Reading the 20th Century discussion

Which decade in the 20th century is your favourite for music?

Perhaps consider which decade you would choose if (for some curious reason) you were only able to listen to recordings from that decade.

I know it's a tricky one - but you've got to choose. A few words of explanation would also be interesting and informative.

For me it is either 60s or 70s, if I am allowed to cheat slightly 1967-1976, otherwise I'll have to go 70s. Not that any decade has been totally barren or devoid of the unlistenable, I just admire the creativity, risk-taking and freedom of the hippie/progressive era. And I should be far too young for it, but I never did like the synth-pop of my era...

I'm with you there Hugh.

If it's strictly decades it would have to be the 1970s - a remarkable decade.

That said, there is so much I love in the 1960s that I love too.

Actually I can make a case for virtually every decade of the 20th century - well from the 1920s onwards (though please don't ask me to do it).

It would be between the Sixties or the Seventies. I mean, really, there was so much wonderful music in the Seventies, probably more than in the Sixties. However, if I must pick one decade only, then it will be the Sixties. I can then spend my time sitting outside Abbey Road waiting for the Beatles :)

I love the big band of the 1940s but after that it's the late 70s and 80s. And I'm just discovering this music now because my husband likes it. As a kid I mainly listened to music my parents chose- 50s and 60s- and didn't like it.

I'm finding it very difficult to choose. I love 1930s, 40s and 50s songs sung by Astaire, Dietrich and above all Sinatra - but I was a teenager in the 70s and am also a fan of a lot of the music from that decade, as well as the 1960s.

Like Hugh, I loved all the hippy/folk music of that era, especially Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, The Beatles, Melanie and many others. So if I have to choose just one decade I'll go for the 60s.

I'm 60s-70s, that was my age. My older brother and sister brought home Dylan, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, etc.

This is not to say I don't also enjoy swing or jazz - the music my parents enjoyed. Glenn Miller, Dave Brubeck, Jonah Jones, Sidney Bechet.

And I noticed when I would do some work at home and I needed to concentrate, I usually turned on the classical station.

I love Dylan, Jan. I think most of us are stuck in the Sixties, Seventies. My musical period, ie the time I was at school, was late Seventies and Eighties, but I never liked Eighties music, other than the odd song.

I could probably find something I loved and something I hated in every decade. Many of us must be of a similar age, because I also grew up listening to '60s and '70s music. (I was born in the '50s, but don't remember the music.)
Once I was old enough to get a Saturday job and buy records, they were nearly all '70s prog rock (known by the rest of the family as 'Val's weird music') with a bit of protest folk and flashy guitar-driven jazz-rock-blues thrown in. When I started going to live gigs, they were to see punk bands and jump up and down getting covered in sweat and spilled beer.
I should therefor choose the '70s as my favourite decade, but if I ban '80s electro my elder daughter will leave home and if I ban '90s indie my younger daughter will, plus I also listen to a lot of world music which doesn't fit into any particular decade, so I think I will remain eclectic.

The real joy is that we don't have to choose, so we can enjoy everything. My reading tastes are equally eclectic and I dislike book snobbery as much as I do music snobbery.

Mark me down for the 1950s, with the firm caveat of transporting the Bay City Rollers, The Wombles and Lieutenant Pigeon back in time.

I remember The Wombles fondly, Mark :)

Susan wrote: "I remember The Wombles fondly, Mark :)"

The guitar solo from Wombles On Parade still completely slays me every time! Chris Spedding, who played guitar on the Wombles recording sessions, remains at the very top of my list of favourite guitar players.

When the sun doesn't shine and it's cloudy and grey
And it's only the beginning of the wombling day
And you've got to do the washing up for Madame Cholet

Remember...

Nigeyb wrote: "When the sun doesn't shine and it's cloudy and grey
And it's only the beginning of the wombling day
And you've got to do the washing up for Madame Cholet

Remember..."

It's nearly time for Roy Wood and The Wombles...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHBl_...

Dream collaboration

#supergroup

Coincidentally I've just read the bit about "Merry Xmas Everybody" in Dave Hill's new book.

Already feeling the seasonal vibe

Hugh wrote: "I just admire the creativity, risk-taking and freedom of the hippie/progressive era"

Not to put too fine a point on it, but as far as creativity, risk-taking and freedom are concerned, I'm firm in my belief that no era or individual comes within miles of what Les Paul was up to in the earliest days of the 1940s. Without his invention of the electric guitar AND multi-track recording, post-war music would have been a completely different affair. Can't get much more progressive than Les' contributions!

Joe Meek was no slouch either

Nigeyb wrote: "Joe Meek was no slouch either"

Not gonna argue that one. Add Phil Spector, and you've got the Holy Trinity of 20th Century Sonic Innovation upon which all to come was built.

