The Best Years for Pop Music

A look at the best years for pop music, including the top songs, artists, and albums from each respective year.

The 1960s

The 1960s were a time of great change in music. The Beatles and other British Invasion bands came to the United States and changed the way that pop music was made forever. This was also the decade that saw the beginnings of Motown and other great R&B music. If you’re a fan of pop music, then the 1960s are definitely a decade that you should check out.

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential act of the rock era. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several musical styles, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways. In 1963, their enormous popularity first emerged as “Beatlemania”; as the group’s music grew in sophistication, led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, they came to be perceived as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the nation. They gained international popularity with their early hits, such as “Love Me Do” (1962), “From Me to You” (1963) and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1964).

The Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over a three-year period from 1960, with Stuart Sutcliffe initially serving as bass player. The core lineup of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr sounded tight but casual on their earliest recordings; on Please Please Me (1963), their first album for EMI’s Parlophone label—produced by George Martin—the band touched down briefly on all corners of pop before zeroing in on what would become their trademark sound:infectiously catchy melodies enhanced by tight harmonies and tightly executed arrangements played with exceptional skill.

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an iconic American rock band, formed in Southern California in 1961. The group’s original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. The Beach Boys were one of the most popular bands of the 1960s, with their unique blend of California surf culture and harmonies. The group’s hits include “Surfin’ USA,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” In 1966, Brian Wilson began to experience mental health issues, and the group saw a decline in popularity in the 1970s. The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 20th century. He is known for his work in the 1960s, which included protest songs against the Vietnam War and social injustice. Dylan’s lyrics were highly poetic, and his style inspired many other artists. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

The 1970s

The 1970s was a time when music was changing and evolving. We saw the rise of disco, the birth of punk rock, and the rise of many other genres. The 1970s was a time when music was becoming more popular and accessible to people. We saw the rise of many new artists and bands who would go on to become household names.

David Bowie

David Bowie was one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He was known for his unique style and his ability to constantly reinvent himself. Bowie’s music was often experimental and ahead of its time. He was also a prolific actor and appeared in many films throughout his career.

Bowie was born in London, England in 1947. He started his musical career in the 1960s, when he was part of the band The Konrads. He later joined The Scene Club, where he met producer Tony DeFries. Bowie released his first album, “David Bowie,” in 1967. The album was not a success, but Bowie’s subsequent releases, “Space Oddity” (1969) and “The Man Who Sold the World” (1970), were both very successful.

Bowie’s fame really took off in the early 1970s with the release of “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” (1972). This album featured some of Bowie’s most iconic songs, including “Ziggy Stardust,” “Suffragette City,” and “Starman.” Ziggy Stardust became one of Bowie’s most famous personas, and helped to cement him as a pop culture icon.

Bowie continued to produce innovative and popular music throughout the 1970s, with releases such as “Aladdin Sane” (1973), “Station to Station” (1976), and “Low” (1977). He also collaborated with other famous musicians, including Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, and Brian Eno. In 1980, Bowie released the album “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps),” which featured the hit single “Ashes to Ashes.” This song would become one of Bowie’s signature songs.

Throughout his career, David Bowie remained at the forefront of popular culture. His unique style and vision helped to change the course of music history. He will always be remembered as one of the most innovative and influential musicians of all time.

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin was an English rock band who recorded eight studio albums between 1969 and 1980. The band’s heavy, guitar-driven sound has led them to be cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal. Their style drew from a wide variety of influences, including blues, psychedelia and folk music.

The band members were Jimmy Page (guitar), Robert Plant (vocals), John Paul Jones (bass guitar) and John Bonham (drums). The band’s popularity was at its peak in the 1970s, when they sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 37.5 million in the United States.

Fleetwood Mac

Few bands epitomized the excess and commercialism of the ‘70s quite like Fleetwood Mac. The British-American rock band rose to prominence with its self-titled album in 1975, which featured the breakout hits “Over My Head” and “Say You Love Me.” The band followed up with Rumours in 1977, an even more massive success that contained the classics
“Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” and “Don’t Stop.” Fleetwood Mac became one of the best-selling bands of all time, selling more than 100 million records worldwide.

The 1980s

The 1980s was the best decade for pop music. This was the decade when we saw the birth of some of the greatest pop stars of all time. Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, and George Michael were all at the top of their game in the 1980s. The 1980s was also the decade when we saw the birth of hip hop and rap music.

Madonna

Madonna was one of the most successful pop artists of the 1980s. She released her debut album in 1983 and rose to stardom with a series of hit singles, including “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl.” Madonna also became well-known for her flashy and controversial stage performances, which helped to cement her image as a rebellious pop icon. In the late 1980s, Madonna began experimenting with more serious and introspective music, culminating in the release of her breakthrough album “Like a Prayer” in 1989. Throughout the decade, Madonna remained one of the most popular recording artists in the world, selling millions of records and earning numerous awards and accolades.

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Called the “King of Pop”, his contributions to music, dance and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5, and began his solo career in 1971. In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. His music videos, including those for “Beat It”, “Billie Jean”, and “Thriller” from his 1982 album Thriller, are credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool. The popularity of these videos helped bring the relatively unknown television channel MTV to fame. Jackson’s 1987 album Bad spawned the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Bad”, “The Way You Make Me Feel”, “Man in the Mirror”, and “Dirty Diana”, becoming one of only five albums to have five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. He continued to innovate with videos throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Through stage performances, he popularized complicated dance techniques such as moonwalking, to which he gave the name. His sound and style have influenced artists of various genres

Prince

By the early ’80s, Prince was well on his way to becoming one of the biggest pop stars in the world. He had already released a string of hit singles, including “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry,” and “Little Red Corvette.” In 1984, he released his film debut, Purple Rain, which featured several of his most popular songs. The movie was a massive success, and helped propel Prince to even greater fame. He would go on to release a number of other successful albums and singles in the 1980s, cementing his status as one of the decade’s top pop stars.

The 1990s

The 1990s were a time when the pop music industry was booming. Big name artists such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston were dominating the charts and selling out concerts. It was a decade of excess, and the music reflected that. The 1990s were also a time of change, as the Internet began to have a big impact on the music industry.

Nirvana

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. It was founded by singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic. Nirvana went through a succession of drummers, the longest-lasting being Dave Grohl, who joined the band in 1990. Though never commercially successful in their native country, Nirvana was regarded as one of the most influential bands of the 1990s due to their success in the United Kingdom and breakthrough single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” from their second album Nevermind (1991).

Nirvana’s sudden success popularized alternative rock, and they were often referred to as the flagship band of Generation X. Cobain found mainstream fame beyond alternative rock with his unplugged performance of “All Apologies” on MTV Unplugged in New York City in 1993. He also became a Generation X icon due to his suicide at age 27 on April 8, 1994.

Oasis

Oasis was one of the defining bands of the 1990s. Formed in Manchester, England, in 1991 by brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, the group went on to release a string of smash hit singles and albums that defined a decade. Though plagued by internal strife and lineup changes, Oasis remained one of the biggest bands in the world throughout the decade, selling over 70 million albums worldwide. From their debut album Definitely Maybe to their final studio album Dig Out Your Soul, Oasis left an indelible mark on pop music in the 1990s.

Spice Girls

The Spice Girls were an English pop girl group formed in 1994. The group comprised Melanie Brown (“Scary Spice”), Melanie Chisholm (“Sporty Spice”), Emma Bunton (“Baby Spice”), Geri Halliwell (“Ginger Spice”), and Victoria Beckham née Adams (“Posh Spice”). They became a regular feature of the British and global press and tour with their distinctly English brand of “girl power”.