What was the best decade for music?

[Kontiki]

I was still using my 86-96 time period.

[Solomwi]

to LA for not stretching his decade to 11 years like the rest of you dickgirls.

65-74 is the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the thread title. Shifting it a year or two either way wouldn't bother me much.

[Theben]

My tastes stretch across a long timeline... too long for 10 years in a row. Early 80s and early 90s would be on the top of the list, but excludes too much.

[MRT144]

I thought it was an obvious joke.

Which is why I laughed.

[C0ckney]

Rap, the greatest post-1974 musical innovation.

no.

[Drake Tungsten]

What was, then?

[C0ckney]

it's hard to say for me, i suppose i'd be torn between 1977-86 and 1984-93. with the first you get punk (and the post-punk and alt-rock stuff it spawned), new wave, no wave, electro, which was there at the birth of techno and of hip-hop, some great disco and funk too. with the second you get most of the best early indie, some cracking industrial stuff, house, techno, the birth of trance, loads of experimentation and diversification in electronic music.

edit: this is in response to the OP

[Drake Tungsten]

Rap >>>>>>>>>> Electronic

[C0ckney]

What was, then?

drum machines and synthesizers, especially these:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TB-303

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TR-808

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TR-909

[C0ckney]

Rap >>>>>>>>>> Electronic

spoken like a true american

[Drake Tungsten]

drum machines and synthesizers, especially these:

Go listen to Who's Next or Quadrophenia and then tell me that synths were a post-1974 innovation.

spoken like a true american

Rap is more popular than electronic the world over.

[Solomwi]

great disco

[Heresson]

1969-79?

[-Jrabbit]

I had a TR-808. Sold it for almost triple its original retail a couple years after they were discontinued. Much sought-after by rappers for its idiosyncratic drum sound (pretty good toms, snare and hi-hat combined with incredibly cheesy crash cymbal) found on many early hip-hop discs. The TR-909 was the upgrade -- more expensive, with technically better samples. But it didn't have "that sound."

[Traianvs]

to LA for not stretching his decade to 11 years like the rest of you dickgirls.

65-74 is the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the thread title. Shifting it a year or two either way wouldn't bother me much.

Pretty much spot on.

Living in those days must've been a thrill, but I would've missed the tons of great music released since then. That era was fundamental for everything to come afterwards though, so it deserves its title of best decade.

Note that I consider that ridiciculous abomination known as gangsta rap as 'non-music'. French rap and to a lesser extent some British and the odd US non-gangsta rap is accepted.