(I realise that whether one band/artist is mostly associated with one decade or another is ambiguous, but just try to do your best. i.e. The period they were most successful/prolific.)
Choose your favourite Band/Artist of each decade; from the sixties to naughties (include earlier decades if you wish).
--
60's
The Beatles
70's
Steely Dan
80's
The Smiths
90's
Beck
00's
Ryan Adams (I don't like much 00's music 
)
60's
Beach Boys (Or The Beatles. There are lots of great bands from the 60's. Led Zeppelin, The Zombies, etc.)
70's
The Clash.
80's
The Beastie Boys (Sure, i only heard of them in 98 but they started in the 80's.)
90's
Beck (Or Weezer, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul.)
00's
I don't really have one.
No Frank Zappa? 
Quote: Retinend @ July 13, 2007, 11:12 AMNo Frank Zappa?
Well, yes. But my dad listens to him more than me. 
60's
The Rolling Stones & The Who.
70's
The Rolling Stones & The Who
80's
The Rolling Stones & The Who
90's
The Presidents Of the USA and The Rolling Stones/ Tracey Chapman
00's
Cake. The rolling Stones,
*Cliff Richard* 
60's
Rolling Stones
70's
Queen
80's
Metallica
90's
Rammstein
00's
System of a Down or Hatebreed
MET-AL!
60's
Otis Redding
70's
Queen
80's
N.W.A
90's
Red Hot Chili Peppers
00's
Joss Stone - (I watched her sing with James Brown on Johnathan Ross last night (UKTV GOLD) And it was bloody brilliant. If she sang like that rather then the hippy stuff, I would choose her!)
60's
The Kinks
70's
The Clash
80's
The Smiths
90's
Elastica
00's
The Libertines
60's THE BEATLES/BEACH BOYS
70'S T-REX
80'S JAM/STYLE COUNCIL
90'S STONE ROSES/ SUEDE
00'S ARTIC MONKEYS
60s
Ray Charles
(might be more 50s)
(don't care)
70s
David Bowie
80s
Elvis Costello
90s
Ben Folds Five
00s
Rufus Wainwright
60s
THE WHO, ROLLING STONES, BOB DYLAN, THE DOORS
70s
THE WHO, THE BAND, ROLLING STONES, THE CLASH, GRAM PARSONS
80s
THE SMITHS, ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN
90s
ELASTICA, OASIS, MORRISSEY, STONE ROSES, DIVINE COMEDY
00s
THE WHITE STRIPES, RYAN ADAMS, KINGS OF LEON, THE STROKES, ARCTIC MONKEYS, YEAH YEAH YEAHS, THE LIBERTINES
1930's
Al Bowlly
1940's
Adolf and his Ram-Jam Kamikaze Stuka Band
1950's
Elvis
1960's
Beatles
1970's
Sex Pistols
1980's 1990's 2000's
forget it, it's gone... let it go...
1990s = Oasis!
2000s = The Libertines!
Speaking for the youth.
Well, not all of us that have named 60s bands were actually there. I myself have only seen as far back as the 80s.