What's the Best Decade in Music? Mailbag

This month we dive into questions about Mariah Carey, long albums, the greatest artists of all time, and so much more

If you enjoy this newsletter, consider ordering a copy of my debut book, Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us about the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves. It’s a data-driven history of popular music covering 1958 to 2025.

Today’s newsletter is another mailbag edition of Can’t Get Much Higher, or the newsletter where I answer reader questions. This month we cover questions about the greatest musical decade, why people are forgetting Mariah Carey’s “Dream Lover,” if pop songs are getting shorter, and so much more.

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What is your favorite decade in music? Sorry if it’s been asked before! - Carol

I don’t think this has ever been asked. So, no apology necessary. And even if it were previously asked, I don’t think any musical question requires an apology. (Unless you asked me to rank every song in the Herman’s Hermits catalog. I wouldn’t make my worst enemy do that.)