Best decade for rock and roll?

[BillB]

I'm still getting aquainted with my new speakers and went on a early-mid 90's binge spinning some Nirvana, Oasis, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead and Verve. Some modern classics IMO. It got me to thinking, what's been the best decade for rock and roll? IMO the 90's blow the doors off of the 80's and probably come in second for me to the 60's. This coming from a 27 year old "kid".

So what do you lot think? Where do you think the 00's are headed?

Bill

[Troy]

The 50s was the infancy.

The 60s was the where it really all happened.

The 70s was the refinement and offshoot era.

By 1980, it began to repeat itself. The copy is very rarely as good as the original.

So it's a toss up between the 60s and 70s. Personally, I like 1965 to 1975 because it was the convergence of technology with an open minded youth culture.

But I think a lot of it has to do with when you grew up. I picked the 70s.

[DPM]

I agree with Troy. 1965 to 1975 was rock's classic period. Is there another ten year span during the rock era that has seen so many great releases? I voted for the seventies because my alltime favorite bands (Tull, Crimson, Purple, Zeppelin, Sabbath) ruled the earth during that time. Still, each decade has had its moments. For me, the eighties gave me Marillion, Riot, Gamma and King's X. The ninties gave me Bela Fleck, Soundgarden, Porcupine Tree, Djam Karet and Spock's Beard. And some of these bands continue into the new millenium--which has given me Tool, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and a host of other interesting prog bands.

Dave M

[ToddB]

Aaaaccckkkkk!!! No, no, no. The 80's were repeating themselves? Who was Husker Du repeating? Or Throwing Muses? Fugazi? New Order? Depeche Mode? Pixies?

God, I think that I mentioned all of these bands in a thread at AA yesterday. LOL.

We are fortunate to live at a time where there is an enormous amount of excellent rock music available. On nearly any given weekend, I can go to Modified in Phoenix and see one or two bands that are making great music, and I would assume that the situation is similar in most other large cities. The best decade for rock music is the one we're living in right now, and it's only going to get better.

[Worf101]

Then maybe I can answer this interesting poll.

Da Worfster

[Troy]

Aaaaccckkkkk!!! No, no, no. The 80's were repeating themselves? Who was Husker Du repeating? Or Throwing Muses? Fugazi? New Order? Depeche Mode? Pixies?

God, I think that I mentioned all of these bands in a thread at AA yesterday. LOL.

We are fortunate to live at a time where there is an enormous amount of excellent rock music available. On nearly any given weekend, I can go to Modified in Phoenix and see one or two bands that are making great music, and I would assume that the situation is similar in most other large cities. The best decade for rock music is the one we're living in right now, and it's only going to get better.

Husker Du was a hybrid indie metal band with a lot of punk influences. Pixies were post-punk pop.

New Order and Depeche Mode were a couple of new romatic type bands that used synths for everything, but were firmly rooted in torchy pop. That whole scene owed a ton to Roxy music and glam in general.

Fine bands all, but none of them really invented the wheel like the 60s and 70s bands did. I didn't say that the 80s were bad. They are 3rd on my list, but by then the form had been invented and bands like the ones you mentioned (and many many others) took what was done in the 70s and hybridized and refined it.

Hard to call the decade we're living in now the best decade for rock. I haven't heard anything really new in a looooong time.

[kexodusc]

Hmmm tough answer...I'll go with the 70's because that's when many of the real rock icons hit their peaks, despite starting out in the mid to late 60's. Yeah, I'll even lump Hendrix in the 70's. But it's aweful close. Yeah, Led Zepellin gets grouped witht he 70's too..Zepellin alone should be enough to seal the deal for the 70's.
If you look hard enough you should fine that all decades are pretty close...there were some EXCELLENT 80's rock albums once you get past the, yuck, synethesizers. Some horrible ones too...but you cannot deny bands like Motley Crue, Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, and Guns N 'Roses, etc.
Try to forget bands like Dokken, Ratt, W.A.S.P., Krokus, Cinderella etc...

