Best Decade for music

Well... I am probably alone here... but I really think the 00's beats the 80's and 90's. 

I am a big big fan of early 90's stuff, but not for the art, more for the catchy pop quality.  But as far as music as an art form is concerned, I have to go with recent times.  I think people are taking bigger risks, cramming more sounds into the music, playing with their voices etc... I like music that allows for a whole different experience depending on the volume you stereo is set to ;)

You're not alone, because I like a lot of the 00's too. I think the internet has a lot to do with quality music getting out to the masses. Commercialized music has definitely continued to deteriorate however - no surprise there, since the industry was built to self-destruct.

If I could narrow the 70's to just the first few years, I'd probably choose that decade - but then arena rock and disco came along, ruining it for me.....

I personally like the music from the 80's, but only a small subset of it. Most of it was really bad (just watch an old 80's movie and listen to the pop music soundtrack -- the Goonies, Ghostbusters, etc) but the good stuff was really good and memorable. The Cure, Depeche Mode, David Bowie and Michael Jackson all came out with very fun songs that you can listen to over and over. Music was more celebratory and dance-like (at least the pop stuff was).

Alright... The gloves are off ;-)

I guess I'd better explain myself. I must admit that I have a slight bias, in that the '90's were my formitave years of Junior & Senior High School, but also as a musician in several San Diego based bands.

My practical opinion is that there was such an interesting evolution of music and the creation of what most refered to as alternative rock. There were scores of sub-genres and fusion-genres that fueled a more free thinking listener/artist cycle.
Some of my fav's:
Post-Hardcore, Indie, Shoegazing, Math Rock, Riot Grrrl, Emo, etc.

The 90's lent itself to also creating music scenes and multi-faceted cultures and venues.

Technology had an integral role in providing better vehicles for musicians and talented producers in their own right, to help create NEW music and forms of it. 

Some favorite producers of mine are Rick Rubin, Butch Vig, Steve Albini, Terry Date, Brad Wood, D. Sardy, Dave Jerden, Ross Robinson, Brenden O'Brien, Don Fury.

If I start listing bands, I'd be here for days...

The 60's were truely revolutionary, the 70's were organic and raw, the 80's were the struggle to find the path to the 90's and the 00's are a watered-down struggle to capture what was the essence of the 90's... IMHO.

Math Rock......is that related to Grammar Rock from Sat morning cartoons? Sounds.........really........interesting....

And I didn't know T.F. was capable of having a "H.O."  ;-)

I am going to have to place my vote for the 60's. I don't think any other era really even comes close to being as dynamic and amazing!

In my opinion, the sixties went from The Beatles first appearence on Sullivan until Nixon's resignation.  This was the best time for music.  Cut the time frame a little closer makes it 1967 till 1971.

I agree on '67 to '71 being the best years for rock music. I could probably come up with over a hundred great albums released during those years. But the early to mid-60's were also great years for influential music - just not perfected yet. Early Beatles, Yardbirds, Stones, Who, Kinks on the British side. Dylan, Buffalo Springfield, Janis, Jimi and others in the US. And don't forget all the great blues, jazz and soul coming out during those years as well.

~disclaimer: I'm really not as old as Uncle Dennis, I just prefer most of the music from his generation, rather than mine. The late 70's to 80's just didn't do it for me ;-)

This is one of the (*very*) few times Keith will agree with Uncle Dennis.  From San Francisco- Besides Jimi and Janis-Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messinger Service,et al.  From LA, in addition to the Buffalo Springfield, are The Byrds, The Mamas and The Papas, Flying Burrito Brothers.  Those were the days.