What is the golden age of Rock?

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Some here will say it is 1972 or 1973.

I say the golden age of rock is approximately 16. That's when a young person's musical tastes pretty much get formed, and stay with that person for the rest of their life.

Discuss.

[Zeuhlmate]

My taste got formed earlier than 16, probably around 8, but new layers have been added continuously. It never stops.

[moecurlythanu]

That's easy. It's a mythical age when giants like Mott The Hoople roamed the Earth.



"It's good for your body, it's good for your soul,..

You gotta be young, you can never grow old"

[Czyszy]

The stone age. :v

[Dave (in MA)]

Some here will say it is 1972 or 1973.

I say the golden age of rock is approximately 16. That's when a young person's musical tastes pretty much get formed, and stay with that person for the rest of their life.

Discuss.

If I could only listen to what I listened to when I was 16, I'd go out of my mind.
It could be argued that I am out of my mind.

[Digital_Man]

If I could only listen to what I listened to when I was 16, I'd go out of my mind.
It could be argued that I am out of my mind.

Well, if I could only listen to what was popular when I was 16 I'd go out of my mind too. That was 1986 and the height of hair metal. Fortunately, I listened to very little (if any) heavy metal then (as it was called at the time) and was instead mostly into classic rock and prog (which I still had a burgeoning interest in - albeit still mostly the most well known stuff at the time).

[JKL2000]

My taste got formed earlier than 16, probably around 8, but new layers have been added continuously. It never stops.

I agree with this, because I listened to a lot more weird music during the first eight years of my life than I did during the following ten years (I was adding layers slowly for a while there, but then I made up for it quickly!).

[Poisoned Youth]

I wouldn’t use our personal experiences as “1 percenters” (in terms of music consumption) to define what is typical. I would tend to agree that, for your average music fan, they could point to HS or college as to when they had their most meaningful and influential music experiences.

My experience was a bit different. I was a teenager in the 80s. I was always exposed to music in the 70s, but my “awakening” was music videos or MTV, between 1982-1983. I was into most of it and 80s music was a big part of my life between ‘82-‘86. When I went to college in 1987, I found the vast majority of the college scene was more into classic rock than anything else. Speaking for myself, by the time 1989 hit, I was becoming disillusioned by the current music scene and spent most of my time exploring 70s music and classical.

By 1991, I was getting more into prog and focusing on what I missed from the last 25 years. I had pretty much abandoned the current music scene. The charm, fun, and innocence that was the 80s was replaced by heavier, angrier, more serious music. And the leftover 80s scene was a parody of itself. Today, I still have a hard time relating to the popular music from the late 80s to the mid 90s.

1995-2002 is the time that I would choose for myself to define my own personal musical golden age. Even though the early 80s will always be one of my favorite times, in the mid to late 90s, I discovered the contemporary prog rock scene and eventually jazz. Music meant something to me again. I even learned to appreciate (some) popular music again. These days, I’m still exploring both new and old.

[Vic2012]

For me, it starts in 1964 and ends between 1974-1980.

[JJ88]

Most of the good rock was done before I was born so it doesn't apply to me.

I like rock pretty much from its inception (say somewhere in the 50s) and follow the various twists and turns it took in the 60s and 70s. But I get much choosier in what I like and don't by the 80s. Its absolute 'golden age' definitely ended somewhere in that decade IMHO.

One can argue the 90s saw a shot in the arm for the genre, actually, but by the 2000s, the bloom was off the rose for good. It had a good run.

[proggy_jazzer]

The problem with the term "golden age" is that it's inherently subjective; "golden" to one is irrelevant (or worse) to another. What the question suggests to me is the word "era" - as in a rather lengthy period of relative importance that might be generally agreed upon. For example, I think you could make a case for the significance of the period from the common adoption of the electric guitar and bass to the time when computers/technology became the primary recording (and composing) tools and people actually playing instruments became less important or not necessary at all. To throw out a couple ballpark brackets, say 1960-2010? Earlier or later on either end could certainly be discussed.

As to the personal "golden age" question, the usual teen-years answer certainly applies to me, but it's also the case that I seem to be in the midst of another one; I'm discovering lots of music that resonates with me in the same way that Prog (and other music) did in my youth. I've discovered more along those lines in the past dozen years or so than in the couple decades before.

[progmatist]

Back when I was a fan of Thrash and Death Metal, I would've said the late 80s to early 90s. When Hair metal died, Thrash and Death Metal went down along with it.

[moecurlythanu]

^ Samson and the 2 pillars?

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Okay, now that a few others have spoken up, here's my story:

At the age of 12 or 13, I discovered Chicago, my very first "favorite band." I still love their '70s work.

At the age of 15, a friend introduced me to The Who, and especially Tommy and Quadrophenia.

At the age of 16, the same friend introduced me to Genesis, King Crimson, and Gentle Giant.

The rest is (personal) history.

Also, my friend had (and has) excellent taste. He played the oboe back then. Now he plays an SG.

[hippypants]

For me, it starts in 1964 and ends between 1974-1980.

Yeah, same here for the most part. As you said I think it starts around high school or so. Everybody is different in that regard.

[Poisoned Youth]

The problem with the term "golden age" is that it's inherently subjective; "golden" to one is irrelevant (or worse) to another. What the question suggests to me is the word "era" - as in a rather lengthy period of relative importance that might be generally agreed upon. For example, I think you could make a case for the significance of the period from the common adoption of the electric guitar and bass to the time when computers/technology became the primary recording (and composing) tools and people actually playing instruments became less important or not necessary at all. To throw out a couple ballpark brackets, say 1960-2010? Earlier or later on either end could certainly be discussed.

