Top 10 Greatest Music Eras and Scenes

This is a list of the greatest music scenes. The time period indicates their most peak point of Mainstream popularity. Vote for your favourite music scene.

The Top Ten

1 Classical Period (1730-1820)

Without the major classical composers of this period, we may not have the music we enjoy today.

Tough call, its this or the British Invasion. Nothing else comes close. Relevant note, the British Invasion itself lasted less than 5 years, though several of the acts lasted much longer. The Classical Period lasted at least 100 years, the best of those are still well known today.

Notable Composers: Ludwig Van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach

2 Hard Rock Era (1970s) Hard Rock is a subgenre of rock music known for having heavier guitar riffs/solos. It originated around 1964-1965 with various Garage Rock bands.

Notable bands: Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, AC/DC

+ Deep Purple, the most underrated band of all time. Most people always forget them.

3 British Invasion Era (1960s) The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The members consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They were soon known as the foremost and most influential act of rock era. Rooted in skiffle, beat, and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented ...read more.

This period was when many of the British groups we know and listen to today started to become popular and successful in America. How would music be without 60s greats such the Beatles, The Stones, The Who, The Kinks, or even Led Zeppelin?

The Brits stormed in and properly shook up the American and world music scene. It's never gone away. And it's highly unlikely that it ever will.

I'm glad that the British bands helped bring American music (like rock and roll as well as blues) back to the American people. A lot of kids in the 60s wouldn't know about this stuff if it wasn't for the British.

Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr made a powerful influence on American youths with rock n roll music. So many kids were screaming for more from the British band to make amazing hit songs from successful albums. Those were thrilling times for not just The Beatles who became famous during the 1960s. The Who and Rolling Stones came along too.

4 Thrash Metal Scene (1980s) Thrash Metal is a Heavy Metal subgenre developed during the early 1980s and an early precursor of Extreme Metal. Thrash Metal features a faster and more aggressive guitar work than Traditional Metal with shredding and double-bass drums and can range from melodic singing to loud shouts. ...read more.

Notable bands: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax

5 Prog Rock Era (1970s)

There's nothing better than Prog Rock. Nothing.

6 New Wave of British Heavy Metal (1980-1983) Heavy Metal music is a sub-genre of rock music that originated in the late 1960s-70s, featuring more distorted and heavier instrumental work and darker lyrical themes. Heavy Metal broke into mainstream success with bands such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Metallica. ...read more.

Maiden, Priest, Angel Witch, Saxon...IRON ' MAIDEN

Great period of music.

Notable bands: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead

7 Disco Scene (1970s)

Notable artists: Bee Gees, Abba, Donna Summer

8 Psychedelic Era (1960s)

Notable bands: Pink Floyd, Jimmy Hendrix experience, Beach boys

9 Grunge Scene (1991-1994) Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is a subgenre of alternative rock and a subculture that emerged during the mid-1980s.

This was when alternative bands from Seattle and nearby areas such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains started to enter the mainstream.

Notable bands: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains

10 Nu Metal Scene (1998-2003)

Notable bands: Linkin Park, Korn, Slipknot, System of a Down

This was pretty great. I particularly adore Slipknot.

The Contenders

11 Post Grunge Era (1990s-2000s)

Notable bands: Foo Fighters, Breaking Benjamin, Seether

12 Conscious Hip Hop Scene (Late 1980s-Early 1990s)

Legendary era, and hip hop's best era.

Notable artists:Tupac,NWA,Public Enemy

So most of the time Hip Hop was unconscious? 😂

13 Hardcore Punk Scene (1980-1986)

Let's not forget Dead Kennedys an Anti Flag.

Notable bands: Black Flag, D.O.A., Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Middle Class. Reagan Youth.

14 Eurodance Era (Late 1990s - Early 2000s)

Notable artists: 2 Unlimited, Culture Beat, Snap!, Haddaway, Aqua, E-Rotic, Dr. Alban, La Bouche, Blümchen, Mr. President, U96, Magic Affair, Vengaboys, Pharao, Masterboy

15 British Indie Rock Scene (1980s-2000s)

Notable bands: Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Radiohead

16 Punk Rock Era (1974-1979)

Notable bands: The Ramones, The Stooges, The Weirdos, The Clash, The Damned, Sex Pistols, The Screamers.

People who didn't vote this are nerds who are derseve get beat up.

17 Second British Invasion (1982-1986)
18 Suburban Punk Rock Scene (1990s) Punk rock is a subgenre of rock music. It usually has rebellious lyrics and down stroked power chords played on guitars. Bad Religion, Sex Pistols, and Green Day (actually pop-punk, which is still punk in a way) are a few punk rock bands. The subgenre influenced thrash metal because of it's down stroked ...read more.

Notable bands: Green day, Bad Religion, Offspring

19 New School Hip Hop Era (2011-present)

Notable bands: Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, XXXTENTACION, Joey Bada$$, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Migos, Rae Sremmurd, Drake, Travis Scott, Lil Pump, 6ix9ine, Logic, Young Thug

20 Gangster Rap (1980s-1990s)

Notable rappers: Tupac, Nototrious B.I.G, Nas

21 Trap Rap Era (2010s)

Notable rappers: Gucci Mane, Future, Migos, Travis Scott

22 Pop Rap Era (2000s-2010s)

How I wish that music style exists! But I like trap too.

Notable rappers: Eminem, Kanye West, 50 Cent, Jay Z

23 Original Rock and Roll Era (1954-1959)

Rock and roll all started with artists such as Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley in this decade.

Notable performers include: Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Bo Diddley, and of course, Elvis Presley.

24 Emo Pop Punk Scene (2000s)

Notable bands: My Chemical Romance, Fall out boy, Panic at the Disco

25 Southern Rock (1968-1979)
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