Definitive musical recordings
 

What, in your opinion are some recordings that defined decades?
This is mostly a matter of personal taste of course, but I'd still like to see what everyone thinks on this.

1970s
Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack.
I'm not exactly a fan of this recording, but the classic songs from it always remind me of 70s lifestyle and culture.

1980s
Duran Duran - Rio
I bought this on CASSETTE! LOL Whenever I hear any song from this, I always think of my later years in high school and my early days in the military.

1990s
Pearl Jam - 10
Pearl Jam's first recording will always be their best in my opinion, and to me it really does define the 90s. I could have picked a couple others for this decade, but neither of them come as close.

1970's
Saturday Night Fever - I remember rockin out in my basement with the goalie form my hockey team and my disco light to that one...

1980's
Motley Crue - Too Young to Fall in Love - They just seemed to ignite a part of my life that I still carry with me today.

1990's
Blood Sugar Sex Magic - The Red Hot Chili Peppers - That album also defined a part of my history. These guys play funked out kick ass music and that CD is the pinnacle of the 90's for me.

70's - Rumors - Fleetwood Mac - All but two songs from this amazing album were in the top ten and when you hear any single one of them it takes you back immediately.

80's - The 80's were more about singles than whole albums, so that's a tough one.

90's - Nevermind - Nervana - Totally changed the face of music in the 90's affecting even what we hear today.

I agree with DonMike, I'd pick Nirvana's Nevermind too. Check out any young kid's room, or watch what they watch like the OC, you'll see Nirvana posters. They don't really know Pearl Jam though. BUT, that was a great album, Nevermind was just better in my opinion.

70s, not so much an album, but Eye of the Tiger was pretty damn big and you flashback. I was born in the 70s so it's hard to say really.

80s, The Police Synchronocity. I loved Duran Duran, but to be different let's go with this.

90s, Nirvana's Nevermind

2000-today, hmmm really hard. Nothing influential at all, nothing big. Let's see, my favourite album in the past few years would maybe be... Jet's album. I really like it from beginning to end.
Actually, you know what, let's say Eminem would probably be one of the more influencial stars of the 2000 decade, or Snoop Dogg. They got the power man.

70's
Saturday night fever.

It was bigger than big and it's true you hear that now and you think 70's discos and lots of sex.

80's
AC/DC Back in Black

This is probably personal taste but I was a little kid sick of disco music and I heard "For those about to rock" for the first time.
I had heard things like Jimi Hendrix and Van Halen but AC/DC sounded totally different.

I mention "Black in black" because it seemed to be the more popular album but For those about to rock was the first one I got as a gift.

90's
NiN - The Downward Spiral
Hard to say but I have to go with Nine Inch Nails on this one.

The downward spiral album was a totally new sound compared to their earlier albums.

Agree 100% with 70's. 80's, 90's

As far as 2000 and on I would have to say that these bands have done great:

-The Killers
-Gwen Stefani
-Planet Life
-A Guy Named Gerald
-Cold Play

just for instance :)

You beat me to it. I too, was thinking of Back in Black. For me, no other album was so complete and had such an impact as this one. It put AC/DC on the map and paved the way for so many other rock/metal bands in the 80's.

I love the Killers, but so far I have to say nothing has stood out as the big album and hip hop actually took over the music industry. Now Good rock is indie rock, and nothing is really getting promoted too much. There's great rock bands like White Stripes, Strokes, Hives, Killers, Jet, but none of them I think will REALLY be remembered 10 years from now as "Oh yeah, that was awesome man!"

70s. (straight guy choice) Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (heavy metal would not have happened had this album not been made)
(gay guy choice) Donna Summer - Bad Girls (Disco would have happened without this record, but it woudn't have been as sexy)

80s. (straight guy choice) Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith (showed that you could be metal and pop at the same time.
(gay guy choice) Culture Club - Colour By Numbers (showed that you could be a drag queen and a pop princess at the same time)

90s. (straight guy choice) Nirvana - Nevermind (without this album, music would have never been the same since)
(gay guy choice) Madonna - Like a Prayer (ok, it came out in very late 1989, but the dance music industry spent the next ten years copying it)

I agree with some of the straight guy choices, which makes sense cause I'm a straight guy!

but if I was gay, I'd say that WHAM or the Village People would have to be in there somewhere.

"wake me up, before you go-go"

anybody wanna tug at me knickers in the loo yeah?


sorry I couldn't resist.

the only reason I didn't include them was that I only had one choice each.. I suppose I could have included a "bisexual guy" choice.

But Yeah, Wham!... man, I had the haircut, the sweatshirt.. the earrings.. how embarrassing.

there are some excellent choices here....
I dont think any album has difinitively stood out for the 2000's as of yet. Well maybe Californication by the Chili Peppers, but that is more a personal choice then a greater picture... I think Incubus also has had some great music to add to this decade.

Unfortunately (and this is my own view) I think that the 2000 decade's music sound is being defined by the likes of Britney Spears, and American Idol types. How sad.

It sounds crazy, but alternative music needs to make another big surge like it did 15 years ago.

Re: Definitive musical recordings
 

I agree with you!!

Allof my favorite music this decade has been underground European metal like Arch Enemy, Soilwork, Darkane, Mnemic, Orphaned Land (OK, they're from Isreal, but you get the point)

I'm not interested in anything playing on the radionow..it's so...boring and lame and pre-fab.

If you're into metal, you should head to Montreal. You're in Toronto if I remembe correctly right? I think I remember you from another board. Anyways, the metal scene is pretty big. Although it's pretty big in europe too.