and I didn't even have to tell them that BJ was ripping off EJ.
It won't make any difference to their assets ($0.00) at this point in time.

I'm hearing two different themes with somewhat similar bass progressions. And I'm hearing Chopin in both of them.

At 4:06?!
You're respect for BJ is affecting your perception of the obvious.

I'm listening to the notes.
One can always find similarities between two pieces of music, the question is to what degree.

It could be my respect for, I'll say it yet again, Chopin is affecting my perceptions. Is it possible they're both ripping off Chopin, at least in compositional approach? Because that's more what I hear here.

I am a musician and it's clear as day.
The Philharmonic can play A Hard Day's Night and I know it's a Hard Day's Night.
BJ unconsciously took that part and thought it was a new composition.
I will presume that his band was not familiar with EJ's work and BJ's publisher didn't do his due diligence.

So am I, and given the relevant parts, I'm not hearing a ripoff. It's not necessary to have heard it before, as you yourself indicated. I don't think Joel's publisher needed a heads-up at all.

Is Ray Mazarek ripping off Al Kooper here? Manzarek at 2:56, BST entire theme. They're even in the same key....

​

I wouldn't call that a ripoff, that's just a quick "quote", if it's even intentional. Two bars and then off somewhere else.

Al Kooper should in the the so called HOF.....

 

[Pogo]

The 70's has the most good songs by far.

Early 70s had some great songs and Elton John and Billy Joel emerged. Then came Disco and ruined the decade

Elton John and Billy Joel

An interesting phenomena...
If you listen to both of them you will realize how many melodies BJ ripped off from EJ.
I bet when they went on the Piano Men Tour, it was because EJ was threatening to sue BJ.

No, I don't hear that AT ALL. Never occurred to me, not once.
Elton John did mention Leon Russell as a strong influence, speaking of yet another artist not mentioned in the OP's list above, but I don't hear a musical similarity there either. Why don't you post us some comparative examples.

As for which "came first", I have a Billy Joel album (his first) that dates to 1971 for what it's worth.

For instance, listen to BJ's Movin' Out when he sings, "I'm movin' out", followed his piano solo...its' directly ripped off from EJ's long ass piano solo on the Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road's Funeral For A Friend.

I can't remember the name of the EJ song because I never listen to albums anymore.
I was actually shocked when I started getting into EJ 20 years ago and lost a bit of respect for BJ.

Okay, here they are.





Had to look up the EJ one, not familiar with it --- it's playing as I type and I'm hearing more Chopin than anything else. Give me some time markers.

You wanna hear some direct ripoffs, not counting Jimmy Plagiarist and Robber Plant, check Joe South's direct "quote" of John Lennon's "Day in the Life" in his song "Hush" -- I think Deep Purple did it. Joe South did that a lot.

starting from about 1:45, you can already hear the BJ has listened to this album many times
4:06 is where BJ ripped off the melody.

1:45 of which one? I went to 1:45 of Elton John and that's the part where I'm hearing Chopin. Which is also an element in Joel's music, although not here. Would it not be accurate to say they're both influenced by Chopin in their development? Such as....




Actually what you've got there, at both 1:45 and 4:06 is the same theme, repeated. And it's particularly where it dips down into that minor chord that I hear the Chopin (which Joel's melody doesn't do). But no I don't hear one copying the other just because they use a similar bass progression, any more than we can call "Stairway to Heaven" a ripoff of "Taurus" on the same basis.

EJ never copied BJ.

Never been a fan of EJ, wouldn't know. But I just don't hear it here.

Wow! If you don't hear it starting from 4:06 I don't know how to respond.
Through the years I've played some of this to many people and I didn't even have to tell them that BJ was ripping off EJ.
It won't make any difference to their assets ($0.00) at this point in time.

I'm hearing two different themes with somewhat similar bass progressions. And I'm hearing Chopin in both of them.

At 4:06?!
You're respect for BJ is affecting your perception of the obvious.

I'm listening to the notes.
One can always find similarities between two pieces of music, the question is to what degree.

It could be my respect for, I'll say it yet again, Chopin is affecting my perceptions. Is it possible they're both ripping off Chopin, at least in compositional approach? Because that's more what I hear here.

I am a musician and it's clear as day.
The Philharmonic can play A Hard Day's Night and I know it's a Hard Day's Night.
BJ unconsciously took that part and thought it was a new composition.
I will presume that his band was not familiar with EJ's work and BJ's publisher didn't do his due diligence.

So am I, and given the relevant parts, I'm not hearing a ripoff. It's not necessary to have heard it before, as you yourself indicated. I don't think Joel's publisher needed a heads-up at all.

Is Ray Mazarek ripping off Al Kooper here? Manzarek at 2:56, BST entire theme. They're even in the same key....

​

I wouldn't call that a ripoff, that's just a quick "quote", if it's even intentional. Two bars and then off somewhere else.

Al Kooper should in the the so called HOF.....

Maybe. But definitely NOT for that song.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Two of the most over-rated rock bands are Queen and Aerosmith
What killed radio is "I Heart Radio" took all the local bands off the radio

Oh my goodness, not Queen. I agree that a large portion of their songs were... rather bad... but then there were the good ones, and they were outstanding. If that is the guide then you can certainly say the same for Pink Floyd. They also made a helluva lot of really terrible songs. But then they also made some of the best ones in history.
Aerosmith... I agree. Even though The Rocks album grabbed me by the ass and blew my mind. That is one of the best albums in Rock history. Draw the Line was also very good. But then came 1980. And from that year on they got progressively worse and worse until they turned into a parody of themselves.