Music In The 1960's

The 1960’s were arguably the most influential years in American music’s history. The music helped connect people of all races, whom enjoyed visiting jazz-clubs in the early to mid-60s, to listen to the music and poetry performed by African-Americans. Much of the music from the 1960s also led to the creation and popularization of new genres and subgenres, such as rock-and-roll. These new music styles influenced the lifestyles of a large majority of Americans, particularly teenagers and young-adults, who mimicked the lifestyles of many stars of the time.

In the 1950s, cars became very important. People living in the suburbs needed a car to drive everywhere. They drove to work, to shop, and to have fun. People drove to national parks. They drove to drive-in theaters to watch movies. They ate at drive-in burger restaurants and ice cream shops. Shopping centers outside of cities became very popular. Cars made it easy for people to go to new places. Now television made it easy for people to see places without leaving their homes. On television, people could see faraway events as they happened. They watched soap operas and comedy

Music as a whole blends together. One style leads to another, the music becomes more progressive. It evolves to fit the new generation, leaving the old generation behind. From the spritual songs of the late 1800s to the gospel of the early 1900s. Then it changed into rhythm and blues, and when the 1950s rolled around it became Rock’ n’ Roll. With the invention of new iconic instruments like the Fender Precision Bass and then the Fender Stratocaster, the sound of the music changed. The sound that was soft and low was now crunchy and loud. While it did not sit well with the adults, it was a hit among the new generation. Even the African American roots of the music didn’t deter the youth listening

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.

Teenage Rebellion is a major influence on the popularity of rock and roll in the 60’s. Society as a whole was well reserved and private about their personal and sexual lives. A struggling economy left most families spending the majority of income on basic living needs. Few households had disposable income.

The 1930’s was a decade of extremely hard times, following the stock market crash and an extreme depression. In spite of the tremendous hardships in America during this decade, it also became a time of great music that is still remembered today. Jazz music was highly popular in this time, and Billie Holiday was a famous jazz performer. She stood out from many other musicians because of her intense and passionate performances. Jazz arose from “unacceptable” segments of society, but quickly grew like wildfire. We often think of the 1930’s as the decade that jazz became civilized, and famous throughout popular culture through the work of pioneering artists like Billie Holiday. People did not own televisions or cable, so radio was their main source of entertainment, and music during this decade was both up beat and a source of relaxation. “Strange Fruit” defied musical category because it was considered too artsy to be folk, and too explicitly political to fit into jazz. This is why “Strange Fruit” became such a powerful phenomenon. Many other artists later took on this song, changing the genre but still portraying the same message. Nina Simone dramatized “Strange Fruit” in the context of the Civil Rights Movement. More important artists like Jeff Buckley, Rene Marie, Labor Camp Orchestra, and many others made their own rendition on the song, still leaving all of their audiences moved by the powerful imagery of the lyrics.

The music of the sixties went through tremendous change. It shaped mush of the music we hear today. From New Orleans came Jazz, from the East Coast came rock, from the West Coast came Psychedelic rock, and from England came the Invasion.

A lot of changes have occurred during this time. Mixed emotions when it came to African Americans and Whites; deciding whether they wanted to be segregated or not. Voting, segregation, being equals just fighting for rights period. The changes that occurred during the 60s were the goals to fight for the rights of all African Americans, being non-violent, and support of everyone who agreed.

Stemming from the creation of Rock ‘n’ Roll in the 1950s was the birth of a diverse range of different genres and styles marked a new era for music history. Some of the most common styles created in this period include Pop and Rock music. In Australia, this music began to expand in popularity as a response to its advancement around the world. Common features of Rock music include verse-chorus form, a diversity of lyrical themes, syncopation, terraced dynamics, repetitive hooks and riffs, standard common or cut common time signatures, the use of electric and bass guitars, and the use of drum kit. These features can be clearly displayed across Rock music from multiple decades. ‘Working Class Man’ composed by Jimmy Barnes in 1985 clearly demonstrates the features of rock music. These features can also be seen almost two decades later, in the 2003 single from Australian band Jet, ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’.

Rockabilly music became popular in the mid-fifties due largely in part to the introduction of Elvis Presley. In 1954 this 19-year old Mississippi native took the radio waves by storm with songs that were unlike anything the American public had heard before. This new sound was an amalgamation of genres, pulling elements from what was considered hillbilly music (country and western, folk, bluegrass) and colored music (rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel.) While the roots of rockabilly are much indebted to country music, they are quite different genres. Different styles of country and western music had been popular since the Great Depression era.

There are many differences between the 1950s and modern day culture as illustrated by the

During the 1950’s-1970’s many composers started experimenting film scoring by associating genres such as jazz, funk, and rock. Composers such as Henry Mancini, Duke Ellington and Kenyon Hopkins associated different genres of music into film scoring. Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger. His most notable works include the Jazz-idiom theme to the Pink Panther film series. Mancini also composed the film scoring for Victor Victoria and Oklahoma Crude etc. He also recorded music in styles ranging from big band to classical to pop. Duke Ellington was also an American composer and Pianist and is often considered as the most influential composer and bandleader of the big band era. Ellington composed the film scoring for films

The 1960’s was a very influential time in the United States of America. The United States began to explore a new culture of people known as hippies. The USA endured a great scare of nuclear war from the Cuban Missile Crisis. This country lost two famous leaders from that era; John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., who were assassinated. The United States also began the move towards equality by passing the Civil Rights Act. The final major accomplishment from 1960’s was when Neil Armstrong was the first astronaut to land on the moon.

To whom is it important? Everyone because it shaped our society and the music we listen to

Throughout history, music have defined or depicted the culture and social events in America. Music has constantly played an important role in constituting American culture, where people have expressed themselves through music during flourishing and turbulent times. In the 1930’s, Swing music created a platform for audiences to vent their emotions in the midst of Great Depression and political unrest. Such strong relationship between music and culture can be seen throughout history, especially in the sixties.