Why Are The 1960s So Popular

The counterculture during the 60s influenced a lot of music.  The music first started in the UK then eventually made it’s way to the US.  Some of the major cities for this counterculture were London, New York City, and San Francisco.  Because of the many different movements going on in the 60s, many songs had lyrics in them that talked about the movements.  Also during the 60s there were many different types of music formed.  One of the most popular ones was Rock.  Rock had many different types.  People would create these different types of rock by using different instruments, and different types of music.  Country music was also very popular, and still is popular today.  Country music started in the 50s, but it was most popular in the 60s.

A new social and political wave came over the United States in the early 1960s. There had been many changes since World War II in domestic life, economic standing, and politics. 1960s America was much more economically stable and felt responsibility for global affairs. John F. Kennedy won the election in 1960 with an agenda of national prosperity and cold war internationalism. During Kennedy’s presidency America faced a few major events including increasing concern about the war in Vietnam, the Bay of Pigs (a major political and interventional failure), and the Cuban Missile Crisis. These events had quite a bit of controversy surrounding them. In 1964, Lyndon Johnson wins the presidential elections with a vision

"And in the end it 's not the years in your life that count. It 's the life in your years."(Abraham Lincoln) The words of Abraham Lincoln describe the accomplishments by the Baby Boomers perfectly and implies that it’s the accomplishments in life that matter the most. The Baby Boom drastically changed Canadian society forever. The Baby Boom was an epoch after World War 2 where there was a massive increase in birth rate. Canada had social reforms, new music genres, and a changed economy. As the multitude of the Boomers are retiring, their contributions have not been forgotten.

“In a country in which popular culture is extremely important, there’s nobody more important than The Beatles.” Steven Stark, a friend of The Beatles once said. The Beatles are not only the biggest band of their time, they are one of the biggest bands of all times. The Beatles did not just sing to sing, they sang to give hope to a generation, they set some of the highest standards in popular culture, they changed music forever, and they still manage to affect our generation today.

The music of the 1960s and 1970s definitely had an impact on culture and society in the United States. Protest music, specifically, brought ideas, as well as problems, to the attention of many Americans. Radio stations across the nation were a big part of the spread of protest music. Radio experienced a boom after World War II. Stations started appearing all over, which meant more people could be reached. The messages written in popularized protest songs were heard over the radio by people who otherwise may not have gotten the chance to hear the artists.

The British Invasion in American music would not have been as prominent without The Beatles, who paved the way for other British groups to come to America and be successful. The 1950’s rock and roll artist like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and others, influenced many British groups during the early 1960’s, but in America in the early 1960’s folk music was the popular choice of music. The popularity of folk music was due in large part to what was going on in American society with the civil rights movement, JFK assassination and the Vietnam War and folk music spoke to what was going on in America. The British Invasion ended the popularity of folk music in 1964 with The Beatles and other British groups.

Rock music in the 1960s was egalitarian, eclectic, and real based on a number of reasons. To explain the 'real' piece of rock music in the 1960s, one would have to know that there was war going on overseas that didn't make sense to Americans as to why it was going on (the Vietnam war). There was also still severe inequality between blacks and whites causing protests to occur via the Civil Rights movement, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There was inequality between women and mens rights. These issues caused dissatisfaction to occur in the American people. What better way to vent dissatisfaction than through music! Also in addition to the frustrations described above, teen rebellion from the parental obligations was also in full swing. The result of this was 'free love' and experimenting with drugs. This led to creative, and mind you interesting, rock that Americans loved like "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by The Beatles. Aside from the above,

En Masse, Rock and Roll has influenced various areas of the youth culture amid the 1960’s, dominating many areas of the world. The popularity and international outlook for rock music resulted in a compelling impact on society as Rock and Roll influenced everyday fashions, attitudes, and behaviors. Drawing on many different styles, this genre of music excited a worldwide generation of young listeners, while, at the same time, distressing musical, cultural, and social authorities. Presently, it is tough to fully understand the bitter criticism the new music generated in its entirety. Rock music gave shape to many different counter-cultural movements which engulfed the world. Without Rock and Roll, many genres of music would never have emerged, such as: garage rock, pop rock, blues rock, and psychedelic rock. Although rock no longer rules popular music, the styles of the 1960’s still appeal to the ears of those born long after. The utopian frenzy of rock defined the music of that era, and to this day continues to structure the music we call Rock and Roll

People say that the past is nothing like the present, but is that entirely true? The 1960s were very eventful, composing of many different aspects. Some of these aspects include the way the government was run, the way the music sounded, and the cultural attitude of that time period. Relatively speaking, the 1960’s time period was very different than our time period. However, there are some similarities between our time period, and the 1960s.

Now, people didn’t have to wait for the daily paper to look at ads, they wouldn’t have to go any farther than switching the television on and sitting in their living room. There was new music hitting the streets and, although, not everyone appreciated the music it sure made a bang in the 1950’s. A new music era was becoming more and more popular, it was called Rock and Roll. By 1955, Little Richard, was an up and coming Rock and Roller from the south. The progress of music from earlier years to the mid 1950’s was great. Not long after, Little Richard, in 1956, Elvis Presley, made his debut and in 1957, Jerry Lee Lewis. Music attached to those particular names gave people a way to express themselves, the music gave people an idol that “understood” them. Rock and Roll also gave people back in the 1950’s freedom to be who they wanted to

At the beginning of 1963, The Beatles had one top 20 hit to their name. By the end of the year they were famous british stars with 2 hit albums and many other famous hits. Overall the Beatles changed the 60’s like no other band did and influence other famous

Cruelty, inhumane, and discrimination are words that highly exemplify the radical times in the 1960s. Very few people were treated with respect including women and anyone of color. Kids could not express themselves and dress how they wanted without being judged. The 1960s were definitely not a time we would want to go back to. Although some people may argue that the 1960s were better and safer, today’s society is a lot less judgemental and accepting. The 1960s was definitely not a time I would consider to be better than today’s society.

“Music has always been both a barometer measuring and responding to society's problems and possibilities, and the twentieth century was a period that witnessed the emergence of a diverse range of musical styles and genres, each seemingly in reaction to the dominant sociopolitical concerns of the day” (Morgan). Presley, Dylan, and Joplin had the greatest influence on American culture in the 1960’s.

Students of history have a tendency to depict the 1950s as 10 years of success, similarity, and accord, and the 1960s as 10 years of turbulence, dissent, and dissatisfaction. These generalizations are to a great extent genuine, however, as with everything in life, there are special cases to this point of view. Consequently, the antiquarians ' depiction of the 1950s and 1960s is exact for the lion 's share of Americans; however a few gatherings were obviously special cases.

In the 60’s, marijuana and heroin can be strongly connected to Timothy Leary, a radical Harvard professor, urging the world to try LSD. The 60’s were the heyday of illegal drug usage. The 60’s were a time of discrimination, extreme drug usage and violence. Although, many people today would argue that the 60’s were a safer time of unification. Others would argue that drug usage was out of control and there was lots of protest and rebellious teenagers. I believe that life is better now than in the 1960’s. Now, people are more accepted in society, there is less discrimination against women and there is more advanced technology.