You could only chose 10 years of music...

Mine would be very hard to pick from as I found out when tagged to post 10 albums in 10 days, on Facebook. I thought it would be easy but I left out some outstanding albums & music. I felt almost treacherous in not adding some but here are mine and not in any real order, accept for my top choice.

1 Amused to death- Roger waters
2. Swordfish trombones - Tom Waits
3. Solid air - John Martyn
4. Dare - The human league
5. Selling England by the pound - Genesis before they became pop
6. Wish you were here - Pink Floyds perfect storm.
7. Electric rondezvous- Al di Meola
8. The boatmans call - Nick cave and the bad seeds
9. Nevermind - Nirvana ( blew me away)
10 So - Peter Gabriel.

I could have easily had at least 3 more by pink Floyd but tried to pick what I felt was the most difficult time for them but allowed for much more music. I should have added at least one by Eric Clapton but, as good as many are, I only really go back to listen to the unplugged for MTV album.

Ah - but you now have to work out which of those albums best fits into a specific 10 year period. It's not as easy as you think... I reckon glancing at that list it's likely to be 1973-1983?  

Again..must be 77 to 86

77..never mind the bollocks..pistols
78..this years model..elvis costello/attractions
79..london calling..the clash
80..pretenders
81..east side story..squeeze
82..imperial bedroom..elvis costello/attractions
83..high land, hard rain..Aztec camera
84..born in the USA.. Bruce Springsteen
85..hounds of love..Kate Bush
86..so..Peter gabriel

Hey KP, I too would go for many synth bands, since 1982 i have seen OMD about 15 times now and were going to see them in the let's rock festival this year at Newport, but that's a bit up in the air for now.

Gary Numan at the Colston Hall on the Beserker tour was amazing over 3 hours, Human League at the Hippodrome was great too.

For me personally i would think i have died and gone to heaven if The Sex Pistols, The Jam and OMD were all at the same festival on any one given day.

Arcade Fire is a great shout. The Suburbs is a great album. I tend to play it a lot on the journey from Epping to the Memorial Stadium. Growing up in Winterbourne it really resonates with me. Contemporary music for me kind of withered away in the mid-90's and Britpop was the last (and not very good) hurrah. Away from Radiohead, maybe the Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse (RIP)... there just isn't much that this millennium has delivered. Excited about a new album coming out? Nope - thought not. Me neither.
The buzz when the Jam or the Smiths had a new record out - just doesn't seem to exist any more. 
I mainly listen to Radio 6 these days - but the best of what they play isn't contemporary - it's more obscure stuff from the 60/70/80's.  

1976 to 1986

76 Low - David Bowie
77 Out of the Blue - ELO
78 All the Mod Cons - The Jam
79 One Step Beyond - Madness
80 Scary Monsters - David
81 Time - ELO
82 Rise & Fall - Madness
83 Innocent Man - Billy Joel
84 Welcome to the Pleasure Dome - Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
85 Picture Book - Simply Red
86 Please - Pet Shop Boys

I was too young to remember the first 4 coming out but my first album I ever bought was Scary Monsters on tape from Smiths for £4.49 in 1980. Only listened to side 1 due to all the singles being on there.

Ashes to Ashes was my first single 99p from Spillers in Cardiff. The video blew my 9 year old mind on TOTP. Genius song, glad it now gets the recognition it deserves. Shame he had to die for it to happen.

Rise and Fall was unfortunately Madness' peak, but what a peak. How their music had matured in 3 years but as Suggs said in his book, they should have had a break. They made 1 album a year for 6 years and toured, but this was normal at the time. Coldplay and Ed Sheeran have 3 years off between albums nowadays. This album is their concept Village Green Society nod. Picking from their upbringings. Utterly classy, sharp, tight production.

Try listening to the lyrics of Goodnight Saigon by Billy Joel without getting a lump in your throat. '..we held on to each other, like brother to brother, we promised our Mothers we'd write..'. Since remembered it's not on Innocent Man lol.. but still good album.

1978 did stump me a bit, not the greatest year for albums.

79 to 82 was my period where I taped the charts on Sunday evenings on Radio 1. Loved it. What a great year 1981 was with all the New Romantics and synth. Ultravox are still one of my favourite bands to this day, very underrated and some great songs.

Pleasure Dome was one I played to death for years. Classy Trevor Horn production, Holly Johnson was a great front man.

Two Tribes is the quintessential 80s track summing up the fear of the time.

Simply Red are a guilty pleasure of mine. Their early stuff is edgy, New Flame in 89 and Stars 92 are their best, but Picture Book has Sad Old Red which reminds me of Pink Panther music. There was a growing Jazz scene in the 80s with the likes of Sade and this song sums it right up. I am not a Jazz fan but love Mick's voice most of the time, I know he's not everyone's cup o tea.

Pet Shop Boys Actually is actually my favourite album of theirs but Please summed up the time. As per the criteria.

I think I would take any one single year (1974-84 was my preferred period) rather than the entire output of the current millenium...
Must be 21st century schizoid man.

I prefer King Crimson! They're using it on an advert at the moment. I wander how many tunes currently in the hit parade will be used for adverts in 50 years time???