Luckiest Music Generation: Van Halen - You Really Got Me

[Genki Hikari]

Because Eddie Van Halen could play the F out of a guitar. And I don't care what anyone says--a big reason VH became so popular was because the ladies L-O-V-E-D pretty-boy David Lee Roth. And he was pretty back then. Not mentally well, but plenty good to look at.

[brewens]

1. The first Van Halen may have made the biggest splash of all that came out when I was in school.

Boston had been huge before that, then Meatloaf Bat Out of hell, but Van Halen blew them all away at least in my circle of friends. AC/DC Back in Black was probably the next one that became a timeless classic for me and my buddies. I bet we all still listen to Van Halen and Back in Black a lot. The others, not so much.

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

2. That sounds about how it was in my circle too.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. For Me, It Was Boston & VH

I don't dislike AC/DC in the least bit. But, the production, arranging & songwriting on that first albums was a "Whoa, what's this?!?!?".
Same thing with Eddie's playing on VH1. Another "Whoa" moment.
I'm presuming I'm a bit older than you, so I'll say my first of those moments was "Spoonful" live, by Cream. Then the live Yes album a few years later.

[Genki Hikari]

6. I listen to Highway to Hell far more than Back in Black

Back in Black was good, but it didn't have the cheekiness and sheer fun of Highway to Hell. Of course, it couldn't, given what the band was having to come back from.

That doesn't change what rollicking good fun Highway to Hell was.

[brewens]

7. I like Highway to Hell better now too. That one caught on with us after Back in Black got

us into those guys. I love the live If You Want Blood too.

[LakeArenal]

4. I prefer the Kinks.

The really great music generation.

[Genki Hikari]

5. That's your opinion.

To me, the 70s was the far superior music generation for the production quality and the overall talent to be had. The diversity of sound was also richer, fuller and more interesting.

[highplainsdem]

8. And that's your opinion. We all have different opinions. I liked Van Halen and AC/DC but they were

never among my favorites, and I didn't see David Lee Roth as sexy.

And if I had to pick any ten-year period for great music, it would probably be the mid-'60s to mid-'70s, with the early '70s basically a culmination of what a lot of artists had been working toward in the '60s.

Again, we all have different opinions. It always interests me, checking comments on YouTube, to see what people view as the best period for music.

But if you have an era that includes

the Beatles
the Rolling Stones
the Animals
the Spencer Davis Group
Cream
Traffic
the Kinks
Pink Floyd
the Moody Blues
Deep Purple
Jimi Hendrix
Janis Joplin
the Doors
the Byrds
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Joe Cocker
Leon Russell
Procol Harum
Free
Bad Company
Led Zeppelin
Badfinger
David Bowie
T.Rex
Sweet
Aretha Franklin
Bob Dylan
Van Morrison
Creedence Clearwater Revival
the Allman Brothers Band
the Marshall Tucker Band
the Band
the Jefferson Airplane/Starship
Santana
John Denver
the Beach Boys
the Righteous Brothers
Steely Dan
the Doobie Brothers
Don McLean
Linda Ronstadt
the Grateful Dead
Queen
Rod Stewart
Lou Reed
Iggy Pop
ZZ Top
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Golden Earring
Elton John
Alvin Lee / Ten Years After
Chicago
Bruce Springsteen
the Who

and way more successful artists than come to mind right now, then you'd have a VERY hard time matching that with any other ten-year period before, or after.

[LakeArenal]

9. The list could go on too.

Thanks! Every generation has some great tunes. I love the late 70’s - 80’s second British Invasion. The Clash, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Flock of Seagulls, Howard Jones.

It includes other groups like the Cars, REM and so many.

Also intersting that Op’s choice of You Really Got Me is a cover song for Van Halen. Not an original. 🤷🏼?♀️🎶