I'm a little worried though, it seems the tail end of most decades sees a decline in the quality rock overall (with the exception of the early pioneers of the next decade). If this is the rule, we're in for a rough time this decade, because today's rock scene seriously sucks. Don't get me wrong, there's good stuff out there, but I'd hate to think the best of the decade is already behind us.
Great thread.

[BillB]

HEY!! I liked Cinderella!!

Hmmm tough answer...I'll go with the 70's because that's when many of the real rock icons hit their peaks, despite starting out in the mid to late 60's. Yeah, I'll even lump Hendrix in the 70's. But it's aweful close. Yeah, Led Zepellin gets grouped witht he 70's too..Zepellin alone should be enough to seal the deal for the 70's.
If you look hard enough you should fine that all decades are pretty close...there were some EXCELLENT 80's rock albums once you get past the, yuck, synethesizers. Some horrible ones too...but you cannot deny bands like Motley Crue, Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, and Guns N 'Roses, etc.
Try to forget bands like Dokken, Ratt, W.A.S.P., Krokus, Cinderella etc...

I'm a little worried though, it seems the tail end of most decades sees a decline in the quality rock overall (with the exception of the early pioneers of the next decade). If this is the rule, we're in for a rough time this decade, because today's rock scene seriously sucks. Don't get me wrong, there's good stuff out there, but I'd hate to think the best of the decade is already behind us.
Great thread.

[BillB]

Then maybe I can answer this interesting poll.

Da Worfster

Let's define rock and roll as being a group thing where guitars are prominent and there's usually a drummer and bass player involved. Sure there are exceptions but I think most fall into this loose interpretation.

[Dusty Chalk]

Hey, where's the double-ought's? I happen to like a lot of new music, but perhaps the 2000's are a bit too new to call them the best decade ever.

I disagree with the concept that just because it was done before, that it can't be done better (I've had a similar argument with Beatles fans), so I'm having a hard time deciding between the 80's and the 90's. Let me think about it some more...

[BillB]

Hey, where's the double-ought's? I happen to like a lot of new music, but perhaps the 2000's are a bit too new to call them the best decade ever.

I disagree with the concept that just because it was done before, that it can't be done better (I've had a similar argument with Beatles fans), so I'm having a hard time deciding between the 80's and the 90's. Let me think about it some more...

We've got 5 1/2 years to go there before we've got a decade. Things could go terribly bad in that amount of time.

Bill

[Worf101]

Let's define rock and roll as being a group thing where guitars are prominent and there's usually a drummer and bass player involved. Sure there are exceptions but I think most fall into this loose interpretation.

That helps... for me the answer is a close tie between the 50's and 60's. The 50's because, even if the riff wasn't "new", it was new to White and MIddle America. In the 50's Giants walked the earth and traveled to your little town. Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Big Joe Turner, Fat's Domino, Elvis and others were breaking new ground and teaching a whole new generation how to shake, rattle and roll.

The 60's stake their claim because after the first wave lost their way, sold out or went to jail, the kids had to find a new way to speak. The 60's gave us Dylan, Motown, The Beatles, Stones, Aretha, Jimi, James Brown, the Poet Laurate of the Civil Rights movement.. Curtis Mayfield and at the end of the decade The Jackson 5. Never in the history of man had popular music so mirrored and SHAPED the times in which we lived. Oh what a mighty time.

I hate to sound like the "old fart" but you cannot understand the impact of music in the 60's without having lived through it. I did....

The 60's get's my vote...

Da Worfster

[Jim Clark]

I had more fun with music in the 80's than any of my other options. Does that make it the best? Course not but it's clearly the best to me by a number of standards.

"you cannnot deny Motley Crue, Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, and Guns N 'Roses, etc."

Oh yeah! Watch me. Fortunately there was plenty more that was fresh and original regardless of Troy's contention to the contrary. Just saying that something is owed to a previous decade doesn't mean much to me given that the same could be applied to just about everything in the music world. Music seems to me to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary with precious little-if anything- ever being created in a vacuum. It is all built on what came before. Occasionally the steps are a little bigger but that's just about all that can be said.

jc

[tentoze]

That helps... for me the answer is a close tie between the 50's and 60's. The 50's because, even if the riff wasn't "new", it was new to White and MIddle America. In the 50's Giants walked the earth and traveled to your little town. Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Big Joe Turner, Fat's Domino, Elvis and others were breaking new ground and teaching a whole new generation how to shake, rattle and roll.

