Music when we were young

[Cachoo]

I have this memory of my parents dancing in the living room with a Beatles album playing I Want To Hold Your Hand on our big, blond Hi-Fi. Here's the thing: Though the rest of the album was in English -- IWTHYH was in German. "Come bitta deina hand" or something like that. The album was lost in a move and I've never been able to find one with the German IWTHYH and English everything else. I was four years old and thought maybe I imagined it but Mom confirmed it was indeed in German. And I cannot find it!!! The memory is wonderful though.

 

[Susan1]

I was a tween/teenager in the mid-1980s, so I got into music in the very early MTV era. I remember watching a video-compilation show that aired once a week on one of the networks! This was the era of early Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, and David Bowie's Let's Dance. My favorites from that '80s era were R.E.M. and U2. And I had a major crush on Sting that lasted for years! Naturally during this time, I listened to Police records so much, I practically wore them out!

But I didn't like a lot of 80s music. So in my late teens, I got into music from the 1960s/1970s. I loved Fleetwood Mac, the Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, and some of the Who. I still think the Beatles are the greatest band ever, just in terms of how many great songs they wrote and how original they were.

As an adult, I've gotten into Joni Mitchell and jazz.

I just could never get into Fleetwood Mac or any 80's female singers. But REM and U2! Yeah.

 

[Susan1]

So, you know I had to count - 111 albums, some of which have two records in them (like 21 of those compilations of one year in the 60's or all 60's British Rock). I thought I still had around 100 albums. I could have my own classic rock station!

 

[PeterG]

As a young kid, I remember listening to....

Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO
Glad You Came by The Wanted
Home by Phillip Phillips

Oh, to be a young tyke again with all the old songs...

 

[quartz]

Oh Peter, so nice when you young 'uns like to hang out with us old fogies.

 

[Rob]

I love U2. And Springsteen. 80s: loved Talking Heads, Pretenders, Echo and the Bunnymen, REM, Depeche Mode, English Beat, sooo many!

 

[PeterG]

Oh Peter, so nice when you young 'uns like to hang out with us old fogies.

I like the really old stuff too, like The Black Eyed Peas, John Mayer and Nelly Furtado. Parents music that us young people get to discover through them.

 

[quartz]

Anything since 1990 is "new" music to me!

 

[Jenny]

So question - if you could only listen to the music of one decade, which would you pick?

I'd pick the 70s, hands down. Many of the big rock bands were doing their best work, it was the height of the California soft rock sound, there was disco for dancing, fabulous soul, many singers from the Big Band era were still recording, punk was still fresh, some classic soundtracks were recorded, and there were plenty of one-hit wonders for the fun of it.

 

[gkelly]

These days I spend a lot of time listening to 80s alternative/progressive rock in my car.

 

[Jenny]

80s would definitely be my #2 choice

 

[quartz]

Seventies without a doubt.
Late 60's psychedelic rock would be second choice.
80's was just weird for me. Rock went sorta pop and glam and it seemed more about looking like a rockstar than about the music for many bands.

 

[flyingsit]

I love U2. And Springsteen. 80s: loved Talking Heads, Pretenders, Echo and the Bunnymen, REM, Depeche Mode, English Beat, sooo many!

All of this. All.

 

[Zokko!]

Seems my "youth" last forever, at least music-wise:

Late 60s:
Monkees, The Beatles, The Hollies,
70s:
David Cassidy, Osmonds, Glam Rock (T. Rex, Sweet, Slade, etc.), Queen, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac,
80s:
The Stranglers, The Jam, The Police, U2, The Cure, The Smiths, The Mission, New Model Army
90s:
"Shoegazer's (like Ride etc,), Nirvana etc., Britpop (Blur, Oasis. etc.)

A few bands I really discovered "too late":
The Doors, The Kinks, The Who, The Stones, early Pink Floyd (with Syd Barrett), The Seeds etc., Led Zeppelin

Today:
Psychedelic Rock/Pop (old and new), Sixties Garage, Beat and Rock, Indie/Alternative Rock/Pop, Swing, Classic (mainly Bach), old, very old German "Schlager" ... etc. etc.

Never liked/still not like Disco (with the exception of some songs from the Bee Gees, but I prefer their 60s stuff),
Dance, RnB..

I'm sure I forgot a few ...

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

The first 2 (American version) Beatles albums were Christmas presents to all 3 of us kids when we were very young.

I have a brother 5 1/2 years older than I am, so I listened to his albums of ALL the Motown acts and early Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin in her Respect/Natural Woman period.

On my own I found Petula Clark and the Fifth Dimension, whose music I love until this day.

Much later Elton John, 70's soul and disco and bloody ABBA!

 

[Susan1]

Never liked/still not like Disco (with the exception of some songs from the Bee Gees, but I prefer their 60s stuff),

Amen, Sister (or Brother?)!!!!!!!

 

[quartz]

Lol....so I arrive for my evening shift at the bookstore and my 35 y/o co-worker is playing "Hits of the 80's". (A 3 cd set!)
I don't know 75% of the songs......

 

[judiz]

Yep! Remember the t.v. movie? And the song "You Take My Breath Away"?. Swooning again..........

Remember the concert scene? It was filmed outside Gimbels at the Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers, New York. I was there that day with my mom but she was in a hurry and we didn't have time to stop and see what was going on. Of course I kicked myself when the movie aired and saw a lot of my classmates in the audience and realized I could had been there.

 

[Susan1]

So question - if you could only listen to the music of one decade, which would you pick?

