This is a fascinating thread. I really agree with the things GD, Alex, Tom, CP, and Morri are saying

And, Moonliner, my image of the last turn-o-century is very clear: RAGTIME.

This goes along with my theory that every new pop cultural era looks back by about 20 years. This, I think, is due to two factors. One, those who grew up in a decade look back fondly and depict it when they're taking the reigns. And those who are consuming it are connecting - even if subconsciously - with their parents' youth.

Think about it:

1970s. Happy Days. Creators grew up in the 50s, depicted it.
1980s. Wonder Years. Creators grew up in the 60s, depicted it.
1990s. That 70s Show. Creators grew up in the 70s, depicted it.
2000s. Well, it would've been if it hadn't been canceled. Freaks and Geeks. Creators grew up in the 80s, depicted it.

Chris and I are in the process of composing our lists of what we were paying attention to culturally during the past 5 decades.

A couple of things that we realized during this process:

• What comes to represent a time period always seems to be the underground, the alternative, and what was not mainstream during that time period. The 80's All Stars perform in Devo Flower Pot Hats, but Devo was NOT popular when they first hit the music scene and were definately counter culture for a very long time. Beatnicks and Hippies were definately NOT the norm nor were Punk Rockers. There was no Hot Topic until 1988.
• This decade is the decade of Andy Warhol - everyone seems to be able to have their 15 minutes of fame. It's also the decade of the fall of privacy. YouTube and Social Networking have been the big movers and shakers in this respect.
• As far as my earlier comment about this being the decade of Neo-Retro, I think that has to do with the access everyone has to information from the past. When I was younger, it was MUCH harder to discover music and style from the past. I remember sifting through record bins at Music Market to find the first lady of Rockabilly, Wanda Jackson, Ska first wave artist Desmond Decker, early Glam, Louis Jordan and Wynonie Harris so I could swing dance, etc. I had no search engine to help me find other gems of whatever era I was into. Now, with just a few clicks, you can have a good overview of whatever style you want to reinvent or emulate.

Anyways, we'll have our own list by decade coming soon. We've always been a bit "counter culture" so we'll see how that fit with my theory of decade representation.

I knew you guys were old, but... wow. You really look young for your age.

What you talking about?

50 decades=500 years

Seriously, I think MP used his moderating powers to try and make me look like an idiot. It says 5 decades people!

I think this is the "I" decade where everything is individual.

I thought maybe you were taking about the iMac, iPod, and iPhone.