Describe The Key Features Of Popular Culture In The 1960s

The 1950’s represent the beginning of the development of the music industry, as it is known today. It is from here on that the genre of ‘popular music’ existed and began to dominate the charts. Of course, there were acts that existed before the 50’s, and made a good name for them selves, acts like Bing Crosby, but it was in the 50’s that certain artists became household names, and idols to the masses.

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

As World War Two came to a close, a new American culture was developing all across the United States. Families were moving away from crowded cities into spacious suburban towns to help create a better life for them during and after the baby boom of the post-war era. Teenagers were starting to become independent by listing to their own music and not wearing the same style of clothing as their parents. Aside from the progress of society that was made during this time period, many people still did not discuss controversial issues such as divorce and sexual relations between young people. While many historians regard the 1950s as a time of true conservatism at its finest, it could really be considered a time of true progression in the

In the 1920’s this gap became more of a chasm as the nation’s youth entered the Jazz age, adopting the new styles of music and dress that accompanied it. Women wore shorter skirts, smoked, drove cars, and sported new haircuts, and men went to new jazz clubs that played edgy music that was good for dancing. Overall the new lifestyle was a complete departure from the Victorian mode of living that preceded it, and it was rejected by the older generation as energetically it was embraced by youth. In the 1950’s a similar change took place as parents allowed their children to have more freedom, and religion was not as strictly enforced. The widespread availability of automobiles allowed teenagers to travel around more than they ever had, and the automobile provided teenagers a new place to be free from the observation of their parents, which enabled many new activities, like petting. Just as the youth of the 1920’s had Jazz music, teenagers in the 50’s began to bother their parents by listening to Rock ‘n’ Roll music, whose stars included the scandalous Elvis Presley and even African-American stars like Little Richard, showing that the music allowed youth to transcend race. Just as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s literature alarmed more conservative Americans with its description of the popular culture of the time, literature during the 50’s was similarly troubling, dealing with themes of

The 1950s and the 1960s had many similarities, though they had many differences as well. Their similarities and differences include: the politics, the economy, the society, and the culture of both decades. In the 1950s, North Korea moved into South Korea and began a civil war between the two parallel countries. The reason for this dispute was the border lines as well as guerrilla fighting in the South, which created a greater tension on the issue. The reason why the U.S entered the Korean War was so that the Soviet Union would not gain another nation and, in turn, more power. Like the 50s, our country was also at war with another country in the 60s. This time, the U.S was at war with Vietnam. The U.S entered the war because the

The period of the 1950s to the 1960s brought about drastic changes to the Australian culture and history. However, the introduction of rock n’ roll style music was most influential towards teenagers and significantly altered history within youth culture because of its relatable tone. Furthermore, Australian society would not be the same without rock n’ roll style music, it had shaped and moulded Australia and impacted our daily activities. Additionally, the introduction of the rock n’ roll genre had instigated the ‘hippie’ and other fashion movements. Ultimately, developments and changes in Australian history during the 1950’s to 1960’s such as the introduction of rock n’ roll and its emergence into the fashion industry and teenagers’ ideals

1960s cinema reflected the tremendous social changes, transitional cultural values, fun, fashion, and rock ‘n’ roll of the

“People today are still living off the table scraps of the sixties. They are still being passed around - the music and the ideas.” This was pronounced by Bob Dylan, a folk musician of the sixties: an era in which the music heavily influenced the culture of the time and continues to influence the music and culture today. The music and artists of the 60s influenced radio and television, the music, fashion and lifestyles of the people, particularly youth, heavily influenced the popular culture Australia, USA, Britain and other Western Countries.

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.

The first thing that shall be addressed is the major fads that became dominant during this time period. The definition of the word ‘fad’ is an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities; in other words, a craze. The fads of the 1940’s were border-line extravagant and on some occasions considered immoral

In the words of President Lyndon B. Johnson, “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” The connotation of this statement implies the strong sentiment of the 60s that defines the transition from a traditionalist society to one of free expression. Conformity shaped the American society of the 50s and continued to influence the early years of the 1960s. The 50s created a sense of false stability and unity in the United States post WWII. Economically, the country was prosperous due to the levels of wartime production, and the population was at no shortage of citizens thanks to the “baby boom.”

With the seventy million baby boomers growing into their teens, they brought with them change that is still evolving in our society today. The sixties was a time where American culture moved from being conservative to new and insightful ways of thinking. With these changes, it brought a new counter culture that would be known as the hippie culture. The social culture of the Sixties circled around a rebellious theme. From the music, to fashion, to fads, teenagers dominated.

1967 was a year focused around counterculture as a revolutionary new movement captured the nation’s attention. This phenomenon, whose members were called hippies, originated with America’s youth, though it quickly spread to other nations. Hippies advocated personal freedom and expression and hoped to create a society full of peace, harmony, and love. As hippies challenged traditional societal values in an attempt to find inner peace, many members began to experiment with a variety of mediums, including illegal drugs, such a marijuana and LSD; bold fashion, such as tie-dyed shirts, long hair, and love beads; and sexual freedom. Following a philosophy of “do your own thing”, many hippies also rejected conventional home life and chose to live

The counterculture of the early 1960’s and 70’s in Western society comprised a major occurrence of people’s traditional beliefs differing. Points of view considering the rights of women, race relations (notably, the African American Civil Rights Movement), the war in Vietnam and “hippie culture” (experimenting in psychoactive drugs especially) in particular altered dramtically. The Stonewall Riots took place during the early hours of the 28th of June 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, a pub that was owned by the Mafia at the time, in New York City. These riots were in retaliation to police raids in gay bars that were considered routine back then.

The revolutionary social changes to British society in the sixties like the legalization of abortion and homosexuality, the Family Planning Act, and the abolishment of capital punishment attributed to a larger portion of the population that became more individualistic and hyper-responsive to the old ideas of moral code and cultural norms. The ideas of individualism and anti-consumerism that flourished in the early sixties will directly influence the do-it-yourself aesthetic of the punk movement. By pushing past the borrowed sounds of other cultures as a new form of instrumental expression, like the late