I'd pick the 70s, hands down. Many of the big rock bands were doing their best work, it was the height of the California soft rock sound, there was disco for dancing, fabulous soul, many singers from the Big Band era were still recording, punk was still fresh, some classic soundtracks were recorded, and there were plenty of one-hit wonders for the fun of it.

My "decade" would be more of an "era". Beginning with the British invasion/Motown to about 1975. But I only ever liked a couple songs from the Stones and Beach Boys, not necessarily the groups. And absolutely no disco!!!!! By the time I graduated (1976), I was listening to more hard rock and oldies radio stations. And Barry Manilow and Barbra Streisand. Well, how confusing! All 6 of my radio station buttons are classic rock and oldie stations. And I flip to something else when a song comes on I don't like just like I did back then.

 

[clairecloutier]

I was a

So question - if you could only listen to the music of one decade, which would you pick?

60s rock
50s jazz

 

[Grannyfan]

I remember when Elvis hit it big, but he was more my sister's favorite. I was a teenager in the 60's. For me, it was the Beatles, then pretty much all the groups of the "British invasion." I still love the Beach Boys, the Four Seasons, the Temptations, the Four Tops, and most early Motown, Dusty Springfield and of course Aretha. Boy, we had some great music.

 

[once_upon]

My dad in particular was a huge fan of country music - hank williams, patsy cline. But also Dean Martin, Rosemary Clooney. Also Everly Brothers and others. My aunt who is 10 years older than me was big into Elvis, Everly Brothers era. My cousin who is 5or 6 years older was Bobby Darin, Gary Lewis and the Play boys Frankie Valie/ $ Dione/Connie Stevens era

I was in 7th grade when the Beatles/Stones/Dave Clark 5/Herman Hermits/Paul Revere and the Raiders/The Supreme,Leslie Gore et all. Followed closely by the Monkees, David Cassidy, Bobby Sherman, et all.

In high school followed Chicago, CCR, Janis Joplin (we sang me and bobby mcgee and others for hours on band bys trips), Carole King., Doors.

College years and early marriage: James Taylor, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Fleetwood Mac

From there just about everything - too many artists too many genre to name.
Favorite era: anything I am listening to at the moment

 

[olympic]

In the 1970s, my older sister had a clock radio set in one of those wooden consoles that were so popular. I remember a lot of Styx - 'Come Sail Away' and 'Lady' coming from her room.

I was an 80s teen. MTV was pretty risqué for my conservative parents, so we had to watch it on the sly. I was enthralled by the pop divas of the day and anything that was different, such as Culture Club.

 

[Jenny]

And absolutely no disco!!!!!

That's another one that's worth another look. We all got sick of it and then there was a big backlash that stuck, but if you go back and listen now, there were actually some brilliant songs that got dropped into the disco bucket that perhaps were underappreciated for how good they really were.

 

[Susan1]

I remember when Elvis hit it big, but he was more my sister's favorite. I was a teenager in the 60's. For me, it was the Beatles, then pretty much all the groups of the "British invasion." I still love the Beach Boys, the Four Seasons, the Temptations, the Four Tops, and most early Motown, Dusty Springfield and of course Aretha. Boy, we had some great music.

I never liked Elvis. I don't get what the big deal was. And how he was compared to the popularity of the Beatles. He didn't write his own songs, he didn't play any instruments (except the guitar?). He didn't produce the music. He might have been an exciting "entertainer" and had popular songs, but I still don't get the appeal.

 

[Susan1]

That's another one that's worth another look. We all got sick of it and then there was a big backlash that stuck, but if you go back and listen now, there were actually some brilliant songs that got dropped into the disco bucket that perhaps were underappreciated for how good they really were.

Name one! ha ha They all still sound alike to me.

 

[Jenny]

Never into Elvis growing up either, but have recently begun to appreciate his talent and his impact on music, and culture for that matter. Then again, I've recently been into blues - very old blues, as in the scratchy historic recordings - and Elvis is part of that continuum.

For disco, I have two disco compilations in front of me here, and off the top, here are some songs that I think have withstood the test of time, and transcend the disco era - Heart of Glass by Blondie (good example of being stuck in the wrong genre, because she was actually kinda punky), Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry has the funk overtones that naturally melded into dance music but now stands well on its own IMO, Don't Leave Me This Way by Thelma Houston and I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor are classics IMO that may have come into fame as disco hits but are good on their own, and while it's the classic disco song, I think I Love the NIghtlife by Alicia Bridges is worth another listen. Much of what Donna Summer was doing at the time was really quite good, and while many artists of the day did a disco song or album that are now written off by many, it's worth re-listening to them now not as disco recordings, but as part of the body of work by say, Rod Stewart or the Stones.

 

[Jenny]

On a semi related note - here's a rock icon covering what may be the most famous disco song of all time, demonstrating two things: the song itself, stripped of the disco beat and falsetto vocals, is a brilliant song; and second, that the Boss continues to rock like no other.

 

[Susan1]

Lol....so I arrive for my evening shift at the bookstore and my 35 y/o co-worker is playing "Hits of the 80's". (A 3 cd set!)
I don't know 75% of the songs......

Funny, in the car today, one of the stations announced they were having an A-Z 80's weekend. 95.3, I think.

 

[Susan1]

On a semi related note - here's a rock icon covering what may be the most famous disco song of all time, demonstrating two things: the song itself, stripped of the disco beat and falsetto vocals, is a brilliant song; and second, that the Boss continues to rock like no other.

Oops - I never particularly liked Bruce Springsteen or John Cougar/Mellencamp and all those working class story songs either.