Why David Lynch Hated the Music of the ’70s

When it comes to music, everyone’s got an opinion. But filmmaker David Lynch has some pretty strong ones—and they go way back. In a 1984 interview with Playboy Magazine, just before the release of his Dune adaptation, Lynch opened up about the music that moves him—and the decades he’d rather forget.

The Golden Years of Sound

For Lynch, the best music came from one very specific window in time. He said:

“The ’50s are just about it for me.
“I like the Beatles, but once they came in, everything changed in an OK way. I prefer the pre-Beatles era, even back to the ’20s. From the ’20s up to 1958, or maybe 1963, are my favourite years. Anything that happens in there I would find moods that I would just totally love.”

It’s clear Lynch loves the energy and soul of early rock and roll and doo-wop. Artists like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Roy Orbison were key influences on his style and storytelling tone.

Not a Fan of the ’70s Vibe

While many people look back on the ’70s as a golden age of rock, Lynch had a very different take. He said:

“The ’70s, to me, were about the worst!
“There can be things in the ’80s that I love—high-tech things, new wave things which echo the ’50s. But the ’70s—it just seems to be totally like leather and hair. There’s nothing there. The ’50s is ‘closer to the original idea’ of what rock and roll is. So, there’s power in that original idea.”

The Sounds That Stuck With Him

Lynch’s musical tastes reflect his deep love for raw, emotional sound. He said:

“I like early Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino.
“I like all these, like, girl groups: the Ronnettes, the Chiffons and the Marvelettes. I like ‘Mr. Postman’ and Little Richard’s ‘Bebopaloobop’.”

Whether he’s crafting dreamlike stories on screen or diving into classic rock ‘n’ roll, David Lynch proves some things never go out of style.