Hate to keep at you, @melonscoop , but I chose '60s even though a preteen the whole decade. It wasn’t just the pop-rock music of the decade but various jazz movements, salsa and bossa nova, the development of reggae, and different directions in classical music.
@melonscoop People always contend that one’s taste in music is largely skewed to whatever was popular in their late teens thru early adulthood, but I am not sure how true that is. There is some kernel of truth, but I think the phenomenon is slightly different. I do think people, in general, are less receptive to new music as they get older, but I think as we age we are more likely to branch out to music before our time. I’m not exactly sure why that is, but I have two theories:
It is just a numbers game, if you only like 5% of current music, that isn’t very much, but if you like 5% of all the stuff that came before you, that is still a lot of music to select from.
As we age, I think melody becomes more important, the “message” becomes less important, and it becomes harder to ignore any technical short-comings of a singer. In this regards, one’s preference for his/her own generation does shine thru. I cringe at lot of nasally and off-key singing in current music, even though it has always been around, but I was much more likely to let slide and enjoy the over-all vibe of the song when I was young.
Even with people who proudly profess “my generation’s music was the best”, I notice their personal playlists include a larger percentage of stuff before their time than even they realize.
@DrWorm - I think there’s a lot to your theory, though I would say that one’s taste in music is largely skewed to whatever ONE LIKED TO LISTEN TO in their late teens through early adulthood, which isn’t necessarily what was top of the pops at the time. I like about as much contemporary stuff as I liked the pop of my teen years (mid-'70s.) But the radio stations were playing plenty of oldies back in the day, same as now. What I’ve really discovered since is all the stuff that WASN’T on the radio.
@aetris Might be just me. My era is late 70’s/early 80’s and you couldn’t have paid me to listen to Dean Martin, Patsy Cline, Louis Prima, big band music, or show tunes growing up, but somewhere in my late 30’s , all of them started to appeal to me. I had only a cursory knowledge of many of the 50’s icons like Buddy Holly. I continuously add music to my playlist that came before my time (much of which I have never heard before) but rarely do I hear a current day artist that really grabs me.
On top of that, there are quite a few artists (e.g. Led Zeppelin) that I loved growing up, and while I still think they are “good”, I have heard their songs so many times I am sick of them.
@DrWorm - A lot of the stuff I liked on the radio back in the day was top-40 stuff, typically either contemporary or golden oldies things, that have since become Rolling Stone Hall of Fame or whatever and been played to death. I mean I still have a soft spot in my heart for Stairway to Heaven, but my real point is that there was stuff that I liked that led me out of the top 40 to related things. I’d heard Bach, Copland, and Mussorgsky (of course from Disney’s Fantasia) before I listened to Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, but I would probably never have heard of Janáček or Ginestera but for ELP, and their version of Jerusalem is still my favorite (also, they introduced me to the works of H.R. Giger).
I guess what I’m trying to say is that the stuff I liked back in the day led me in the direction of the stuff I like today. At the time you couldn’t have paid ME to listen to Rod Stewart, The Bee Gees, or Kiss (I don’t remember Dean Martin, Patsy Cline, or Louis Prima getting much airplay,) but I did like the odd Sinatra, big band music, or show tune that somehow drifted into range of my headphones, and those led me into other directions later on.
@Ambiverbal My grandfather had a Big Band. I have his posters from The Brooklyn Palace. He said the guys who could read music couldn’t improvise and they guys who could improvise couldn’t read music. he couldn’t. I bought a YoYo Ma album where they got two classical guys together with two jazz guys. When I read the notes they said the hardest thing was the jazz guys couldn’t read music and the classical guys couldn’t improvise! Nothing changed!
Queen. Eagles. Elton John. Pretenders. Fleetwood Mac. Eric Clapton. Joni Mitchell. Blondie. Prince. Rolling Stones. Rod Stewart. Led Zeppelin. David Bowie. So many more…
Music is really important to me. I’ve got a couple thousand lps and have played in bands that put out records (you’ve never heard them). This sparked a really long, fun conversation between my wife and me. Thanks, meh!
Something from the future. How about the 2080’s?
(and of course I’m assuming I’ll have access to ALL the music from that decade, not just “popular” music)
@awk this was basically my thought, though I will add, my plan would be to pick the very next decade, then set my self up as an agent for all the soon-to-be successful musicians. One decade of that should be plenty.
My prediction - whatever decade contains the majority of years that someone was in late high school through mid twenties.
@melonscoop Nope. Not for me. I actively shunned most of that music.
@melonscoop False. Music was garbage in 2008. I choose 80’s!! Queen, Reo speedwagon, Bruce Hornsby WOoo
@melonscoop Chose 1970s, but am only 29.
Hate to keep at you, @melonscoop , but I chose '60s even though a preteen the whole decade. It wasn’t just the pop-rock music of the decade but various jazz movements, salsa and bossa nova, the development of reggae, and different directions in classical music.
@melonscoop I still think you’re basically correct for most people.
@melonscoop People always contend that one’s taste in music is largely skewed to whatever was popular in their late teens thru early adulthood, but I am not sure how true that is. There is some kernel of truth, but I think the phenomenon is slightly different. I do think people, in general, are less receptive to new music as they get older, but I think as we age we are more likely to branch out to music before our time. I’m not exactly sure why that is, but I have two theories:
Even with people who proudly profess “my generation’s music was the best”, I notice their personal playlists include a larger percentage of stuff before their time than even they realize.
