The Mod Pop Punk Archives is a nice site documenting the late 70s music scene, and includes a large selection of MP3s from some mostly-forgotten bands. It’s a nice way to immerse yourself in another time. I felt like I was 14 again, that’s for sure.
The reason I’m linking it is that, in compiling my annual Compilation Champs CD for South by Southwest, it came to my attention that a whopping 40% of the music on it was made in the 1970s. I suppose that’s because the 1970s were when I was discovering music in the first place. The first LP I ever purchased was Led Zeppelin’s first album, from Halliday’s TV shop at the Parkway Plaza. My ten-year old impression was that the band could play, but man that singer had a crappy voice. But most of the music that means the most to me was released between 1976 and 1981. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that those years correspond to the years between 11 and 16 for me. Does this hold true for the rest of you as well?
Yeah, I would say so. Now that I bought a turntable, I’m rediscovering a lot of those older LPs, and I still like them. My sister’s tastes kind of rubbed off on me–Billy Joel, Andy Gibb, etc. I bought most of the McCartney solo stuff and Led Zep’s “Houses of the Holy”. If you like 70s tracks, you need to have a turntable.
Yes and no.
A lot of the music I’m liking now was produced in those years or a little beyond on either end, but wasn’t music that I listened to at the time. (While I was listening to Judas Priest and Twisted Sister, I should have been listening to Hüsker Dü and fIREHOSE.) Rather, much is music that I saw on the college charts during part of that time but couldn’t afford to buy.
Then again, I’m also a fan of hard bop jazz, all of which was created before I was even born.
And then again, some of my favorite music was done in the early-to-mid 90s.