I love music from all decades but if I ‘had to’ it would be between 80s and 90s. 80s because I associate it with my childhood and 90s is when I grew up so...

If I had to choose one decade and that is all I could listen to then 1990s because of all the memories attached to it.

It’s the decade when I really collected cds and tapes and music was such a big part of my life.

Farrah, glad to find a kindred spirit here :-)

I really cannot choose, my favourite band is Zed Zeppelin, span two decades (just). But I like different music too form different eras. I'm a late 60'as child so grew up during the 70's & 80's. As events are remember by your age, when you are young you age at a different rate??? that is to say you are a different person from 13 to 18, but are you different person 30 to 43? And as you change so much during your formative years so too does your music taste, and how you view the world.
If I was forced to , I'd have to choose the 7O's, lots of good diverse musical choices.

I've never really listened to Led Zeppelin, Michael. Were you to suggest an album to start with, which would it be?

Wow such a difficult question! The albums are quite different, I'll need to ponder.

I've pondered a bit, start with the tracks you know and try those albums.
Everybody knows 'Stairway to Heaven' (their 4th album) in my opinion not their best track.
Lots of us older ones, remember Tops of the Tops, one of the theme tunes was 'Whole lotta Love' (2nd Album).
A film some time back (5 yrs ?), used 'Kashmir' from Physical Graffiti and Immigrant Song (3rd Album) the BBC used for background music.
there are always compilations, Remaster stuff and Mothership, if you listen to that you'll understand the diversity of sound.
My Desert Island LP is Physical Graffiti.
Their early albums are heavily influenced by blues but then they branch to the rock genre, but their rock genre.

I will have a listen later, thanks, Michael. I'm not that keen on Stairway to Heaven, so good to hear you say it wasn't their best track!

Susan wrote: "The real joy is that we don't have to choose, so we can enjoy everything. My reading tastes are equally eclectic and I dislike book snobbery as much as I do music snobbery."

I'm going to respectfully refuse to answer this question and cite Susan's comment. As a child growing up I loved the music my dad listened to, New Orleans and Chicago Jazz from the 20's and 30's and the British trad bands and skiffle of the 50's but then there's the 60's and 70's stuff I sought out myself when I got a little older which I still love. Add to that the period in the early to mid 90's which was pretty much the only time in my life I have actually bought current music and which I spent my time shuffling baggily to in dimly lit clubs that smelled of toilets... Well I think all I can do is discount the 80's even then though I think to myself "Noooo that means I'll lose Echo and the Bunnymen, early R.E.M. , Half Man Half Biscuit and countless others..."
Sorry but it can't be done. That said I could quite easily lose pretty much all music since 2000 without losing much sleep so swings and roundabouts...

Nigeyb wrote: "When the sun doesn't shine and it's cloudy and grey
And it's only the beginning of the wombling day
And you've got to do the washing up for Madame Cholet

Remember..."

Oh no, talk of the wombles has sparked a crisis in our house - I can't find their greatest hits in my record collection! That's my evening taken care of...looking for a lost LP - the first I ever bought.

Probably the big band era, swing, boogie-woogie of WWII.

The thirties. Definitely the thirties.

For pop and rock, my favorite is the 70s (my teen years) although I like the 60s also. For country/western, I would say the '90s since that was the decade I was into C/W. Now, I mostly listen to bluegrass and I don't have a favorite decade. It's all good!

My favourite decade,for rock music is the 1980s.So many great bands,including :
Survivor,Toto,Journey,Bruce Springsteen,White Snake,Styx,Chicago and so many more.

Yes, plenty of fine 80s music to enjoy

Wsm wrote: "My favourite decade,for rock music is the 1980s.So many great bands,including :
Survivor,Toto,Journey,Bruce Springsteen,White Snake,Styx,Chicago and so many more."
Most of those started in the 70s...

Alright,I listened to them in the 80s.

I grew up mostly in the 70s & 80s, but the 1990s remains my favorite for music still. In fact, it's a tad embarrassing the way my music collection almost comes to a screeching halt there. I own very few full albums after that (of course, the way we get music has changed a lot too. I sorely miss getting a new album, laying on my bed to listen & read the liner notes and lyrics all day and night.) But I think the reason I like the 90s has to do with all the women singer/songwriters that came into their own then. They allowed me to move through some tough times, and they are the women & bands I return to again and again.

Which artists and songs do you especially like from the 1990s Ella?

Pam wrote: "For pop and rock, my favorite is the 70s (my teen years) although I like the 60s also. For country/western, I would say the '90s since that was the decade I was into C/W. Now, I mostly listen to bl..."

Me too, Pam! When the 90's started I couldn't listen to rock or pop stations anymore, so I started watching CMT and realized that many of the CW stars were singing like 70s rock.