The 60's stake their claim because after the first wave lost their way, sold out or went to jail, the kids had to find a new way to speak. The 60's gave us Dylan, Motown, The Beatles, Stones, Aretha, Jimi, James Brown, the Poet Laurate of the Civil Rights movement.. Curtis Mayfield and at the end of the decade The Jackson 5. Never in the history of man had popular music so mirrored and SHAPED the times in which we lived. Oh what a mighty time.

I hate to sound like the "old fart" but you cannot understand the impact of music in the 60's without having lived through it. I did....

The 60's get's my vote...

Da Worfster

Since these polls (and, yeh- Poll This, anyway) provide only predigested options, I'll simply agree with Worf- bruddah makes as good a case as I could hope to. It's hard NOT to be highly influenced by the music that was current in one's formative years, and the sort-of mid to late 60's were mine. Having said that, I will also couch the vote by saying that for every one record I play from that era, I play at least 20 from the last five years.

[-Jar-]

I had more fun with music in the 80's than any of my other options. Does that make it the best? Course not but it's clearly the best to me by a number of standards.

"you cannnot deny Motley Crue, Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, and Guns N 'Roses, etc."

Oh yeah! Watch me. Fortunately there was plenty more that was fresh and original regardless of Troy's contention to the contrary. Just saying that something is owed to a previous decade doesn't mean much to me given that the same could be applied to just about everything in the music world. Music seems to me to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary with precious little-if anything- ever being created in a vacuum. It is all built on what came before. Occasionally the steps are a little bigger but that's just about all that can be said.

jc

I'm with Jim.. no one creates music in a Vacuum. Your prog and rock heroes owe to soul, blues, jazz and classical just as much as Husker Du owes to the Nuggets garage bands, or as much as Sonic Youth owes to the Velvet Underground or New Order owes to Kraftwerk (at least for songs like "Blue Monday"). All musicians take in what they hear, because I assume they're the biggest music fans, and they spit out what their brains create. It's not like there was some magic inspiration that existed with Roger Waters or Jimmy Plant that didn't also exist in Thurston Moore or Bob Mould. The situations were different. The world had different ears. I picked the 80's because, like Jim, I enjoy that music more. When I heard New Order and Joy Division for the first time, it literally blew my mind. They were like drugs I couldn't listen to enough. Husker Du was unlike anything I had heard. Yes, there are pop songs buried under the noise. But nothing I had heard put it together like they did. Anyway.. I think a case could be made for any of those decades as far as "best" goes. But as for me, well, the 80's were where it all came together and whacked me upside the head.

-jar-

[PPG]

70's for me

[ToddB]

Husker Du was a hybrid indie metal band with a lot of punk influences. Pixies were post-punk pop.

New Order and Depeche Mode were a couple of new romatic type bands that used synths for everything, but were firmly rooted in torchy pop. That whole scene owed a ton to Roxy music and glam in general.

Fine bands all, but none of them really invented the wheel like the 60s and 70s bands did. I didn't say that the 80s were bad. They are 3rd on my list, but by then the form had been invented and bands like the ones you mentioned (and many many others) took what was done in the 70s and hybridized and refined it.

Hard to call the decade we're living in now the best decade for rock. I haven't heard anything really new in a looooong time.

I think that you and I have fundamentally different definitions for what constitutes "best". You seem to be primarily concerned with the technical development of styles, while all I care about is the quality of the implementation. Curiously, your approach seems to be the same one taken by most music reviewers, which probably has a lot to do with why I don't read music reviews. Obviously, every band has predecessors that contribute to defining a basic style, but I hardly agree that such influence means the work of that predecessor is simply being repeated. When you say "Roxy Music", for example, I say "wake me when it's over", because Roxy Music is boring. Yes, the basic construct of their style can be heard in the work of New Order and Depeche Mode, but the overall quality of the work from those two bands is so far beyond that of Roxy Music that I have to laugh at the suggestion of equivalence.

