The Golden Age...

[cartridge]

1972-1977 from the 1972 release of the Deep Purple album Machine Head, this periods includes 1973 release of the Pink Floyd DSOTM album, the 1974 release of the Lynyrd Skynyrd song "Sweet Home Alabama", the release of both Bob Marley & The Wailers "No Woman No Cry" and The Bay City Rollers - "Bye Bye Baby", the 1976 release of Thin Lizzys Jail Break album, as well as the number #1 Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody" , and the end of the era and the beginning of the new punk era with the land mark 1977 song "God save the Queen" by the sex pistols. This year also included Queens single "We are the Champions".


This is the greatest period in modern music, with some brilliant albums fantastic new sounds and great singles.

 

[blackwasp]

What a great thread! Since everyone else used 6-year intervals, I will too. I would have to say 1966-1971. This is the period when I believe rock was at it's peak. (I actually intended to choose 1967-1972 but Revolver had to be included.) You have the Beatles best albums, all of VU, Black Sabbath at their best, the Who, PF, Allman Brothers...the list just goes on. I also think highly of 1991-1996. The only real grunge you miss out on is Facelift by AIC, but the only hit song from that album was "Man in the Box". That date could actually be cut back to 1994 (having no correlation to Cobain's death -- although In Utero was a 1994 release and I consider it to be Nirvana's best effort.) but I'd like to include as much of the 'Pumpkins' work as I can.

 

[oldrooster]

1965-70, Rubber Soul to the back to the earth movement.....

 

[Rufus T Firefly]

Anyway, my 5-year period of rock music greatness is 1966-1970. The era of experimental rock music, IMHO. The heyday of many of my favorite artists; geniuses such as Van Morrison, the Velvet Underground, the Doors, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley, etc. etc. etc. IMO, there was never a time where more artists were trying more new things than these 5 years.

I think that's a really good point. Frank Zappa in his autobiography says something about it being to do with the fact that record company execs were all old cigar-chompers from the tine pan alley era who didn't even pretend to know what all this crazy new stuff was all about; therefore, they'd release anything, just in case. I'd add The Band to that list, and even Chicago. Just for one brief shining moment - I'm mostly talking about the Transit Authority album here - they were wonderful. Some of you youngsters won't believe me, but it's true. And I've always had this weird soft spot for the Blue Oyster Cult, too, and there was this band from Chicago called The Flock...

Of course it all went pear shaped after this period, but it'd take a sociology lecture to go into the why's and wherefore's, and no one needs that. I think it's good that every era has had its share of great music, even though the economy - God Money, before whom many bow down, and serve - constantly threatens universal death by drowning in a big scum-vat of blandness. Something about the human spirit, I s'pose.

 

[tweek821]

OK, I lied, I have my five-year period. Brief synopsis now, details later.

And my years are.......

1964 - 1969

Starting with Beatlemania and ending with Woodstock amd Altamont; includes the British Invasion, the birth of folk-rock, the beginning of the California sound, Motown, blues rock, the Doors, psychedelia rock, etc. etc. etc.

Everything now stems from that era.