@krobb1290 But an unusually discerning 29.
@DrWorm - I think there’s a lot to your theory, though I would say that one’s taste in music is largely skewed to whatever ONE LIKED TO LISTEN TO in their late teens through early adulthood, which isn’t necessarily what was top of the pops at the time. I like about as much contemporary stuff as I liked the pop of my teen years (mid-'70s.) But the radio stations were playing plenty of oldies back in the day, same as now. What I’ve really discovered since is all the stuff that WASN’T on the radio.
@aetris Might be just me. My era is late 70’s/early 80’s and you couldn’t have paid me to listen to Dean Martin, Patsy Cline, Louis Prima, big band music, or show tunes growing up, but somewhere in my late 30’s , all of them started to appeal to me. I had only a cursory knowledge of many of the 50’s icons like Buddy Holly. I continuously add music to my playlist that came before my time (much of which I have never heard before) but rarely do I hear a current day artist that really grabs me.
On top of that, there are quite a few artists (e.g. Led Zeppelin) that I loved growing up, and while I still think they are “good”, I have heard their songs so many times I am sick of them.
@DrWorm - A lot of the stuff I liked on the radio back in the day was top-40 stuff, typically either contemporary or golden oldies things, that have since become Rolling Stone Hall of Fame or whatever and been played to death. I mean I still have a soft spot in my heart for Stairway to Heaven, but my real point is that there was stuff that I liked that led me out of the top 40 to related things. I’d heard Bach, Copland, and Mussorgsky (of course from Disney’s Fantasia) before I listened to Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, but I would probably never have heard of Janáček or Ginestera but for ELP, and their version of Jerusalem is still my favorite (also, they introduced me to the works of H.R. Giger).
I guess what I’m trying to say is that the stuff I liked back in the day led me in the direction of the stuff I like today. At the time you couldn’t have paid ME to listen to Rod Stewart, The Bee Gees, or Kiss (I don’t remember Dean Martin, Patsy Cline, or Louis Prima getting much airplay,) but I did like the odd Sinatra, big band music, or show tune that somehow drifted into range of my headphones, and those led me into other directions later on.
1850s
@ThatsHeadly
Any pieces you particularly like from that decade?
@DVDBZN @ThatsHeadly The jazz
@DVDBZN @ThatsHeadly Oops, sorry, wrong century. I prefer jazz from the 1950’s.
@DVDBZN Actually I’m off just a bit, but Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony is particularly awesome.
MEALS! DEALS! EELS! AWESOME!
The 1930s…about 20 years before I was born.
@Ambiverbal One of my favorite pieces of music! The long version has even more juicy goodness
@Ambiverbal There will never be another big band era. Oh, and it was way before I was born.
@Ambiverbal My grandfather had a Big Band. I have his posters from The Brooklyn Palace. He said the guys who could read music couldn’t improvise and they guys who could improvise couldn’t read music. he couldn’t. I bought a YoYo Ma album where they got two classical guys together with two jazz guys. When I read the notes they said the hardest thing was the jazz guys couldn’t read music and the classical guys couldn’t improvise! Nothing changed!
1820s.
Ode to joy.
1965-1975
@cranky1950 Ditto.
@cranky1950 @DennisG2014 Correct answer!
1780s, although I’d want to include 1790 and 1791 in that grouping.
@Shrdlu
Any pieces you particularly like from that timeframe?
@DVDBZN @Shrdlu may I suggest the 1812 overture?
Mozart died in 1791. Do the math.
70s.
Queen. Eagles. Elton John. Pretenders. Fleetwood Mac. Eric Clapton. Joni Mitchell. Blondie. Prince. Rolling Stones. Rod Stewart. Led Zeppelin. David Bowie. So many more…
I can’t decide between 1800-1809 (Moonlight Sonata 3rd Movement) and 1820-1829 (Symphony Number Nine).
The 1950’s so I could listen to The Purple People Eater.
@sligett a time when racism against purple people was acceptable.
@hchavers Oh the stories @barney could tell.
@hchavers @sligett Yeah, Barney is full of them (stories, not people.)
One of my all time favorite songs.
@sligett
That’s what I do now anyway. My iPod and iPhone are full of progressive rock from the 70’s.
@olperfesser Yes!
@olperfesser
Music is really important to me. I’ve got a couple thousand lps and have played in bands that put out records (you’ve never heard them). This sparked a really long, fun conversation between my wife and me. Thanks, meh!
Something from the future. How about the 2080’s?
(and of course I’m assuming I’ll have access to ALL the music from that decade, not just “popular” music)
@awk this was basically my thought, though I will add, my plan would be to pick the very next decade, then set my self up as an agent for all the soon-to-be successful musicians. One decade of that should be plenty.
@awk I was going to say the 2020’s. The first 9 months will be rough, though.
Why?
This is way too painful a choice. But if I absolutely had to choose, I’d probably go for the 1920s.
I had to pick 1960s because that’s the one with The Beatles.
The 90’s because it was the height of my infatuation with pop punk & ska!
@zinimusprime !!!AIR SUPPLYYYYYY!!!
@zinimusprime but Madness invented ska in the 80s.
@00 True, but it’s height was the 90’s
I’m torn. The 2000s was a great time for music. I was starting to branch out even more.
I think I might have to pick 2010s since there is so much metal that I’m still discovering and some of my favorite stuff is from the last few years.
The 90s though… Ugh. Classic NIN.
/youtube nine inch nails head like a hole