Favorite Bands By Decade

So this friend of mine posed an interesting question the other day. And people who know me really well know that this is the type of question that really gets under my skin. The question is what is your favorite band by decade. I guess my reputation is being very mercurial, typical Gemini and always thinking the next thing on my playlist is the best. But this is very serious question. I felt because the guy who asked it is almost, and I stress this, almost as big as a music nut as me. I think I win simply for the fact that I have like every Alan Parson record and spent a large portion of my high school days writing my favorite bands, with their logos, all over my pee chees. In fact, I used to cut out the long boxes that the cd's came in and tape them with scotch tape to my pee chee. But I digress. I think this challenged me a bit because I did have to pick a favorite. So here it goes. I start in the 196o's why because I really don't listen to anything beyond that. Was really never much into Elvis, Buddy Holly or really old jazz.

1960s--Has to be the Beatles. Revolver is still one of my all time favorite albums. And who can forget flops like Magical Mystery Tour complete with one of their best songs buried on the last track "Baby I'm A Rich Man."

1970s--Led Zepplin--I really thought about putting Steely Dan here also. But Led Zepplin is it. Jimmy Page is my second favorite guitar player next to Hendrix. And who can forget all of those stories of their hard partying on the road and the whole thing about Page going to the same crossroads and Robert Johnson. An honorable mention, you see I am doing this because I hate to pick favorites, would be the 1970s Rolling Stones. If you don't believe me how hard these guys were rocking back in the day check out this performance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3QFOXPReec What is Jagger wearing?

1980s--Without a doubt for me Joy Division/New Order. It is a two for one. Both bands were amazing and how New Order ever managed to recover and reinvent themselves in the face of Ian Curtis' suicide is pretty amazing. The first time I went to Europe I listened to Substance over and over and over on the train. Those songs and every song from the Joy Division catalogue is firmly etched in my brain. Honorable mention, Depeche Mode. Black Celebration and Music for the Masses incredible.

1990s--Now it start's to get really fuzzy. But I have to say Soundgarden. I will own it. I was probably a bigger Pearl Jam fan until Superunknown came out. And then I started listening to Badmotorfinger more and more. These guys had everything I loved about Zepplin but much much darker.

2000s-- Wilco. My favorite band of all time. There it is. I remember watching Wilco for the first time at the 9:30 Club in DC in 1997. I was also really into Son Volt at this time and kept thinking that out of the remains of Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt would always emerge as the more famous band. But then Summerteeth came out. I couldn't believe how great that album was. And then came the grand daddy of them all. My favorite album of all time. Hotel Yankee Foxtrot. And they keep coming, Ghost is Born, Sky Blue Sky. I am a little disappointed with the self titled album, but you cannot be perfect every time. My Morning Jacket, Okkervil River, Modest Mouse and Sufjan Stevens make my honorable mention list for this decade.

2010 and beyond: I have to say that I am leaning more and more into the My Morning Jacket camp. And there will be more to say about this in later posts.