Drugs Influence On Rock And Roll

In the 1960s, Rock ‘n’ Roll was replaced in popularity by other branches of rock such as Acid Rock, Psychedelic Rock and Hard Rock as a hippie counter culture arose, mainly to protest against the Vietnam war. These new forms of rock provided social commentary on the wide range of assassinations and anti-civil rights actions that infested the country, and united those that wanted to end them. They too celebrated anti-authority actions, but now they were used to promote peace and drugs. Americans—mainly college students—were still rebelling against societal constraints, but instead of fighting against the conformity of white suburbia and their parents, they were uniting to fight against U.S. governmental authority. Rock in the 1960s still mainly appealed to the younger generations, but its influence was spreading. Folk Rock (Bob Dylan) was playing in protest, reminding the individuals there that they were fighting for peace, and Psychedelic Rock—which replicated or enhanced the mind altering experience of psychedelic drugs—created a soothing and new atmosphere in the U.S. Music festivals such as Woodstock in 1969 sprung up to promote peace, do drugs, listen to music, and enjoy being alive and young.6 However, this element of extreme partying and pleasure, eventually brought a few stars to early deaths, such as Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. In the

In the sixties, the psychedelic music scene was at its prime and the world was full of hippie musicians that loved to drop acid and create some of the most interesting and innovative music known to man. During this time, drugs were a very popular part of the hippie culture and the prevalence of LSD helped to create the distinct genre of psychedelic music known as psychedelic or acid rock. Many bands and artists such as Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, The Beatles, and The Byrds were heavily influenced by LSD, which led to the creation of some very popular music. This decade was full of adventure, music, sex, and drugs, and it was all made possible due to this powerfully trippy drug.

Throughout the evolution of popular music in American culture, many factors have been instrumental in the inspiration musical artists. The wide range of sources reflects the variety and creativity of music in the modern day that musicians claim as their muses, ranging from religious beliefs to love interests. However, the primary driving force behind the creative minds in music in the United States has undeniably been the drug subculture that was the largest at the given time period. Without the use of recreational drugs by artists, popular music would have taken an entirely different and unimaginable evolutionary path, resulting in a completely different musical world. Music is what is taken from drug culture to be incorporated and sold

Rock ‘n’ roll music has widely influenced music and society and continues to do so today. Rock ‘n’ roll emerged in the 1950’s a time where whites and blacks were heavily segregated. Rock and roll music not only changed the nation’s current musical norms, but indicated the joy of the emerging youth culture of the generation. It influenced artists whether black or white to come into the mainstream music. Famous artists still remembered today also influenced rock and roll. Those pioneers helped change the musical norms and the overall history of music. White rock ‘n’ rollers helped build a ladder for black artists to come into the scene. It was certain that rock ‘n’ roll made it possible for greater acceptance, appreciation and a wider

Drugs were often promoted in songs during the 1960’s. Many artists experimented with drugs in order to become more creative and influential. The most popular example is the Beatles. At the beginning of their career, the Beatles were more of a rock band then any other genre; however, after Bob Dylan introduced them to the drug Cannabis in 1964, their music began to become more mellow and contemplative. John Lennon admitted in an interview that the Song “Strawberry Fields Forever” (Document F), was affected by drug use even though there were not any specific references to the use of drugs in them. The Beatles released more songs were drug use was more evident. Lyrics used in Lucy in the Sky of Diamonds (Document H) were prime examples of this. A woman having “kaleidoscope eyes” and a place “where rocking horse people eat marshmellow pies” are clear examples of the effects of drugs on individuals. Drug use was also evident in the music videos the Beatles created. A Day

When the majority of the population thinks of rock 'n ' roll, most tend to correlate the beginnings of the rock genre with Elvis Presley or The Beatles. However, the greater part of the start of rock 'n ' roll must be attributed to the influence of African American culture and music. The African American culture initiated and impacted so many of the first genres in music that stemmed off into be many of the genres we still listen to today. Due to racism and discrimination many “race” artists were not recognized for their artistic abilities. Most African American musicians have become discredited due to white musicians covering African American songs and making it more popular. Rock ‘n’ roll was a collective effort of white and black culture and musicians but little credit has gone to the African American side of the genre. To truly understand how “race” artists were the people to help mold rock ‘n’ roll, you must go back to the very beginning of the start of the music business.

