If I had to pick one artist/band from each decade I’ve lived in, the one that personally defined that time period for me…. it looks like this:
60’s – Bob Dylan. I was only alive for a couple years of the Sixties, but it seems like Bob Dylan was being played since a crib really was a crib and well into the 70’s. His music defined my childhood, introduced me to song, storytelling, poetry, critical thinking and the world.
70’s – Cat Stevens. His voice IS the Seventies to me. I listened to him just about every chance I got. Because of him, I didn’t know the difference between children’s songs and adult songs (“Moonshadow” still sounds like a kid song to me) and I think I am better off for that. If Dylan gave me a view outside my private world, despite a questionable singing voice, Cat was the polar opposite: the most charming voice that has ever inhabited a singer with songs amazingly personal.
80’s – Van Morrison. Obviously, he has seminal work from the 60’s and 70’s, but for me, his music was the go-to songs of the 80’s. And since he was still making music (really good music) well into the 80’s, I feel okay about it. Van got me through a lot of hard times, he was almost a guiding voice to me. I feel like I learned as much from him as I did from a formal education.
90’s – U2. Perhaps not coincidentally, U2 being heavily influenced by its relationship with Dylan, Van and Keith Richards, became the major band of the 90’s for me, even though my favorite album of theirs was released in ‘87, my second favorite was in ‘91 and I listened to them regularly throughout. Bono’s achilles heel is his preachiness, but I respect his passion and what seems like a true desire to give equal weight to both parts of the term “pop artist.”
00’s – Beck. Like U2, you could argue that Beck is from the decade before, but it’s an imperfect concept to begin with. Regardless, Beck is to U2 what Cat Stevens is to Dylan: the introverted, or inside out, version of the other. U2 faced me outward, preached and wined about the world whereas Beck faced me inward and found a new strange inroad into the deeply personal, especially with his work in the 2000’s.
So, there you go. If you got the time and the desire, I’d love to hear your list. Throw it down…
60’s – Beatles. Probably too obvious.
70’s – Billy Joel. Have any questions about women, and Billy Joel has the answer. Well, his songs do.
80’s – Michael Jackson. Again, pretty obvious, but that doesn’t make it wrong. Shamon!
90’s – Tupac. Not only my favorite of the 90’s, but I’d argue he’s had the biggest impact on the 00’s.
00’s – Jay-Z. Blueprint 1 & 2, The Black Album (which gave us the Grey Album) Kingdom Come, and American Gangster. He’s worked with Linkin Park, Coldplay and gave us Kanye West. And he’s saving the 10’s, but killing Autotune. Thanks, Hov.
Nice list, Gregg. I challenge anyone to come up with an as-honest list with more total album sales.
Shamon!!