Which decade do you refer a band as?

[DrFaroohk]

Do you identify a band's "decade" as when they started, when they were at their peak or when they spent the most number of years active?

[Andara Bledin]

An interesting question. And unless their sound is evocative of a certain era or they were only really active during a certain span, then I wouldn't really use a decade reference in relation to a band.

So, the Bangles would be an 80s band, and Nirvana would be a 90s band, but The Moody Blues or Pink Floyd or Metallica wouldn't get such labels.

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[AdminAssistant]

I dunno, I would classify Metallica as pretty 80's - their sound and look is evocative of the decade. (Although I usually classify them as "douchewaffles" because of the whole napster/RIAA thing.) But it is hard to say, especially if it's a band that's still active. And by active I mean recording new music on a regular basis. Journey may still be touring, but they're not putting out new music. Therefore, they can be classified as an 80's band.

[Andara Bledin]

Early Metallica is actually more a 70s metal sound. But they made it big with the sound that helped define what "80s metal" was. Although I'm totally with you on the douchewaffle assessment.

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[Greenday]

Depends on the band. Let's take The Offspring and Blink 182. Style hasn't changed much. So they'll have no decade attached to them.

Green Day - Hell yes they'll have decades attached to them. We'll have 90s Green Day (punk, awesomely crazy) and 00s Green Day (toned down, political, more adult feel).

Just depends on how much their style changes.

[IDrinkaRum]

Well, I still consider Duran Duran an 80s band, even though they are still producing music/albums even now.

And I enjoy the 70s/early 80s (pre-1984) Elton John. Anything after that, for me at least, is blah.

[mikoyan29]

I'd consider Floyd as a 70's band. Yes, they got their start in the 60's as a psychadelic band but when Syd left (or kicked out...), their style changed. They are more defined by Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and the Wall which are all pretty much 70's sounds.

But that's a pretty tough question for bands that have redefined themselves to the era. Bowie is a perfect example of that.

[Andara Bledin]

Pink Floyd with Waters would be a 70's band, I don't argue that. But post-Waters, their sound shifted and became more of a 90's sound.

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[mikoyan29]

They only did two albums post-Waters though. Momentary Lapse of Reason and Division Bell sound more 80ish to me. But in all honesty, I'd say their sound is timeless...