Good times equals good music

I hope glib generalisations may be forgiven at this time, when we take stock and look forward to the New Year. It feels as if we are in for a grim period, and that the economic best is behind us.

Pundits talk about the recession as if it will last only a matter of months. But in my view, the economic cycle is more realistically measured in decades. The postwar period in Britain can be summed up as follows:

• 1950′s Austerity and rebuilding
• 1960′s Exciting new era
• 1970′s Industrial conflict, stagnation
• 1980′s Recession, social conflict heralding a new order and increasing prosperity
• 1990′s Political turmoil followed by rapid growth, in tandem with widening social gap
• 2000′s Growth continues, but in a climate of fear, war, and increasing authoritarianism ultimately leading to political disillusionment. Then global economic collapse.

So, times were great in the 1960′s, and between the late 1980′s to (say) 2001. Very broad brush, I know. But it occurred to me that these eras also produced the best popular music too.