Rock Music: 1951-1976 vs. 1977-2003

Onhwy61, Interesting post. If we are talking STRICTLY rock and roll, I would have to vote for the earlier period.

I mean, just the Beatles alone......

The evolution of music throughout that earlier period yielded some of the finest bands and music in music history. We should also really consider the instrument evolution also from that period.

Fender Strats and Teles, Les Pauls, Fender Rhodes pianos, Hammond organs, Mini Moogs, Arp string synths, Wah- Wah pedals, phase shifters, etc.etc.etc. Many of these instruments helped to give bands their specific sounds.

I sound like my parents, "Music's not what it used to be".
It must be my age catching up to me.

I would have to vote for the earliest rock era. My reasons?

Motown with the likes of Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Otis Redding, Smokey Robinson, The Four Tops, The Drifters, The Sherilles, The Temptations, The Supremes, et al.

The British invasion including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Animals, etc.

Early American Rock with the likes of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, Fats Domino, Little Richard and Chuck Berry.

American folk with Dylan, The Kingston Trio, etc.

The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, America, Joni Mitchell, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Traffic, Steely Dan, Leon Russell and others.

The list of powerful, inspired artists (many still active) is too heavily favored during this time frame for a second thought on the subject.

My apologies to all the great music makers left off the above list. Thanks to all for the joy brought to my life through their art!

If we are looking for the golden 25 years of R&R.....how about from 1963 to 1988 or so?

You're right Buscis, in a sense it is age catching up with you.

This is a hard Q for more than one reason. One reason, I think, is that a person’s receptiveness to Rock music is caused by a hormonal imbalance that usually starts to come to an end somewhere in one’s twenties. It is not that you will never grow to love new rock music after a certain age, it is just that it is harder to do so. I have a few favorites that I still listen to and they are all, for the most part, from the first time period (51-76). The few that attract my attention, Peter Gabrial, Neil Young, or somebody, are mostly holdouts from the old days too. My guess is that young folks these days can listen back to Led Zeplin and the Beatles and it may attract their attention. Not much new in the Rock world in the last 20 years has touched me and I think it as much me as the music. It is certainly <3-4% of what I listen to these days.

Any of you older folks getting into new rock?

Sincerely
I remain,

Lugnut, You are so spot-on to mention Motown. It was the absolute foundation for some of the most soulful and inspiring music to ever be recorded. If you think about the volume of music produced by Motown alone, and the incredible musicians that Motown helped to nurture through their careers, it was just so immense.

Where's all that great stuff now? What happened to the "Motown era's" and the "British invasion" era's?

You can call me what you want, music's just not the same.
It's missing the abundance of incredibly talented musicians and the record companies that used to promote them.