The Sixties were an exciting revolutionary period of time with great social and technological change. Some people called it the “decade of discontent” because of the race riots in Detroit and La, and the demonstrations against the Vietnam War. Other people called it the decade of “peace, love, and harmony”. It was called this because of the peace movement and the emergence of the flower children. (Britannica) The sixties were about assassination, unforgettable fashion, new styles of music, civil rights, gay and women’s liberation, Vietnam, Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, peace marches, sexual freedom, drug experimentation, and Woodstock. All of these components caused a revolutionary change in the world of popular Music.
The beginning of Rock and roll started with The Twist. by Chubby Checker This song changed our dancing moves. Other dance songs that helped this period of rock and roll along include: The Mash Potato, The Monster Mash ,the Pony, The Swim, The Jerk, The Monkey, and The Hully Gully. The first New York white rock star was Dion. He was the lead singer of the band the Belmonts. He was one of the the few rockers in his generation to evidence serious artistic growth (Unterberger). He moved into Country Blues, and Dylan material with sensitivity ,but drug problems slowed his progress until the late 60s. He made a comeback as a folk-rock singer with his song Abraham ,martin and John. Dion was one of several Italian-Americans to make important pop rock in the 60s. Other big American Rock groups of the 60s include: The Beach Boys, the four Seasons, and Frankie Valli. They had songs which included Sherry, Walk like a man, Candy Girl, Dawn, and Rag doll. Joey Dee was the most popular white twist artist of the 60s with his hit Peppermint Twist. Other members of Joey Dee’s band formed another Band called the Nucleus of the rascals. This band Featured a thick Organ sound of Felix cavaliere,They had a number one hit titled Good Lovin in 1966.
The beatles started the British invasion in 1964, when they had there first television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The british Invasion was influenced by American recordings of British Pop Music. This period confirmed rock music internantionally .The baetles combined the guitar based rock and roll of Chuck berry and buddy holly with the artistry of the tin pan alley style.(Encarta) The animals were anot...
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...rs practically bankrupt. The legend of Woodstocks Three Days of peace and Music became enshrined in American History.(Britanica)
Woodstock is the metaphorical construct for the general Human condition; war, peace.the generation gap, human rights, and our relationship to the earth (britanica 7). Woodstock was a timeless event. The songs had so much hidden meaning. Country Joe song Mcdonald’s wasn’t just about the Vietnam War but about all wars. Joan Baez’s song about Joe hill is about all organizers. Richie Havens songs Freedom, and Handsom Johnny, and summertime Blues is about your congressman not getting you a job.
Many social changes that were addressed in the 1960s are still the issues being confronted today. The '60s was a decade of social and political upheaval. In spite of all the turmoil, there were some positive results: the civil rights revolution, John F. Kennedy's bold vision of a new frontier, and the breathtaking advances in space, helped bring about progress and prosperity. However, much was negative: student and anti-war protest movements, political assassinations, and ghetto riots excited American people and resulted in lack of respect for authority and the law.
So, bop can be seen as a reaction to the eventual sterilization and ubiquity of swing music. The first bop records were made by in 1944 by Coleman Hawkins experimenting with his swing band. Several individuals were instrumental in the propagation of this new form, such as Charlie "Bird" Parker (alto sax), Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Thelonious Monk (piano), Bud Powell (piano), Miles Davis (trumpet), and Charles Mingus (bass). The standard ensemble became a quintet, consisting of piano, bass, drums, reed instrument...
Woodstock was created by four young men for the purpose to raise money for a recording studio, but because of the time, politically, it turned into something so much bigger.1 Woodstock was originally supposed to host only fifty-thousand patrons at a small industrial park in Wallkill, New York. However, this quaint fifty-thousand turned into an astonishing five-hundred-thousand people in Bethel, New York.2 The four men, Mike Lang, Joel Rosenman, Artie Kornfeld, and John Roberts, had printed out tickets for this event and anticipated selling them for seven dollars for one night, thirteen dollars for two days, and eigtheen dollars for all three nights.3 They decided, when word had gotten out there was a sudden increase in pros...
In the nineteen sixties almost half of the American population were young adults. Because of this, the sixties were an age of youth and there was a generation gap that America had never seen before. Many of the baby boomers were at risk of being drafted into the Vietnam War. This war brought on revolutionary and innovative ways of thinking. The young people of this decade wanted change and this brought a huge difference in culture from the conservative fifties. Inspiration for many of the songs and lyrics of the time came from the Vietnam War. The war caused many people to protest and speak out about it. The main genres people used to show their attitudes about the current war were folk and rock.
The 1960's was a decade of tremendous social and political upheaval. In the United States, many movements occurred by groups of people seeking to make positive changes in society.
The ‘60s were the age of youth, as millions of children’s from post World War II became teenagers and rebelled against the conservative fifties. Denying civil rights to African-Americans and liberation to teenagers in previous decades and Vietnam War, created a vortexes which lead to massive rebellion against the status qua. Music of the 1960s was characteristic of the revolution that was going on during the decade. It was a time of rebellion and counter-culture in which the teenagers and college students were critical of government, business, religious institution and other various aspects of life. Era marked by civil rights movement, Vietnam War, environment of drug abuse and sexual freedom formed new music like: folk rock, soul and psychedelic rock. These genres starkly contrast the teen idol music of ‘50s pop mainstream. Writes John Covach; “World was exploding, and rock musicians were listening more closely than ever.”(Covach, 152) Such stark contrast in pop music directly relay to changing social culture in America, which further echo’s the relationship between music and culture.
