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Which music decade produced the greatest pop singles of all time?
From the Motown-influenced swing of the 60s to the euphoric bangers of the 90s, every decade has produced pop singles that stopped the nation in its tracks. But which era truly delivered the goods when it came to those three-minute moments of pure brilliance?
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1
The 1960s
The 60s gave us some of the most inventive and emotionally resonant singles ever pressed to vinyl, from Please Please Me to You Really Got Me. It was a decade that fundamentally rewrote the rules of what a pop song could be.
2
The 1970s
From David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust era to the Sex Pistols tearing up the charts and ABBA conquering the nation, the 70s produced singles of staggering variety and ambition. Rarely has one decade contained so many wildly different sounds that all somehow worked.
3
The 1980s
The 80s delivered pop singles with an almost architectural grandeur — think Don't You Want Me, West End Girls, or Purple Rain filling a school disco. The production may date it, but the songwriting absolutely does not.
4
The 1990s
Whether it was Oasis vs Blur, the Chemical Brothers rattling your chest at a festival, or the Spice Girls becoming an unstoppable global force, the 90s felt like Britain genuinely ruled pop music. The singles chart meant something then in a way it simply does not today.
5
The 2000s
The 2000s gave us Arctic Monkeys' explosive debut, Amy Winehouse redefining soul for a new generation, and the chaotic brilliance of early Lily Allen. It was also the last decade where buying a single felt like a genuine cultural act.
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