For all its message and attitude, I've always acknowledged Satisfaction and My Generation as serious candidates to the 60s most trademark songs (even with such rivals as Like a Rollin' Stone or Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

Thing is I've never put any "real" thought on the subsequent decades

In the 70s, there's - say - Blank Generation, Born to Be Alive, Changes or Riders on the Storm.

In the 80s, let's randomly mention Ask Me, Burning down the House or Mountains.

In the 90s, I can think of Cannonball, Loser, Come as You Are orWave of Mutilation.

What I propose is for you people to add the 00s and comment on (and add to) the other decades.

"Come as You Are" over "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as decade-defining? REALLY? I'm not a Nirvana fan, but it wasn't until "Teen Spirit" that alternative radio was truly legitimate.

I'm not sure what "Ask Me" or "Mountains" are from the 80's...I don't know those song titles. I would certainly think that synth pop and disposable one-hit wonders were the norm throughout most of the early 80's, as was hair metal. I'd add "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell (truly ubiquitous for several years) and something more metallic..."Welcome to the Jungle", maybe?

I don't know what defines the 00's. Disposable pop hip-hop, bland R and B, interchangeable emo and post-punk, and overhyped indie rock are what comes to mind. I'll leave the decade-defining choices to those who have a better grasp on those thing that I.

quote:

Originally posted by Emanuel Matos:
In the 80s, let's randomly mention Ask Me

I'll try to add some more later, but do you mean "Ask" by the Smiths? That was my wife and my "Our Song" before we even got married. I'll hide from her that I'd have to pick "How Soon is Now?" ahead of it. I'd add "I Will Dare" (Replacements). For the '60s, I have a hard-on for "Wild Thing" by the Troggs and anything from Creedence Clearwater Revival. For the '70s, I lean toward a Steely Dan song ("Rikki Don't Lose That Number", "Reelin' in the Years" or "Do It Again") and "Sheena is a Punk Rocker". Later.

The first things that came to mind:

00s: "Hey Ya" by Outkast
90s: "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve
80s: "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive
70s: "Psycho Killer" by the Talking Heads
60s: "All Tomorrow's Parties" by The Velvet Underground

I think, for 70's punk, it's hard to beat Mark's choice ("Sheena") but almost anything from the first four Ramones records works. I think that "God Save the Queen" might supercede "Pretty Vacant" (although I do love that song) in terms of being landmark or decade-defining. Any historical montage of 70's punks plays the Pistols. Or maybe the Clash...

Decade-defining. Some great calls so far. I agree with Loser/Beck and Bittersweet Sym./Verve for sure....right on the ball. Others to consider....

70's Imagine/Lennon. I never did like this song as a kid(nor the Beatles) but now believe this song to be one of the best ever written. Definately decade-defining.
Not a huge fan of Stairway to Heaven, but once it is on you think 70's and can't turn it off.

80's Every Breath You Take/Police. huge tune back in the day, and on the charts/air waves forever. Still great tune.
The beginning of wave/electronica one hit wonders...but I'd have to go with Everything Counts OR Never Let Me Down Again/Depeche Mode.

90's The best decade defining tunes have already been mentioned above for this decade, but i'll add a few:

Personal pick: Black Metallic/Catherine Wheel. For my shoegazing club days in the first half of the 90's.

Paranoid Android/Radiohead. Bringing back complexity and 6:00 minute singles back to the radio.

Closer/NIN. self-explanatory. beautifully layered.

00's Wilco/Muzzle of Bees. I've stated this in other forums. I know it has no radio play, but it is the best pop tune I've heard in decades.(hence my quote)

Seven Nation Army/White Stripes. Huge.

Frontier Psychiatrist/Avalanches. Not only for the single, but the CD as a whole is non-stop. A pure album.

now....sit back, relax and listen to the eight track

Your mention of NiN makes me think of "Hurt" but then I wonder...is the Johnny Cash version the definitive version???

I like the "Every Breath You Take" pick to be sure.

Another one from the 80's..."I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."

Yes...U2. I would have to go with Sunday Bloody Sunday.

quote:

quote:

Originally posted by philosopherEric:

"Come as You Are" over "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as decade-defining? REALLY?

You're quite right, it should be Smells Like Teen Spirit

quote:

quote:

Originally posted by philosopherEric:

I'm not sure what "Ask Me" or "Mountains" are from the 80's...I don't know those song titles.

Ask by The Smiths (thanx mark f) and Mountains by Prince (or Kiss for that matter).

Not 'landmark' songs (I think that's a slightly different question), but decade-defining more-socially (somewhat UK-centric)

70s
Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
God Save The Queen - Sex Pistols

80s
Going Underground - The Jam
Ghost Town - Specials
How Soon Is Now - Smiths
Rebel Without A Pause - Public Enemy
Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards - Billy Bragg

90s
Common People/Sorted For E's & Whizz - Pulp
Generation Sex - Divine Comedy
Born Slippy - Underworld

Smells Like Teen Spirit is the song that spawned the rock that was popular in the 90s. I'd pick it for the 'defining' song of the 90s.

60's, it's hard to get away from the Beatles. Although you could go with 'White Rabbit' if you wanted to make it a drugs reference.