The sixties was a decade of revolution. Many musicians from the sixties are still well known and even popular today. Without inventions from the sixties many things would not be as they are today. Things within the sixties changed the way people live their everyday lives. Without the sixties, the United States would not be where it is today politically, and technologically.
Throughout the history of the United States, there were various decades in the 1900’s which each had unique characteristics. One such decade, amongst the others, seemed to step out of its comfort zone and pushed outside the boundaries, pushing for a new identity and culture. This decade is referred to as the 1960’s. The 1960’s was characterized by an intense movement of social change that pushed for freedom of expression and human rights without restrictions to race, color or sexuality identity. The 1960’s was a decade characterized by great social disturbance and drastic change.
The Fifties were a good time to be a white middle class American These years brought an UN-thought of prosperity and confidence to Americans who barely remembered the Great Depression. Popular music of the early fifties mirrored the life of mainstream America: bland predictable and reassuring. Which didn't seem bad after the depre...
The band was formed in 1965 in Sans Francisco with a mix of sounds from several different genres of music such as Folk, Bluegrass, Jazz, Country, Blues, and Physicadellic Rock. The original members were as follows: Jerry Garcia doing lead guitar and vocals, Bob Weir was the youngest member of the band playing rhythm guitar and vocals. Ron "Pigpin" McKernan played keyboards, Phill Lesh has always been the basist. Bill Kreutzmann played drums at first but was followed by Micky Heart in 1967 as a seccond drummer. When Pigpin died at the tender age of 27 of liver failure, Keith Godchaux joined on as the new keyboardist, with him he brought his wife Donna Jean to help with backup vocals. When the couple left the band in 1979 they were replaced by Brent Mayland. Mayland played with the band until
There are two different positions taken about the 1960's in America. One side says that the sixties were good for America and changed the way Americans live for the better. The other side says that the sixties were bad for America and gave Americans new freedoms and ideas that changed their lives for the worse. Both positions have evidence to support their arguments and make the sixties look like a time of social and economic freedom and reform or make the sixties look like a time of ignorant rebellion and youthful playfulness that is not acceptable in the real world. This essay is going to touch on most of the important reforms of the sixties but concentrate mostly on the Vietnam War in the sixties and its impact on the American people back home and in the war. The essay will also concentrate on the popularization of drug use in the sixties and its effect on the society and America's view on drug use.
Rock and Roll is commonly known as the greatest music ever created. Most people do not know that Rock and Roll emerged out of the United States in the 1950s. Artists during this time like Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, and Bob Dylan were the first major stars among the birth of Rock and Roll in America. Since the 1950s, we have seen a rise in Rock and Roll culture. A peak in the 1960s-1970s was when the world began a musical, political, and social revolution. The revolution takes place during some tense times in the world- The Vietnam War, Political Issues with Cuba, JFK Presidency/Assassination, Malcolm X’s Assassination, Martin Luther King’s Assassination — you name it. The world was in a turmoiled state of mind, but what
Music is an outlet to all aspects of life and culture is a significant way of forming people and the way they live. Although not always seen directly culture has an overbearing influence on the music that is produced and made popular. The political Climate of the early seventies was full of fire with issues such as Vietnam and constant protest throughout the county. Later in the 70’s the end of the Vietnamese conflict brought the rise of the Watergate scandal and Iran Contra. These issues swept headlines and ingrained people’s thoughts. Social issues also played a big role in the developing culture of the seventies. Protests and constant outbreaks about gay rights and women’s rights seemed to overtake the country in storm. Later in the Decade the social climate changed to a celebration of the Past and a can-do attitude. Political and Social climates had an overbearing influence on the attitude that was being developed throughout the seventies. This climate was also transparent in the music world of this decade. In the early 70’s music lyrics were being created that were representative of the popular method of protest and social change. Music is a common way of expression and during this time artist and groups took the most of their popular music by expressing viewpoints on present issues. In the mid to late seventies the birth of new styles that broke from the old seemed to dominate the music industry. These new types of music ranged from disco to television pop. The music of the decade represented the culture and was greatly influenced by events and beliefs of the 70’s. At this time in American history, music and life became closely nit. In the late 1970’s, national issues settl...
Woodstock was a historic event that was the idea of four men by the names of Michael Lang, John Roberts, Joel Roseman, and Artie Kornfeld. Two of the men, Roberts and Roseman, placed an ad in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal stating "Young men with unlimited capital looking for interesting, legitimate investment opportunities and business propositions" (Spitz, 1979, 13). This ad resulted in the four men getting together and discussing the possibility of a retreat-like recording studio in Woodstock, New York. As we all know now, the idea blew up into a festival that was portrayed in the Academy Award winning documentary "Woodstock."
The Marvelettes, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, The Drifters, The Temptations, The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Spinners, Aretha Franklin
The 1960s was crammed full of many impacting events and important figures. From Hitchcock releasing one of the greatest thrillers of all time, Psycho, to Marilyn Monroe’s untimely death, to the infamous Woodstock festival. This era changed history completely and made the United States think twice about its youth. Events of the 1960s are still impacting our country as we know it today. The sudden pull from the conservative ‘50s changed America’s views on all aspects of life, including fashion, entertainment, and lifestyles.