1940s seems like an amazing decade for musicians to be born

[plankton5165]

The first musician to have a #1 hit in 1958, was born in 1940!

The Beatles, from the 1960s, are the most successful act of all time. All four members were born in the 1940s.

There were acts from the 1970s that were born in the 1940s, pretty unsurprisingly, with Elton John probably being the most successful.

In 1980s, it was like, normal for musicians to be born in the 1940s. Normal. And it was the decade they turned 40. All singers of the top 3 songs of the decade were born in the 1940s!

1940s singers even had a lot of fame in the 1990s, like Cher, the late Meat Loaf, and the lead singer of Aerosmith! I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing was a four-week #1 hit and originally a decade-end hit. It wasn’t their only hit in the 1990s.

They even cracked the year-end once again in the 2000s with Jaded!

In the 2010s, they continue to get success, with Knee Deep, the #80 song of 2011, by Zac Brown Band featuring Jimmy Buffett who was born in 1944, and FourFiveSeconds in 2015, which features Paul McCartney!

And obviously, in the 2020s, there is Cold Heart by Elton John.

It’s also worth noting that Elton John had a top 40 hit every single year from 1970 to 1999, including the tribute to who still wouldn’t be Queen consort even had she still been alive and married to Prince Charles, which was the #1 song of 1997 despite its short amount of weeks during that chart year!

[85la]

I've definitely noticed this too (and this is especially true of the early 1940s), and there are countless others, including Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, most members of the Rolling Stones, Brian Wilson and other members of the Beach Boys, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, etc....

I think this was probably because these people were growing up and entering their teens and early twenties during the formative years of the early rock/rock 'n roll era (late 1950s and 1960s), largely looked back upon by critics and historians as probably the most important and fruitful period for modern popular music, so they were born just at the right time and ripe for becoming stars, being both a product of and listening to, as well as being the innovative creators of, the amazing music of that time.

[onebuffalo]

Country version: Two country artists were born in January, 1946: Dolly Parton and the now late Naomi Judd.

[renfield75]

A lot of huge 80s icons (who first hit in the 70s) were born in the 40s: Bruce Springsteen, Hall & Oates, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, etc.

But for the 80s the summer of 1958 is most important...Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince were all born between June and August that year.

[Private Dancer]

Don't forget Tina Turner, Patti Labelle, Gladys Knight, Donna Summer, Dionne Warwick, and Diana Ross

[Soulsista]

Off by a couple of months for Tina Turner, she was born in November 1939.

[MoD]

what's so surprising about this considering the 1960s were a turning point musically speaking. it's not like 1960s babies were going to be conquering that era lmao

[MoD]

also, who wouldn't have wanted to be born during or after a world war am I right

[singingrulebritannia]

People back then were strong and surely did make the most of what they were given! I believe though, regardless of my career path, I would, given the choice, not pick the decade of World War 2 and its immediate aftermath + the peak of Jim Crow and apartheid to be born in.

[plankton5165]

In just 18 years, there will be '40s babies again!

[Leaf]