which was a bigger musical dark age?

[freepcrusher]

The period from roughly 1946-1955 which is basically post-big band music and pre-Elvis?

or

the 1959-1963 era where the thrill of rock and roll was gone and the beatles had yet to be discovered.

I'd side with the first one simply because it was longer and because there's less nostalgia for it. Like the 59-63 still has a lot of "maltshop memories" that 80 year olds remember. The Ray/Day/Brewer/Page stuff doesn't have as much nostalgia for it - even when the people who would have nostalgia for it were alive.

[nicholas.slaydon]

Neither was a dark age at all. The period from 1946-1955 may have been the end of the big band era, but a lot of great Jazz came out of this era. Billie Holiday was on a roll in the late 1940's, and so was Louis Armstrong who was coming out with some of his greatest stuff in that era. Likewise, this was the beginning of a lot of the mainstream blues musicians. T Bone Walker, for example,(imo one of the greatest blues musicians of all time) was recording his greatest stuff in the late 1940's and early 50's. While it might have been at the end of the so called dark age in 1946-1955, there was also the beginning of doo-wop, with amazing songs like Earth Angel coming out in 1954. 

In that same vain, in the late 50's and early 60's Nat King Cole for example was at his height, and Marvin Gaye was recording some pretty good traditional pop songs. However, the artist that absolutely cannot be overlooked in the late 50's and early 60's was without doubt Sam Cooke, who recorded all of his greatest hits between 1957 and 1964, in between your so called dark age.  Likewise, Magic Sam (the greatest Blues musician of all time in my opinion) was recording some amazing singles around that time like Easy Baby. Continuing in Blues, Freddie King put out two of the best Blues albums of all time with Freddy King Sings and Lets Hide Away and Dance Away with Freddy King in 1961. This was also the golden age of doo-wop with some truly amazing music coming out of  the artists active at that time, such as Leon Peels and the Blue Jays, The Belmonts, The Fleetwoods etc. James Brown is another artist who comes to mind who was recording some great stuff in the late 50's and early 60's.

[freepcrusher]

Neither was a dark age at all. The period from 1946-1955 may have been the end of the big band era, but a lot of great Jazz came out of this era. Billie Holiday was on a roll in the late 1940's, and so was Louis Armstrong who was coming out with some of his greatest stuff in that era. Likewise, this was the beginning of a lot of the mainstream blues musicians. T Bone Walker, for example,(imo one of the greatest blues musicians of all time) was recording his greatest stuff in the late 1940's and early 50's. While it might have been at the end of the so called dark age in 1946-1955, there was also the beginning of doo-wop, with amazing songs like Earth Angel coming out in 1954. 

yeah you had Billie and Louis releasing stuff but if you were a garden variety american during those years - you probably didn't have that much exposure to them. Lady Day became more famous after dying and Louis didn't really have a big time chart hit until he was (by music standards) an elder statesmen with Hello Dolly and Wonderful World which was in the 60s. If you were John Q Public in the 46-55 period - you were exposed to mitch miller type dreck.

[buritobr]

Much of the view on "musical dark age" might be influenced by our personal tastes, a dark age may be a period of music we don't like.

I am not a big fan of most of the music produced after 2010, but I wouldn't say that we are living in a musical dark age now. It's just music I am not very interested.

[progressive85]

Much of the view on "musical dark age" might be influenced by our personal tastes, a dark age may be a period of music we don't like.

I am not a big fan of most of the music produced after 2010, but I wouldn't say that we are living in a musical dark age now. It's just music I am not very interested.

very true... I concur about new music (not just in popular radio music but on Broadway too).  After 2017 or so, I really stopped listening to all new music produced.  I did read a study once that a lot of people do "tune out" literally around the age of 35.

I find myself constantly listening to the "good old days" of early 2010s since that's the last time I remember there being consistently catchy songs.

[Badger]

Personally, I consider the worst dark ages of American music to be from the death of John Bonham in 1980 to the release of Appetite for Destruction in 1987. The synth pop garbage that dominated the airwaves during that era was grotesque, and the worst hair metal bands like Quiet Riot - I love them when I was 13 too, but in retrospect they have two good cover songs in one decent song, Slick Black cadillac- just made it a crappy crappy era for music. The only highlights I can recall off hand were some of Metallica's work, Springsteen had several good albums - sorry Grumps - and you too did some of their finest work including their best album, The Unforgettable Fire.

A lot of people my age wrap that era in nostalgia, but I don't. I realized what s***** music was at the time and even with 20/20 hindsight feel completely Vindicated.

[Alben Barkley]

Personally, I consider the worst dark ages of American music to be from the death of John Bonham in 1980 to the release of Appetite for Destruction in 1987. The synth pop garbage that dominated the airwaves during that era was grotesque, and the worst hair metal bands like Quiet Riot - I love them when I was 13 too, but in retrospect they have two good cover songs in one decent song, Slick Black cadillac- just made it a crappy crappy era for music. The only highlights I can recall off hand were some of Metallica's work, Springsteen had several good albums - sorry Grumps - and you too did some of their finest work including their best album, The Unforgettable Fire.

A lot of people my age wrap that era in nostalgia, but I don't. I realized what s***** music was at the time and even with 20/20 hindsight feel completely Vindicated.

Some great New Wave/early Alternative came out in the early-mid 80s. R.E.M. released a string of incredible albums during that time, for example. The entire career of The Smiths, too. If you're not a fan of that genre that's one thing, but as someone who is, I love that period.

[MABA 2020]

There is no such thing as a musical dark age, you can find great music in any era unless you have very narrow and specific tastes.

[freepcrusher]

i might add that I think we've been in an ongoing musical dark age for at least 20 years. The difference is that we aren't out of it yet and you can't call it a dark age unless it's ended.

There is still good music out there (the current stuff I like is Tame Impala and real estate) but even TI who is the more popular of the two i mentioned, is at a pretty big disadvantage compared to the big stars now (like post malone). It's not like in the 70s and 80s where popular music and good music was as close as it's ever been to aligning. Dark Side of the Moon was on the billboard 200 for 15 or 20 years if i remember right.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

1959-1963 was an important time for the American folk revival with The Kingston Trio, Joan Baez, & Bob Dylan.

Also Miles Davis' Kind of Blue came out in '59.

[dw93]

I would say we're currently in a dark age that started sometime between 2007 and 2010, but if we're talking past eras, I'd say, some rock aside, from the mid to late 70s was a much bigger dark age than the time periods listed by the OP for the fact that this was the time of Disco and its peak.

[LabourJersey]

We haven't had a "musical dark age" since the invention of the radio. Every year has produced good and bad music.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Personally, I consider the worst dark ages of American music to be from the death of John Bonham in 1980 to the release of Appetite for Destruction in 1987. The synth pop garbage that dominated the airwaves during that era was grotesque, and the worst hair metal bands like Quiet Riot - I love them when I was 13 too, but in retrospect they have two good cover songs in one decent song, Slick Black cadillac- just made it a crappy crappy era for music. The only highlights I can recall off hand were some of Metallica's work, Springsteen had several good albums - sorry Grumps - and you too did some of their finest work including their best album, The Unforgettable Fire.

A lot of people my age wrap that era in nostalgia, but I don't. I realized what s***** music was at the time and even with 20/20 hindsight feel completely Vindicated.

Uh...dude this "dark age" includes 1985. How the f[inks] can the year of REVOLUTION SUMMER and the DC emotional hardcore scene be in a musical dark age?!!! And of course also (Minnesota represent!) all of the releases of Husker Du and the two most crucial albums of The Replacements! And some key Dead Kennedys albums.