What happened to music 1968-1975 or so?

Pablo

Pablo

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The CSNY thread and my BOC and Moody Blues listening- combined with the stack of really great music that came out in this era really makes me think. I’m not saying there was no great music released before or after. Of course this nearly is all my own personal bias - ie this just seems like this to me.

Anyone agree or have other thoughts?

Just seems a peculiar curious concentration of cool songs. Led Zeppelin to Yes to Animals to ELP. Beatles were about done and Black Sabbath. Deep Purple. Pink Floyd. Genesis. Traffic. Steely Dan and so so many more
 
Come on man. Do you even have to ask?
The LSD wore off.

70s was a huge hangover from the 60s.
80s was some stretching and energy boost afer the 70s.

Then a huge sugar crash and drooling "watch me being saaaad" in the 90s (not counting rap which was at its top).

Then, luckily, electronic music found the daily synthetics that keep on going and going and here we are.
 
I was doing some random listening the other night and it occurred to me that nearly everything I like was recorded between 1956 and 1976. That covers rockabilly, right up to The Sex Pistols. An incredible 20 year period of musical creativity and growth. Everything after that, not so much. Your mileage may vary.
 
JunkdrawerDog said:
I was doing some random listening the other night and it occurred to me that nearly everything I like was recorded between 1956 and 1976. That covers rockabilly, right up to The Sex Pistols. An incredible 20 year period of musical creativity and growth. Everything after that, not so much. Your mileage may vary.
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I like a lot of music mid 60s yet early 60s and back seems unjelled to me. Some is good and raw. But not Wall of Sound good 👍
 
I used to have a rule, if it's not electronic music AND it can't clear the MTV Unplugged sessions - it's not music.
If it's not Cher and it uses Autotune, it's not singing.

Electronic gets a pass for MTV Unplugged, Cher gets a pass for everything.

It is not bulletproof, as most 90s grunge snot can get through an MTV Unplugged test, but it's mostly working for me.

There are variations of this - if it's a band and they don't have at least one live concert throughout their carreer where they sound better than on the matching album version - don't waste my time.

I'm not sure Geoff Tate would be able to redo "Queen of the Reich" live as he did 45 years ago, or if King Diamond would be able to do "Charon" live pitch for pitch, but I know that at some point - they could.
 
I actually dug a little after my first post, as I like to pad my humor with research. So, with no pretensions of an exhaustive, or exact, but surely the guarantee of a very tongue in cheek list:

1960s (Post-1965)​

Artist/BandProven Use/Problems?Details
The BeatlesYesAll: Cannabis/LSD; Lennon: Heroin.
The Rolling StonesYesBrian Jones (Addiction/Death); Richards (Heroin).
Jimi HendrixYesLSD, Amphetamines; Died of Barbiturate overdose.
The DoorsYesJim Morrison: Severe Alcoholism, Heroin.
Pink FloydYesSyd Barrett: Heavy LSD use (mental breakdown).

1970s​

Artist/BandProven Use/Problems?Details
Led ZeppelinYesJimmy Page: Heroin; John Bonham: Fatal Alcoholism.
Fleetwood MacYesAll: Extreme Cocaine use; Nicks: Klonopin.
David BowieYesSevere Cocaine addiction (mid-70s).
QueenYesFreddie Mercury: Recreational Cocaine/Alcohol.
Stevie WonderNoHistorically clean; focused on spiritualism/work

1980s​

Artist/BandProven Use/Problems?Details
Michael JacksonYesPrescription Opioids (Propofol/Benzos). Although those might have been in later years?
PrinceYesPrescription Opioids (Fentanyl overdose). Same. Not sure when he started them ?
MadonnaNoMinimal; famously disciplined and health-conscious.
Guns N' RosesYesSlash/Duff: Heroin/Alcohol; Steven Adler: Heroin.
U2NoAdam Clayton: Cannabis arrest (1989); otherwise clean.

1990s​

Artist/BandProven Use/Problems?Details
NirvanaYesKurt Cobain: Severe Heroin addiction.
Whitney HoustonYesCocaine, Cannabis, and Prescription drugs.
OasisYesLiam & Noel Gallagher: Heavy Cocaine/Alcohol.
Tupac ShakurEh, maybeFrequent Cannabis use; no "hard" drug addiction.
RHCPeppersYesKiedis/Frusciante: Heroin; Slovak: Fatal overdose.

