Pop Culture in 1960's and 1990's
In comparing the sixties and the nineties, my first thought was how much popular culture has changed since then and how different society is today. The strange thing is, the more I tried to differentiate between them, the more similarities I found. Both the sixties and the nineties were about youth, creativity, free-thinking, and expression. With the nineties coming to a close and the popularity of anything ?retro," I decided to compare the fashions, people, music, and issues that defined pop culture in the 1960?s and its influence on pop culture in the 1990?s.
In the 1960?s, society was changing by the minute and fashion was ?anything goes?. In the early sixties, Jackie Kennedy
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As fashion in the 60?s influenced fashion in the 90?s, the spirit of music in the 60?s is present in the music of the 90?s. Many of the artists popular in the sixties are still major forces in music today. There is no one genre of music that can define either decade. After the appearance of the Beatles and the British invasion in the early sixties, music changed and everything before it was all but swept away. There was surf music from the Beach Boys; folk music from Bob Dylan; R&B influenced music from Motown and the Rolling Stones; and psychedelic music from Jefferson Airplane and the Doors. In the nineties, many new types of music evolved. These include rap music and hip-hop which came from urban dissatisfaction and unrest, while underground alternative rock became mainstream. In 1969, the Woodstock music festival embodied the spirit of peace and love. It was repeated in 1994 and 1999, but unfortunately, the festival in 1999 ended in violence, marring the essence of the original Woodstock.
Racial tensions, civil rights disturbances, and deeply divided opinions over the American presence in the Vietnam war, all served to give the sixties a radical edge. People were passionate about what they believed in and were willing to give their lives, if necessary, to the cause. Young people became increasingly opposed to the Vietnam war and had a tendency to express their opinions more violently than Martin Luther King,
The decade of the 1960s can be said to be a subversion of the United States. From the civil rights movements, anti-Vietnam war demonstration, Kennedy’s presidency, to the assassination of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, the impact of the surging social movements and political turmoils to the American society is extremely far-reaching. There has been a lot of researches on the various social movements in this period. However, people 's attention seems to be limited to another important cultural phenomenon of this period, that is the prosperity of rock & roll. This paper is intended to analyze the
The Sixties were an exciting revolutionary period with great cultural change. Some people called it the “decade of discontent” (Britannica) due to 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” (Woodstock 69). This decade was identified as such as a result 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
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.
Within such a short time period you see so much anger, violence, triumphs, heartbreak, and social change. The author explicit states each of his central concepts such as the Vietnam War, Civil Rights, and student action making it easier for the reader to follow along and understand the importance these movements had in motivating and changing America. He divulges great evidence to support his central topics with sit-ins that occurred during the south, recollection of horror stories told by soldiers coming back from the war, and the amount of college protests that lit up America from California to Chicago. The evidence given it not only adequate but helpful in adding to the readers understanding about what the sixties truly
In the 1960’s music had a lot of influences on everyone not only adults but teens too. Starting from RnB music to blues to rock n roll to even folk music it all had an impact on the people that listened to it. Rnb music around this time was thought of as the heart of music it originated from different genres. It started to have more of a gospel sound in the 60’s with artists such as Sam Cooke, James Brown and Ray Charles. And as years passed a new style of music came about and it
The fifties and sixties were completely different in so many ways; the times had changed a lot in the transition of decades. The types of music, for one, were in great contrast. By the sixties the rock-'n'-roll and pelvic thrusting of the fifties had transformed into the pop, rock and folk music of the likes of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. Teenagers changed a lot over the two decades a lot, too. The tight pant, leather jacket bodgies, with their greased hair, and the widgies, with their rope petticoats and flared dresses, were replaced by the teenagers of the Psychedelic era. These teenagers preferred the swirled shapes and bright colours, with their newly found mini-skirts, and for the guys it was paisley shirts.
The 1960’s were a time of radical change. It was a decade where people began to question authority, and time of confrontation. The decade's radicalism began with the assassination of John F. Kennedy in November of 1963. This event changed the country's idealistic views, and started an upheaval of civil rights movements. Baby boomers started a new perception, and formalized the act of resistance to war. There were also many of whom, turned violent and rebellious; in their effort to fight "the system."
Music in the 1960’s took a major turn. Psychedelic drugs began to influence bands and songwriters, resulting in a wide variety of new genres. Some of the popular bands included Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, and the Beatles. In 1969, the small town of Woodstock in upstate New York hosted a three day event known throughout the world as The Woodstock Festival: An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace and Music. Thirty two artists performed in front of an audience of 500,000 people. This event was highly influential and considered by many as one of the greatest moments in music history. Throughout three days, the bands listed above, and more played and young hippies gathered, listening to the music, experiencing sexual and drug influenced days.
Australian popular culture in the 1960s had multiple features, many of which were influenced by the social changes and counter culture at the time. The primary aspects of Australian popular culture in the 1960s were; music, fashion, film, sport and television.
During the 60’s the Vietnam War was raging on and many young American men were being drafted into the war (7). Many Americans did not agree with the war and would protest against the government and the draft itself (7). Many women were still stuck in the confined circle of the Cult of Domesticity as well. Many would died with unfilled dreams because they only served their husbands (6). Racial issues was still a problem troubling America at the time, but there was conformity among racial leaders, like Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) who promoted ending segregation through peace
The transition from the multicultural era of the eighties to the postnetwork era of the nineties triggered abrupt changes in American media and culture. [6] From fashions to family life, relationships, and attitudes, many new cultural elements subsequently changed television portrayals of ordinary American culture within this time period. More specifically, the culture of the eighties is often characterized by the rise of MTV and megastars, techno music and club drugs, and popular fashions such as leather, leggings, and Ray Bans. Eighties culture can be described as the ‘bombdigity’ and nineties culture can be described as more toned down, moral, and ‘sweet’.
The Sixties, by Terry H. Anderson, takes the reader on a journey through one of the most turbulent decades in American life. Beginning with the crew-cut conformity of 1950s Cold War culture and ending with the transition into the uneasy '70s, Anderson notes the rise of an idealistic generation of baby boomers, widespread social activism, and revolutionary counterculture. Anderson explores the rapidly shifting mood of the country with the optimism during the Kennedy years, the liberal advances of Johnson's "Great Society," and the growing conflict over Vietnam that nearly tore America apart. The book also navigates through different themes regarding the decade's different currents of social change; including the anti-war movement, the civil
During the sixties, many different happenings happened in many parts of the world. Every country had different environments and economic situations. People also
Pop Culture and life today is nothing as to what it was in the 1950s. During this era it was known to be more conservative and strict. But, Pop Culture changed that by introducing new fashion, film, and music that caused teens to rebel. As a result, parents questioned the music their children listened to. American Pop Culture had a huge impact on teens, music, fashion, and film in the 1950's.
The 1960s are frequently referred to as a period of social protest and dissent. Antiwar demonstrators, civil-rights activists, feminists, and members of various other social groups demanded what they considered to be justice and sought reparation for the wrongs they believed they had suffered. The decade marked a shift from a collective view on politics, to a much more individualistic viewpoint. The 1960s could easily be characterized as a period during which political, ideological, and social tensions among radicals, liberals, and conservatives in American society are seen to have rapidly unfolded. Due to this, the decade has had an overwhelming effect on the decades that have followed. The sixties have had the greatest impact on American society out of any decade in recent history. Whether for better or for worse, the decade has had a profound influence on politics, society, foreign policy, and culture.