On That Note - Reeling In the Years

[MeanDean]

Since it's a holiday - and summer - this week's OTN will be a bit simpler in concept.


Defining a Decade


What one, two or maybe 3 songs define a decade?

To make it interesting it can be interpreted several ways:

For instance - What "sounds" like a specific decade, stylistically?

What most-accurately reflects the culture or captures the zeitgeist of the era?

Which artists/songs first come to mind when someone says, "Music from the (This decade)?"

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I'll pick some from the 1950's to give some examples.

Bill Haley and His Comets - Rock Around the Clock. Used at the beginning of both Happy Days (first 2 seasons) and the film American Graffiti it immediately puts you at the beginning of teen culture rock and roll's birth.



The Diamonds - Little Darlin'. This doo-wop number was used in an early 70's 7-Up commercial to set time and place. Catch phrase from the commercial: "Betty Lou, you really done me wrong."



Chuck Berry - Maybellene. Like Rock Around the Clock, this popped up at the dawn of the rock and roll era, also in 1955. Berry's first single it pulls together the major themes of teen music for the period: Those being young love, fast cars, and a big beat.



What are your Defining A Decade songs that send you mentally to a different decade?

 

[cyclones500]

@MeanDean's '50s trifecta is a good start.

I’ll start with 3 iconic samples from early '80s, a decade typecast as vapid and shallow (not only musically, but everthing-ly). And yeah, there was plenty of that.

But this trio of songs has depth and nuance thematically/lyrically that belies the pop-veneer.

Conversely, syle-over-substance did dominate the era, so I’m including video for each — somewhat mandatory.

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

For me the 80's was big for music from movies and no one was better at it than Kenny Loggins.

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

The early 80's gave us 3 solid female groups in Go-Go's, Bangles and Bananarama. Start of what would become a powerful decade for women in music.

 

[Sigmapolis]

No "Take on Me" for the 1980s?

 

[CyCloned]

The 1960 were defined by the transition from traditional Rock and Roll which Elvis dominated to the British Invasion.

 

[cyclones500]

Not easy to encompass the ‘60s in only a few songs, I need 5 to capture a slice of it, and that's only up until '66.

 

[MeanDean]

My take on the 80's is a lot more off-center pop oriented. That's where my head was at then.

From his debut album: Marshall Crenshaw



Another debut album cut from Wisconsin's BoDeans:



And some Nick Lowe. From 1983's Abominable Showman LP. Always thought this had major hit potential at the time:

 

[MeanDean]

An iconic 80's video. From their 1980 LP "Remain In Light."



Always thought this was their best. I remember this on a summer 1985 Hawaii vacation:

 

[MeanDean]

1970's. Seems like it was segmented a bit like this:

70-72 seemed more like an extension of the 60's.

73-75 seemed like a lot of insipid pop/novelty stuff. Obvious exceptions of course. Eagles, Elton John, etc.

76-79 Stadium rock and Disco

78-79 Punk/New Wave - but did not get much airplay locally until probably 79.

These are some of my touch-points from the Decade.

 

[madguy30]

60's have so many, but this performance wraps it up pretty well. Band playing in an expansive way, front man appearing to be blown out on drugs, huge crowd closing out a decade in which so much change happened.



Not sure if it defines the 90's, but definitely a hit that reminds of the decade.

 

[MeanDean]

My 90's memories:

Fighting the '93 Summer Flood, coming home and having time to eat, shower and go to bed. A bit of music tied to that month

 

[cyclones500]

1970s (1 of 2 of many possible)

So many ways to go here, could choose dozens of defining stuff from this decade. Fittingly, these are all over the map. (Doing this in two separate posts).

Personally, I prefer "Strutter," but this fits the topic better.




Yes, played to death for many years, but it still rings "70s"

 

[Sigmapolis]

Good gosh almighty pop music used to be so much better.

 

[cyclones500]

This quadfecta hints at how scattered the decade was musically. Three of these four were released in the same year. (One was less than 2 years before).

 

[madguy30]

My 90's memories:

Fighting the '93 Summer Flood, coming home and having time to eat, shower and go to bed. A bit of music tied to that month

Gawd, Matchbox 20 owned the radio when I was in high school. They were perfect for the teenager who thought heartbreak was impossible to go through.

I'm a Bob Dylan fan and have actually considered looking deeper into Wallflowers' stuff...I enjoyed Jacob's solo stuff a few years ago.