70's...hmm. Well, some music people define the 60s as 1964-1975. So let's go with the punk movement. Something by the Ramones.

80s, I think is a local maximum of the split between popular music and good music (Which wasn't matched until the late 90s, which continues to expand to today). And I detest U2, so I'll avoid them. But it's hard to find 80s music that was both good and popular at the same time. Probably something off Document. "It's The End Of The World As We Know It"?

Hmm..00's. I'm stumped, because there really is very little that's both popular, and good. In the 60s, 70s, and 90s, it's possible without trying too hard to find stuff that's both good and popular. But image-oriented rap, boy bands, and bustly women who don't write their own music dominate the air waves. What is both popular and good? White Stripes are kind of popular I guess, in a fringy way. We could go with 'Fell In Love With A Girl' or 'Seven Nation Army'.

00s: Clocks - Coldplay

90s: Teen Spirit - Nirvana

80s: Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen

70s: Baba O'Riley - The Who

60s: Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

Just my thoughts.

60s: God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
70s: Changes - David Bowie
80s: Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
90s: Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
00s: Hey Ya! - Outkast

quote:

Originally posted by Columba:
00s: Clocks - Coldplay

90s: Teen Spirit - Nirvana

80s: Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen

70s: Baba O'Riley - The Who

60s: Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

Just my thoughts.

Excellent list. I really can't think of anything I'd replace on it.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobthespirit:
Smells Like Teen Spirit is the song that spawned the rock that was popular in the 90s. I'd pick it for the 'defining' song of the 90s.

I don't think Nirvana defined anything beyond a crappy Seattle scene that died out in the early 1990s. Most. Overrated. Band. Ever.

I would say the 1990s belonged to Notorious B.I.G.'s "Juicy," or surely some other rap song.

If we are talking solely rock, however, I would still put most of what has already mentioned before Nirvana...

quote:

Hide Post
60s: God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
70s: Changes - David Bowie
80s: Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
90s: Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
00s: Hey Ya! - Outkast

This is an almost perfect list. I'd prefer to see "A Day in the Life" by the Beatles instead of "God Only Knows" for the 60s, and maybe "Heroes" instead of "Changes", but those 3 songs for the 80s through 2000s nails it.

quote:

Originally posted by crob3888:

quote:

Hide Post
60s: God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
70s: Changes - David Bowie
80s: Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
90s: Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
00s: Hey Ya! - Outkast

This is an almost perfect list. I'd prefer to see "A Day in the Life" by the Beatles instead of "God Only Knows" for the 60s, and maybe "Heroes" instead of "Changes", but those 3 songs for the 80s through 2000s nails it.

Seconded strongly. Nicely done, BContrat. I'd stick with "Changes" for its topicality for the times and popularity. (Popularity matters in any attempt at definitive, methinks.) "A Day in the Life" is a good choice, but if I replaced "God Only Knows" with anything it would be "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" or, better yet, "Street Fighting Man." In the Stones/Beatles either/or, the de rigeur dichotomy of the times, I went with the Stones. No sense in changing now.

quote:

Originally posted by outis:
quote:
Originally posted by crob3888:

quote:
60s: God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
70s: Changes - David Bowie
80s: Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
90s: Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
00s: Hey Ya! - Outkast


This is an almost perfect list. I'd prefer to see "A Day in the Life" by the Beatles instead of "God Only Knows" for the 60s, and maybe "Heroes" instead of "Changes", but those 3 songs for the 80s through 2000s nails it.


Seconded strongly. Nicely done, BContrat. I'd stick with "Changes" for its topicality for the times and popularity. (Popularity matters in any attempt at definitive, methinks.) "A Day in the Life" is a good choice, but if I replaced "God Only Knows" with anything it would be "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" or, better yet, "Street Fighting Man." In the Stones/Beatles either/or, the de rigeur dichotomy of the times, I went with the Stones. No sense in changing now.

With the 60s, it's rather hard to choose a single definitive song. There are so many; just trying to choose a single definitive Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys, or Dylan song is difficult enough!

I'm sort of thinking that "Like A Rolling Stone" may actually be the best choice for definitive song from the 60s, though.

I agree though, that popularity plays a massively important role in determining what songs are definitive in any decade. I certainly don't think "Hey Ya!" is my favorite song this decade, but I certainly think it is the definitive one. These subtle differences are what keep us all so interested in learning about music and sharing it with each other, I think.

quote:

Originally posted by crob3888:
I'm sort of thinking that "Like A Rolling Stone" may actually be the best choice for definitive song from the 60s, though.

Great call. That's probably the most definitive of all 60s songs I can think of. "Like A Rolling Stone" expresses the 2 sides of the 60s coin best of all, methinks. (Heads: social change & upheaval. Tails: meteoric rise of pop culture to its hegemonic place in society.) Yeah, I think you nailed this one.

quote:

Great call. That's probably the most definitive of all 60s songs I can think of. "Like A Rolling Stone" expresses the 2 sides of the 60s coin best of all, methinks. (Heads: social change & upheaval. Tails: meteoric rise of pop culture to its hegemonic place in society.) Yeah, I think you nailed this one.

Brilliant explanation, outis. I don't think I could have worded it more perfectly.

We make a good team, you and I.