American Society in the 1960s
Music and American Society
Music and American Society in the 1960s
Music in the 1960s in the United States was much influenced by the emergence of major pop stars, such as Elvis Presley and the Beatles. Woodstock, another important musical influence, took place in Woodstock, New York, when 400,000 people converged on the small town in 1969 to enjoy concerts by the folk artists of the day and to celebrate free love, sharing, non-violence, "psychedelic" drugs such as LSD and the hippie movement. Hippies had a kind of "back to nature," romantic ideology that involved loving, peaceful living in communes, and passive resistance. Their music was "folk"...
This, along with the older Psalter by Strenhold and Hopkins, was the main influence of the Bay Psalm Book printed during 1640 in Massachusetts. This can be compared with the first musical influences on and compositions by Li Jinhui. The traditional forms were explored thoroughly before new ideas in music were explored. Culturally, the new Americans at the time were deeply religious, following the Puritan tradition on which they based
American Idiot Popular Music and Social Change in the Present: Green Day's 'American Idiot' (2004) Following the catalyzing events of September 11th, 2001, the United States would find itself deeply divided over the issues of terrorism, war and presidential politics. At the heart of this frequently impassioned and vitriolic debate would be the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq as well as a far-reaching culture clash between two distinction American populations. The
Music and Society Music has a profound influence on society. As with other forms of art, music has the ability to communicate messages that are both complex and oblique -- the message need not be specific, but may convey an emotion or ethos, external to the lyrical content of the songs. Music gives a voice to generations by allowing those who have the ability to convey their thoughts and feelings through
For example, music revealed disillusionment with the American Dream and expressed criticism of American foreign and domestic policy. In particular, the music industry reflected the anti-war sentiments during the late 1960s and early 1970s when the United States was still involved in Vietnam. Music also reflected shifting social and cultural values. For example, songs in the 1950s were innocent whereas those from the 1970s were darker in tone and often
American Studies One theme that could unify the wide variety of readings in this course would be the paradox of Equality vs. Hierarchy in American history and society, which is closely related to Inclusion and Exclusion. Black observers, activists and critics of American society like Martin Luther King, Langston Hughes, Cornell West and James Baldwin understood these themes particularly well. From the colonial period to the present, this country has always
'All you need is love,' sang The Beatles. But they sang against a backdrop of militant demonstrations, the hazing of soldiers, environmental 'monkey-wrenching,' self-destructive drug trips, and a knifing death at the Altamont Rock Festival in 1969. Apart from the Weatherman faction of Students for a Democratic Society, which took Charles Manson as its hero, most people who identified with the 1960s counterculture deplored violence as much as they
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now