Rock ‘n’ roll has played a major role in some known historical developments post World War 2. Music plays a significant part in America 's Cold War culture. Music gave us a sense of new technologies and helped the world to prosper. It also is linked with African Americans living in the South. Music was known for shaping the lives of the people during the 1950s and 1960s. Music was geared towards the youth, race, ethnicity, gender and class. “All Shook Up: How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America” by Altschuler, Glenn C, tells us the story of the birth of rock and roll during the concrete years of 1955 to 1965. Altschuler gives us a overview of how rock ‘n’ roll has an historical context. “ For two years the Times printed dozens of

The genre of rock and roll has been and will continue to be a genre fueled by rebellion. Even the King, as hometown sweet and charming as he was, had a flare for the raucous. Elvis Presley’s gyrating hips and drug addiction had set the standard; the old saying is, in fact, sex, drugs and rock and roll. From then on, this genre was all about pushing the boundaries of what could be done. For some, it meant being shirtless on stage; for others, it meant they had to eat a bat on stage. Regardless of the stunts pulled, rock and roll was their drive. What began as a mesmerizing combination of R&B and country, became a catalyst for change and the heart and soul of generations.

In the book, All Shook Up: How Rock ‘N’ Roll Changed America, historian Glenn Altschuler submits that “the rise of rock ‘n’ roll and the reception of it, in fact, can tell us a lot about the culture and values of the United States in the 1950s. A major arguing point that is heavily stated is that the early developments of rock ‘n’ roll, which were tied to the development of the Civil Rights Movement, was an integral part of the post-World War II culture in the United States. As the major thesis of his book, Altschuler argues that rock ‘n’ roll deepened an already existing divide present within families, and that the genre further transformed the culture of the country by placing sexuality at the center of American society. By arguing that

Rock and roll has developed a long way throughout the years from a dance craze in the 1950’s to a political and cultural landscape that is recognized worldwide. Rock and roll has come to define the roots of teenage rebellion, people who don’t follow the norms, and have disrespect for authority. The style of rock and roll itself is a melting pot of music, a combination of sounds that include jazz, country, blues, ragtime, gospel, swing, classical, and ethnic music. It can be a simple variation of three chords to a complex chromatic scale combination. It can convey emotions such as love, hate, fear, lust, sadness, joy, disillusion, or a strong sense of reality. Many things can be said about rock but the fact is that it is the most widely

Beginning with the late 1960’s counterculture in San Francisco, music and drugs will forever be inter-linked. Hippie bands such as the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers, and Phish are associated with marijuana, mushrooms, and LSD. Modern electronic “rave” , or club music is associated with MDMA or Ecstasy. When one thinks of rock and roll, sex and drugs immediately come to mind. While the use of drugs is not essential for the creation or performance of all new music, it was certainly in important factor for the counterculture music of the late 1960’s. While some of the most important and influential music was made with the help of psychoactive drugs, it was often to the detriment of the artist. Janis

The emergence of Rock and Roll was one of the most pivotal moments of our nation’s history. The impact that this genre of music made is still evident in our culture. However, before this genre was able to gain momentum, it faced many cultural conflicts. The book, All Shook Up: How Rock ‘N’ Roll Changed America by Glenn C. Altschuler analyzes the impact that rock and roll music has made on American culture. It explores how the Rock and Roll culture was able to roughly integrate and later conflict with preceding cultural values. This is especially apparent in chapters regarding race and sexuality. Overall, Rock and Roll was extremely controversial amongst parents and educators. This new music genre was condemned by the previous generation as

In the 1960s, as drugs progressed toward becoming images of young defiance social change, and political dispute, the administration stopped logical research to assess their restorative wellbeing and viability. The law was established in an anti-immigrant sentiment because the West Coast of the United States was seeing an influx of Chinese immigrants. Nationalist believed that Chinese men who were culturally associated with smoking opium -- were enticing women into opium dens to take advantage of them. Congress went one step further with the Anti-Opium Act of 1909, which created a federal bar of smoking opium (Benson, 2015).

Each year, new books declare rock and roll to be an active force in the moral collapse of American culture. To many, rock and roll has come to be seen as a social menace (Pattison 175-77).

There were dope supermarkets in the woods, joints passed from stranger to stranger, and PA announcements about acid”(par.1). This alone shows how bad the concert was filled with drug use. She then added this statistic “The New York Times estimated that 99 percent of the crowd at Woodstock were smoking marijuana. Acid and other psychedelics were also quite prevalent. During the three days, there was one death from an overdose and an estimated 400 cases treated for bad trips” (par.1). This concert alone proves that drugs show up at concerts and can make it easy for kids can follow others into drug use. Most of the bands aren’t even phased by the use of the drugs. In fact a lot of them, maybe even most, encourage the use of drugs at their concerts.