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I started this post as a 5 year quest but on second thought, it became exclusive to some of my favs. my point is that from '68- '73 were Fantastic years, with 5 more to follow, only to me, not quite as strong. A time when you couldn't hardly turn on the radio without hearing something that moved you. Unless they were playing something outside those parameter years. I'm going on 51 and woulden't trade my age and miss those years for all the tea in China.

Many people claim 1969 to be the best year in rock. Maybe, but you can find great stuff every year as long as you're looking and have an open mind.

I agree, but I would expand on those years a touch, to include from '65 to '75. The early beginnings of prog, combined with some damned catchy pop, excellent soul & funk, jazzy stuff, country rock, psychodelica, folk & funny novelties...man, those years had it all, & it was ALL played back to back on AM & FM. We were the luckiest generation for music, for social change, for freedom to be whatever we may be & to speak our minds, & the future looked as bright as the present. We were a generation united. It was beautiful, even as there were terrible things going on, because we were working together to overcome them, for the most part. We were naive & foolish & loving life in ways unprecedented, possibly at any time in the history of humankind. We were open to so much, as there was none of that specialized genre-fication. We HAD to hear it all. We learned a lot about tolerance, which the current trends have squashed, imho. These were the years that made so many of us, that helped us to become hopeful. Anyone's album collection could include everything from Dylan's folk to John Prine's versions of the genre, with Yes & Genesis & Tull & the guitar bands Zep, & BOC, while also enjoying CCR & Motown & even the more radical Parlaiment/Funkadelic stuff, & bands were expanding themselves, too, Steppenwolf's blues turned to psychadelic styles along with Zep & Beatles & Stones, while Skynrd & their ilk went in a more country direction.

Sorry - it's my b'day, & i'm feeling nostalgic.

I'm talkin' about do you want to get satelite radio so that you can get a genre' or a time past or music fused into something that keeps you mind on track in a time when you don't want to think musically past it. Hey, maybe it's me, thats why I ask. Then again, Question begs- Did You live through those times, or are you being biased to your generation? [/u]

jimmydanger wrote:Many people claim 1969 to be the best year in rock. Maybe, but you can find great stuff every year as long as you're looking and have an open mind.

Most people are wrong.
1984 was the best year in rock.

The thing that stands out in my mind the most is how that vomit called "Disco" edged out most all the "real" music that was on the radio.
Most radio stations in our area never recovered.

Requiem for the masses ...

Nope ... 69 forever,,,,

And thats what she said.

65 to 75 those were the years!

Crunch, I don't want to live in the past, nor do I only listen to one era of music. I'm frankly sick of "classic rock," as it's presented these days.

Our kids probably think that Hendrix had maybe 2 good songs - "Fire" & "All Along the Watchtower."

The band I'm in now just finished working out a single set for our upcoming debut. In the 12 song list, there are 4 songs older than 20 years. There IS still quality music being produced, though in the mass of crap being presented & overplayed, & the genre-specific trends of toady, these tunes are becoming harder & harder to find, ESPECIALLY tunes that are gonna be recognized by your average audience, but I'm thinking that we're managing fairly well.

Of course, I'm not your average listener, either. I loved the decade between 65 & 75 because of the eclecticity (if that's even a word) of the era. Music of all genres was presented to us all, in nearly every available medium that had music. These days, viable genres that COULD be appreciated are tossed aside. Even the satellite stations have genre-specific programming, although some of it is era-specific, which allows for some differences from tune to tune.

Today, you'd be hard-pressed to find any medium that will play Phish, Green Day, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, & rap or hip hop or r & b, back to back, like they would have in days past.

As jarring as those differences could be, at times, it kept ppl's minds open to other musical possibilities, & this probably affected their approach to other areas of thier lives, as well. We were a totally different ppl back then, &, in many many ways, I think we were a better ppl. There was none of that "zero tolerance" that we're so fond of now, & we were much more open & community-minded.

philbymon wrote:I agree, but I would expand on those years a touch, to include from '65 to '75. The early beginnings of prog, combined with some damned catchy pop, excellent soul & funk, jazzy stuff, country rock, psychodelica, folk & funny novelties...man, those years had it all, & it was ALL played back to back on AM & FM. We were the luckiest generation for music, for social change, for freedom to be whatever we may be & to speak our minds, & the future looked as bright as the present. We were a generation united. It was beautiful, even as there were terrible things going on, because we were working together to overcome them, for the most part. We were naive & foolish & loving life in ways unprecedented, possibly at any time in the history of humankind. We were open to so much, as there was none of that specialized genre-fication. We HAD to hear it all. We learned a lot about tolerance, which the current trends have squashed, imho. These were the years that made so many of us, that helped us to become hopeful. Anyone's album collection could include everything from Dylan's folk to John Prine's versions of the genre, with Yes & Genesis & Tull & the guitar bands Zep, & BOC, while also enjoying CCR & Motown & even the more radical Parlaiment/Funkadelic stuff, & bands were expanding themselves, too, Steppenwolf's blues turned to psychadelic styles along with Zep & Beatles & Stones, while Skynrd & their ilk went in a more country direction.

Sorry - it's my b'day, & i'm feeling nostalgic.

I agree. To go from "How much is that doggie in the window" or "come onna my house" to Elvis P's "Mystery train"and all the new Rockabilly artists and sounds emerging from the radio really was music history in the making. When things went to Motown I lost radio interest for the most part.

I don't know when the BEST period for rock n' roll was. But, the middle third of the 1980's - approximately 1983-1986 - was the WORST. Ashford & Simpson's Solid? Starship's We Built This City? Ray Parker, Jr's Ghostbusters Theme? Are you f*cking kidding me? The 70's kinda sucked, what with disco and all. But, I'll take the Bee Gees and KC & the Sunshine band over Menudo or Whitney Houston any day.

I guess it depends on what you were listening to. I remember The Cure, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Berlin, Big Country, The Alarm, The Fixx, Missing Persons and The Police among others from that time. This was before Cd's, I was buying cassettes back then.

jimmydanger wrote:I guess it depends on what you were listening to. I remember The Cure, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Berlin, Big Country, The Alarm, The Fixx, Missing Persons and The Police among others from that time. This was before Cd's, I was buying cassettes back then.

Oh, I'm not saying good music wasn't THERE. It existed. But, finding the best music was a treasure hunt, sometimes. Even some of the bands you listed, although on major labels, were poorly represented or distributed. Record stores sometimes hid their albums in the "Import" section, if they carried them at all. A lot of great bands got little or no airplay. Some of those bands became HUGE in the 90's.

I'm not too impressed with the state of rock n' roll music now, actually. The better bands are often older ones who've reformed after breaking up decades ago. A sorry state of affairs. But, I guess it works in cycles. Something will happen soon.

Mike Nobody: Of all those that did answer The Best ten Years Question, it seems that you read right through the question. I agree, We Are Due for something new. Next question.. is it you?... WHO? Its time to get exited about who's gonna be the next broadstream toetapper. I feel its going to be someone who is not the usual socialite that the sticks his or her neck out far enough to be heard at the risk of being the next broadstream embarressment.

Crunchysoundbite wrote:Mike Nobody: Of all those that did answer The Best ten Years Question, it seems that you read right through the question. I agree, We Are Due for something new. Next question.. is it you?... WHO? Its time to get exited about who's gonna be the next broadstream toetapper. I feel its going to be someone who is not the usual socialite that the sticks his or her neck out far enough to be heard at the risk of being the next broadstream embarressment.

Is it ME? God, I hope not. I'll get a shotgun and join Cobain.