I’ve remarked to my children several thousand times how great the rock n’ roll era from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s was compared with the drek of popular music today. As I do this I throw out the names of artists and bands that all put their unique imprint on the sounds of the day. Recently I was listening to the ridiculously heavy Highway Star by Deep Purple from “Made in Japan,” and thought I should put a list to paper, virtually speaking of course, to prove my point.

This is just a partial list of music I enjoy to one degree or another from that era:

The Beatles                       Led Zeppelin                    Genesis

The Doors                         The Who                             The Rolling Stones

Jimmy Hendrix              The Beach Boys               Cream

ZZ Top                                Queen                                  David Bowie

Elton John                        The Allman Brothers    Deep Purple

Yes                                       Black Sabbath                  King Crimson

Steely Dan                         Bob Dylan                         Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Frank Zappa                     Jethro Tull                       Pink Floyd

Neil Young                       Stevie Wonder                 Kansas

Rush                                   Robin Trower                  Ten Years After

Santana                             Aerosmith

I’m sure there are many more. Of course those who grew up in previous and later eras will tell me I’m just deluded by the nostalgia of my youth. I’ve even had people who were totally serious tell me that the 1980s was the greatest rock ‘n roll era, big hair and all.

But it is impossible to argue that this period in the history of rock and popular music was infinitely different than the corporate, focus tested success machine that came after. Every era in the history of music has its copycats, those who see what’s popular and attempt to duplicate it. But it seems to me that this golden age had some of most consistently original music and unique sounds from the Big Bopper to today.

Maybe you disagree?