[gene c]

Let's say 2-3 years. I've always liked the early sixties ('63-'65) with stuff from The Drifters, The Four Seasons, The Dave Clark Five, The Beach Boys, and of course, The beatles. The early '70's is a favorite of mine because that's when I got my first portable transistor radio (remember those!) and ran to the store every week for the latest "top 40" list. And the early '80's with songs from Shooting Star, Survivor, Whitesnake, even Soft Sell and the like, bring back good memories (an important part of pop music to me). But the mid '70's, say late '75 to early '78 are the best to me. Changes by Bowie, Jackie Blue by The Ozark Mountain Daredevils (very underrated song. Subject for a new thread maybe?), Foreigner, Bad Company, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Frampton Comes Alive! The list goes on and on. And strong debuts by Boston and Heart as well. I also graduated high school in "77 (really, I did) so I'm sure that impacted my decision. How about you? the late 50's, mid 80's, late 90's, now!!? What's your pleasure?

[Zen Butler]

67-68

[Kevin C Brown]

I'm going to stretch it a little to include 80% of my favorite stuff. 1967 - 1975. Cream to Physical Graffiti by Zep. Also includes the best stuff (IMO) by Sabbath, Deep Purple, the Who, the Allman Bros Band, Yes, Genesis, Humble Pie, King Crimson, Bad Company, etc, etc, etc.

[Phil A]

I like the early through late 60s. Probably the era Zen noted with stuff like the Doors, Cream, Jefferson Airplane, etc. Here's a list of many of the top albums of the 60s:

http://hem.bredband.net/b132682/1960-69a.htm

[Rachael B]

I enjoyed the 70's, not because I like the music of that decade the most. During the 70's there were alot of radio stations playing a big variety, playlists were broad and loose and requests were actually taken. Back then, they let hippies be DJ's and they let them play the best music to get stoned to!

[gene c]

Yes, KSAN here in S.F was famous for being one of the first, if not the first, free form FM rock stations around. Local stations did have much more control over what they played back then. But I didn't change to FM until sometime in 1975. From '69 to '75 it was AM top 40. Before '69 it was whatever my sister (9 years older than me) or mother (mostly country or adult contempo) was listening to. But the '70's did produce a wide range of music.

[Angelo.M]

'66-'73

blonde on blonde, pet sounds, sgt. pepper's, magical mystery tour, john wesley harding, the beatles, music from big pink, at folsom prison, abbey road, led zep I and II, the band, nashville skyline, stage fright, led zep III, moondance and his band and street choir, workingman's dead and american beauty, at fillmore east, blue, who's next, led zep IV, tupelo honey, g.p., greetings from asbury park, n.j., grievous angel, dark side of the moon, are you experienced?, exile on main street, v.u. and nico, electric ladyland, what's going on, after the goldrush, layla, l.a. woman, harvest, v.u., axis: bold as love, pink moon, bridge over troubled water, imagine, deja vu, the wild, the innocent and the e street shuffle, let it be, disraeli gears, bookends

[Michael Hein]

1982 - 1988

[Jon Sheedy]

Easy....'77-'79. Punk hit and new wave was swelling, music was vibrant and alive. It was an incredibly exciting time musically! Here we have some newly arriving artists and some others who were at the peak (to me) of their careers...Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Blondie, Joe Jackson, The Clash, Patti Smith, Springsteen, Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, The Cars, Cheap Trick, ELO, AC/DC, Eno, Jethro Tull, Bowie, Boomtown Rats, Dire Straits, Eagles..and on and on!

[Michael Martin]

Since the subject line is pop music, I am going to say 1982 - 1985. I don't think those are the best years for music, or even for rock music, but for pop, nothing beats the mid 80s, IMNSHO - Prince, Journey, Def Leppard, The Police all released great and highly influential albums. MTV was still about music and so a lot of good one-hit wonders made the scene as well.

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

I'm pretty much going with Kevin and Angelo. If I had to pick one year, it would be 1971. Ziggy Stardust, Fragile, Who's Next, ZOSO, Nursery Cryme, Tarkus. A year of freaking rock magic.