So, when I say that this is the best decade for rock music, that's what I'm referring to. It is so much easier to find good rock music right now. The music might not be pushing the stylistic limits to your satisfaction, but to that I would say that only looking for the "new", the novelty, is to overlook the numerous examples of the craft being performed at a very high level. That, and not the "new", is what makes good art.

[nobody]

Tough choice. Really, I think all the decades have their share of trash and treasures. No way to pick one with any sort of intrinsic value that puts it beyond the others.

I went with the 50s, just because it is the stuff I was weaned on and I always go back to. It's just hard to find better rock and roll than Chuck Berry and the like. Shouldn't leave out Doo Wop and the like either. These guys were making things up on the fly, and while yeah, you can say music of the 60s helped shape culture, so did the music of the 50s. Really, music of most generations does. Every generation adds their little piece to music and culture. In the 50s, it was high time to bring black and white music together and spew it out to the masses. Birth of the rock star with Elvis, youth culture beginning to take shape, totally new sound reaching more and more people. I guess I'm just giving the 50s rock and roll by virtue of birthing the baby. I like the exuberence and energy. I like the fact that the rules hadn't been defined to death.

I think a good arguement could be made that the 80s was extremely culturally and musically influential due in large part to the emergence of hip hop, a genre that has totally changed the rules and remade the musical landscape we see today. That was a movement nearly as strong as rock itself, and that may one day be seen as even more powerful. We're over 20 years on and it's an absolutely dominating force in popular music and culture and shows no real signs of slowing down. Of course, the hardest part of that arguement is deciding if you want to lump hip hop with rock and roll in the first place.

[Grblgrbl]

Well, I chose the '70's, but to me there's a lot to be said about all of the decades, though personally I've never been a fan of the '50's in rock (jazz is another matter).

In the '60's you had: The Beatles, Stones, Who, Doors, Hendrix, Dylan, Kinks,Yardbirds, Jefferson Airplane, Animals, Spirit, Cream, CCR, Traffic, Zeppelin, the Band, Buffalo Springfield, Byrds, CSN, Neil Young,

In the '70's you had: The Stones, The Who, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Band, Dylan, Kinks, Traffic, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Neil Young(at his peak, though he spans the '60's to the '00's), Genesis, Yes, Roxy Music, Eno, Peter Gabriel, Little Feat, Aerosmith, Big Star, Van Morrison, Steely Dan, Elton John, David Bowie, Clapton, Allman Brothers, and at the end of the decade a whole new scene with the Clash, Television, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Wire, Dire Straits, Gang of Four

In the '80's you had: Talking Heads, U2, REM, Siouxsie, Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, Simple Minds, Cure, Pretenders, Los Lobos, Wire, XTC, Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, Dumptruck, the Reivers, Peter Gabriel, Midnight Oil, Camper van Beethoven, Throwing Muses

In the '90's you had: Nirvana, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Screaming Trees, Matthew Sweet, Los Lobos, The Posies, Throwing Muses, World Party, Cracker, Live, Pearl Jam, Jayhawks, Midnight Oil, the Verve, Radiohead, Catherine Wheel, Pocupine Tree, Gomez, Wire Train, Tragically Hip

Bottom line for me: I think I agree with those of you who said the best decade was '65 to '75.

[unleasHell]

This is a great idea for a thread but the primise is flawed, perhaps breaking the decades down into 5-year blocks would be more precise.

In the beginning of the 70's you had Hendrix and the Doors, while they ended with Joy Divison, Blonde and Madness.

Also, the early 80's stuff is very different than the late 80's stuff.

I have actually thought about this lately and my favorite two time periods are:

1971-1976: All the cool Krautrock (Eloy, Can, Amon Duul, Mythos, Nektar), Prog-rock (Yes, Tull, ELP, Genesis), as well as Rock (Trower, ZZ-Top, Deep Purple, Led-Zep) etc, etc peaked during this period.

1979-1984: New Order, Chameleons, Madness, Stray Cats, Sisters, Ultravox, Ska, Dub-Reggae, Rockabilly, they were all at their peaks..