I feel bad for GenX'ers that missed out on the 60s and 70s.

Not to be argumentative @coltrane1, but I must disagree. My first concert was The Beach Boys in the summer of ’64, The Beatles the following year. After that it was up to San Francisco to see The Dead and The Airplane in Golden Gate Park, then a LOT of shows at The Fillmore Auditorium (Cream’s first USA tour), Winterland (Hendrix, The Kinks), The Avalon Ballroom (The Who), The Berkeley Community Theater (The Band), etc.

Yet there is music being made today that is as good as I’ve ever heard. Rodney Crowell, John Hiatt, Marty Stuart, Jim Lauderdale, Los Lobos, Emmylou Harris, Mary Gauthier, Iris Dement, Buddy & Julie Miller, Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, hundreds of others. And that’s just in the Americana genre! No, you don’t hear them on radio or see them on TV, but with a little effort they are easy to find.

@hshifi 
 
If you were born in 1970 then you still missed out. Half of the acts you mentioned such as Queen and Elton John heyday ended when you were like 5 years old in 75. 

You still missed out young'un

@punkrock67

thanks for the laugh, I think I’m going to hangout on your lawn for awhile. You sound butt hurt. I sure as hell can state that Aretha, Diana Ross, Ray O, and the rest were within my generation performing. They may have started in your time, but they like all great musicians and singers transcend generations, and luck for Gen X were still performing well into their Golden years with amazing voices, we are the last best generation. We are the last generation that new analog music, bought vinyl and had some great FM radio stations before the destruction caused by satellite and streaming music services.

We were the last generation for drive ins and good movies, the last generation to enjoy being a kid, and just living. Gen y will have had some experience but not like we did. Music makes memories and I have many memories seeing some great acts from the 60’s and many I missed due to tragic deaths. Way to keep an open mind Boomer I think your recliner is calling, no crank up that tv so you can hear it and have your microwave meal

Seeing them live in concerts doesn’t mean they are part of your generation, by this logic Elvis Presley is part of my era (because I saw him live when he was way past his heyday) and he was just seen as this guy who made bad movies and his music was on a decline then.

The 60s acts I mentioned such as The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Jimi Hendrix, Velvet Underground, Otis Redding, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sly Stone etc etc had their peak (keyword peak) before you were even born. You had to be there to actually say they were part of your generation to have experienced their impact.

I’m sorry to say but you simply missed out. Seeing them live in concerts years after their prime ended and when their artistic decline happened doesn’t count. Music is generational.

The Beatles peak was until Let It Be (you would have been 3 years old in 1970), Aretha Franklin’s peak was from 66-69 which we both know you certainly missed out. Jimi Hendrix died before you could even speak.

Now I understand the jealously. Maybe if you were born earlier than 67.

@bdp24, no disrespect but there will never be the number of hit records there were between 62’ and ‘75. Observe the number of Motown’s hits. Black music today no longer contributes to pop hits, when in the 60’s it did. If you have to search for a hit, it’s not a hit. End of story. But I can’t understand anyone comparing the music of the 60’s to today’s music. If you were born in the 50’s you were exposed to the real deal. If you weren’t you simply have no idea how big the music scene was. 

@coltrane1 I agree with you there. That's what I've been saying, GenX'ers wouldn't know what they missed out no matter how many times they watch it on YouTube, buy DVDs or buy records. They had to be there to truly grasp it 64-75 was the best period to be a music fan. Motown, real rock music, funk, reggae, pop and many more. 

If you were born between 67-70 you simply missed out