The 1960's And The Rise Of Pop Music

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 social and political context of the 1950’s is crucial to any understanding of the birth of rock n roll.

Rock ‘n’ roll and 20th Century Culture      According to Philip Ennis, rock ‘n’ roll emerged from the convergence of social transformations which resulted from World War II (Ryan 927). Despite its pop culture origins, rock music is arguably one of the strongest cultural factors to develop in this century. Artists such as Lennon, McCartney and Dylan defined the emotions of a generation and, in the last decade, it as even been acknowledged by members of the establishment which it hoped to change as a major influence in the country. In order to understand how rock went from a sign of rebellion to a cultural icon, it is necessary to understand where it came from.      According to Albert

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 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.

Rock ‘N’ Roll’s birth came after the Great Depression and World War II. It was in the 50’s called the baby boomers that started it all. It expanded the teenage population with 3.4 million babies born. The 1950’s scrap the ideology of a conservative family, where the father is the bread winner and the mother was a stay home mother. The young adults found an escape and enjoyment in Rock ‘N’ Roll.

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’.

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.

would feel left out by the topics that they sung about or the style in

The two songs that I am going to analyze Is Nina Simone “To Be Young, Gifted and Black,” and Gil Scott Heron “Whitey on the Moon”. I will view both of these songs in terms of there contributions to the counter hegemonic force fighting against the dominant white supremacist ideology that was prevalent during the 50’s and 60’s.

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.

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.

A style of music and culture based around DIY and the garage band the punk movement grew out of a reaction against tendencies found in 1970’s popular music and culture. Particularly, punk was a rejection of disco music, ‘arena rock’, and a youth driven rejection of hippie culture. The beginning roots of punk can be traced back to late 1960’s and early 1970’s scene in New York City surrounding Andy Warhol’s Factory and its many members. This foundational influence is outlined in Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain’s text Please Kill Me, The Uncensored Oral History of Punk. In the early 70’s era of the visual artist Andy Warhol and the member of his studio titled The Factory had begun to shift mediums and began working in theatre, as well as managing

Pop music is actually meaning to popular music. Pop has the latest hits and is highest in the charts. Good rhythm, a catchy melody and is easy to remember can actually define In the 1950’s pop music started and was able to gain much of the popularity around in the world. Pop music was actually influenced by the beat and arrangements of rock n’ roll. From that point both musical elements of pop and rock n roll combines, but pop music ended up taking up the dominance in the charts. Examples of pop music can be: Katy Perry, Pitbull, Little mix, one direction, Lady Gaga, and demi lovato (Matt