I think while the personal "golden age" is inherently subjective, I think "Rock" as we have come to define it has a pretty well defined "Golden Age" imo. I'd roughly put this between 1968-1978. This doesn't mean there wasn't a significant amount of quality rock music being made after or before, but it's this era that stands alone. And to this day, this music is referenced and revered in ways that music before and after that time is/was not.

Some here will say it is 1972 or 1973.

I say the golden age of rock is approximately 16. That's when a young person's musical tastes pretty much get formed, and stay with that person for the rest of their life.

Discuss.

Regarding the "personal" side, I think considering we are on a website that worships music whose prime period is recognized loosely as falling between 1968-1975, a "classic rock" period that also falls in a similar timeframe, and a membership who is primarily between the ages of 60-75, I think most people here would have a similar experience to yours.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

Yeah, can't get behind using your personal 'golden age' to define rock's golden age. As Mr. Youth said above, the late 60s to late 70s is rock's golden age and I'm not sure there is much discussion to be had there.

[bigbassdrum]

Personal Golden Age
I remember guys 10 years older than me saying that the greatest rock music was produced by the Beach Boys.
I equated them to those who thought Elvis was the be-all end-all.
They would have been around 16 when Pet Sounds came out; probably went to Viet Nam a few years later

Edit: they probably just said "the greatest music was ...."

[progmatist]

^ Samson and the 2 pillars?

More accurate than you think. Around the time the guys in Metallica cut their hair is when they wimped out, and were more accurately described as Alternica.

[Dana5140]

For me, 1969- which, to the point, I was 16.

[markwoll]

"The Golden Age Of Rock" now? yeah, no. In a hundred years let's revisit that.
My personal journey started when I was about 6 ( 1965ish ) and has not ended.
'Rock' started before then, and will probably still be happening after I am gone.
Thankfully I have not been trapped in the "stuff that was happening when I was in high school/college" mindset.

[proggy_jazzer]

I think while the personal "golden age" is inherently subjective, I think "Rock" as we have come to define it has a pretty well defined "Golden Age" imo. I'd roughly put this between 1968-1978. This doesn't mean there wasn't a significant amount of quality rock music being made after or before, but it's this era that stands alone. And to this day, this music is referenced and revered in ways that music before and after that time is/was not.

"The Golden Age Of Rock" now? yeah, no. In a hundred years let's revisit that.

I guess I was trying to take more of a birds-eye/future historian perspective in my post, so I'm in agreement with markwoll here. In studying music history one doesn't often run across a period as short as 10 years being referred to as a "golden age". Perhaps for a specific composer there would be a most prolific period or a part of their life when they wrote their most relevant works, but not for an entire style or genre.

[Lopez]

For me it started in the summer of 1959; I was 5. My folks had rented a beach house on Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. My mom listened to the local pop music radio station in the kitchen. I heard all sorts of great stuff, which got me interested in pop music. Then it ended mid-1980s when the local scene in Boston seemed to fizzle out. It was still there, but all the bands I liked either broke up, went "new wave," or got real jobs.

[Boceephus]

Jamestown Revival - Golden Age

Good times are over,
Didn't you know?
Well, I heard it on the radio
I read in the paper
And I saw in the news
The Golden Age is all but through
And My Oh My where did Cassidy go?
The wild ones all grew old
And times they are a-changin'
Yesterday's dead and gone
So, play me that old time music
Play that familiar song
Just a holy roller,
With a gun in his hand
Wondering why nobody understands
I'm missing the music
And I'm longing for you
I lay the needle down to run the groove
I said, My Oh My where did Sundance go?
The good ones all grew old
And times they are a-changin'
Yesterday's dead and gone
So, play me that old time music
Play that familiar song
I said, times they are a-changin'
Yesterday's dead and gone
So, play me that old time music
Play that familiar song


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[Trane]

My taste got formed earlier than 16, probably around 8, but new layers have been added continuously. It never stops.

my seeds were planted in 69 with Stand Up and the Broadway Musical Hair soundtrack found their way home (courtesy of my dad - le latter was a gift).
But TBH, the seeds took time grow until 71/2 (Beatles/Stones & stuff on the radio)... until riping in 74 (I was 11 then) when I bought Harmonium's debut and Supertramp's Crime

My experience was a bit different. I was a teenager in the 80s. I was always exposed to music in the 70s, but my “awakening” was music videos or MTV, between 1982-1983. I was into most of it and 80s music was a big part of my life between ‘82-‘86. When I went to college in 1987, I found the vast majority of the college scene was more into classic rock than anything else. Speaking for myself, by the time 1989 hit, I was becoming disillusioned by the current music scene and spent most of my time exploring 70s music and classical.

Somewhat similar experience to you, but 10 years earlier... I was definitely finding "rock" less rewarding starting 78/9 (AOR times), but it really started to "annoy" me around 82/3, with those Synth-pop & New Wave bands ruining my life's soundtrack.
This prompted me to plunge in the 60's (rock/blues/jazz) by then, and paying much less attention to airwaves.
Thanks for car cassette decks, which avoided using FM radios.

Yeah, can't get behind using your personal 'golden age' to define rock's golden age. As Mr. Youth said above, the late 60s to late 70s is rock's golden age and I'm not sure there is much discussion to be had there.

I'd basically say 67 to 76 - with a core from 69 to 73, though most rock critics would disagree.