[DallasBiff]

The 60's had The Beatles, Stones and the Who, the 70's Aerosmith, and the 80's The Cars and REM.

Personally I think the 80's were best, ever since music has gone downhill.

Mods pull if you wish

[Dilbert San Diego]

Music is such a subjective subject, there may be endless discussion here. Musical styles and popularity have changed over the decades.

[xp38]

The 70s had a lot more than Aerosmith.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

The 60’s by a wide margin.

[Red Badger]

Every generation thinks their music is the best.

Even the Millennials think that RAP/Hip-Hop is best.....................

[cnsmom]

I agree the 70’s were great with the introduction of Southern Rock with Skynard and CCR.

[discostu]

70s. Prog rock, and heavy metal, pushing the boundaries and definitions of rock and roll. Plus of course you have 1973. Quadrophenia, Dark Side, Aqualung, Houses...

[BBQToadRibs2]

I’d add there was some decent alternative rock in the early-mid 90’s. But anything since then is uninspired.

[gov_bean_ counter]

I prefer 1721. Bach was rocking the charts. :)

[SamAdams76]

The sweet spot for me is the 1975-1985 period.

Latter part of the 70s, early part of the 80s.

1979 probably the best year of all. Everytime I walked into a record store that year, there was something I wanted to buy in the new release section. Just to name a few, you had:

"The Wall" by Pink Floyd.
"In Through The Out Door" by Led Zeppelin
"Damn The Torpedos" by Tom Petty & Heartbreakers
"Breakfast In America" by Supertramp
"Candy-O" by The Cars
"Regatta de Blanc" by The Police
"London Calling" by The Clash
"Armed Forces" by Elvis Costello
"Tusk" by Fleetwood Mac
"Lodger" by David Bowie
"In The Heat Of The Night" by Pat Benatar
"The Pleasure Principle" by Gary Numan

Many others...

[Alberta's Child]

It's so hard to tell. I can pick at least half a dozen great hits from every decade you've listed -- and even into the 1990s and early 2000s.

If I had to pick one ten-year period (not necessarily a specific decade) that would be the heyday of rock & roll music, I would go with the time period defined by this iconic album:

[Bonemaker]

The goodness overlapped but 50’s started it all.

[Boogieman]

No 50s option?

*spit*

[God luvs America]

70’s...not even close

Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin

and there was also the Moody Blues, Yes, Genesis Queen, the Stone, the Who and on and on and on

[COBOL2Java]

Grew up in the 60s. Loved Cream, The Doors, The Who, and Hendrix. Beatles were good. Too young for Woodstock by a year or two (although an older friend of mine did go with her big sister).

Was in college in the 70s. I enjoyed Grand Funk Railroad and Edgar Winter’s White Trash. Didn’t think much of disco.

Got married in the 80s. Liked Van Halen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, ZZ Top and Aerosmith.

[9YearLurker]

‘66 to ‘81.

But lots of flotsam in there too.

[dragonblustar]

50’s and 60’s. Hands down. And I grew up in the 80’s.

[KobraKai]

The 1990’s.

[Vermont Lt]

It’s like asking what was your favorite SNL cast—it all has to do what years were you in your prime listening/watching years.

I grew up in the 60’s, was a teen in the 70’s, and college, early grown up in the 80’s. So those are the sweet spots for me.

I like some music from the 90’s and early 2000’s because I was on the road so much. After that I got Sat radio.

Today’s much is so damned sad and angry that I don’t listen much. Rap, per se, isn’t the problem; early hip hop/rap was fun. Today it’s raw, stupid, and hateful. Even country music is kind of crap now.

[af_vet_1981]

Definitely not the 80s
1. A combination of the late 60s and early 70s
2. Hard drugs (mostly cocaine (in all its forms), heroin, and amphetamimes) destroyed the musicians, the audience, and the music.

[Dansong]

Looking back, the 60s is starting to sound the same (British Invasion). The 70s has much more variey and most od the stars of the 60s.