2000s​

Artist/BandProven Use/Problems?Details
EminemYesPrescription Pills (Vicodin/Valium overdose).
Amy WinehouseYesFatal Alcoholism; Heroin/Cocaine addiction.
Britney SpearsYesDabbled with drugs; Amphetamine struggles.
Kanye WestYesOpioid addiction (post-surgery 2016).
ColdplayNoBand maintains a strictly drug-free reputation.

2010s​

Artist/BandProven Use/Problems?Details
Taylor SwiftNoNo history of drug use or related problems.
DrakeEh, maybeRecreational Cannabis/Alcohol; no proven "problems."
AdeleYesEarly career struggles with heavy Alcohol use.
Justin BieberYesPast use of Pills, MDMA, and "Lean."
RihannaEh, maybeOpen and frequent Cannabis use.

2020s​

Artist/BandProven Use/Problems?Details
The WeekndYesPast use of Ketamine, Cocaine, MDMA.
Billie EilishNoVocal advocate for a "Straight Edge" lifestyle.
Bad BunnyNoNo history of substance abuse or problems.
Harry StylesYesRecreational Psychedelics (Mushrooms).
Dua LipaNoNo history of drug use; maintains a professional image

I rest my case (from the summit of my ignorance 😇). 60's was mostly LSD. Which is apparently known as an amplifier of thoughts rather than and escapist substance.
Well, I personally blame it for 30 minutes+ jams though 😙

Disclaimer: I never, ever liked the Beatles, I simply was never impressed by them. Similar, to a lesser extent, for the Stones. I like SOME of their stuff. But well - they were the big thing back then.
 
Music has evolved into a very tightly controlled business. It was always a rigged game, but instead of being controlled by a handful of promoters and independent radio stations, it is now fully controlled by a very small group that hire the very best lobbyists.

There are occasionally breakthroughs of independent artists, but considering how many people listen to music, the extreme rarity of a breakthrough demonstrates just how one can't make it on talent. One has to be selected by a group to make it. And that selection comes with legal balls and chains.

Here is the only breakthrough I can recall in recent memory. Reportedly he wouldn't sell out to the controlling interests, and is now a dishwasher at Cracker Barrell (sattire).

 
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Are you implying KISS and Bon Jovi are not more talented and creative than Led Zeppelin, Yes, Animals, ELP, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Traffic, Steely Dan-- and that the success of groups/ musicians like KISS and Bon Jovi was due primarily to marketing, not material?
 
We like what we like and what appeals to our ears & soul. I too am bias toward the music of my genaration(60’s-70’s R&R). However, I didn’t like every bad of that era. Today, I do indeed like Jazz, Country, some Bluegrass, BIG BAND/Swing, Classical. Depending on what I am doing is what genre of music I can enjoy.

If I am on vacation on a sunny island under a cabana bar them I want to hear Reggae.
If we’re pick nicking/partying then I want Rock. Often in the car during long travel, I want to hear Sinatra or maybe talk radio or audiobooks. If I am into a good novel, I like Classical on really low.

I can’t say that today’s music sucks but it’s not for me.
 
why was there so much good Music, rife with creativity in the late 60's /early 70's? Mind Altering Substances... or...
To quote Denis Leary, from his "No Cure For Cancer" Album:
"Drugs, man... Capital D, DRUGS... I did my share, and your share, and His share( pointing into the audience), I did a LOT"
 
I'm more with the 1956 - 1976 era, as being the great popular music of our lifetime. And I didn't even listen to the same music as Pablo mentions. Yes, I have most all of the Moody Blues albums, and I love my Deep Purple Made in Japan album. But I was more into Seals and Croft, Three Dog Night, Eagles, Bread, John Denver, Doobie Brothers, Styx, Fleetwood Mac, ELO, Grand Funk, Jim Croce, Chicago and such.

The favorite music of my children is that from the '60's and '70's.

GON said:
Are you implying KISS and Bon Jovi are not more talented and creative than Led Zeppelin, Yes, Animals, ELP, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Traffic, Steely Dan-- and that the success of groups/ musicians like KISS and Bon Jovi was due primarily to marketing, not material?
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Marketing and showmanship. Little to do with music. I vaguely recall an interview with one of the Kiss members, admitting that their success was all about their stage characters.

And really, Didn't Kiss just do a spin off from the Village People theme, of dressing up? Weren't the Village People the first of their kind? :unsure::sneaky:
 
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