Evolution of Popular Music: Hate, Love, and All in Between Music is an art that comes from the mind, heart, and soul of its creator. The concept of music is fascinating; and it is all the more intriguing and complex when viewed at the individual level. Open to the individual, music can be interpreted in countless ways and is often the topic of controversy. Music can cause objections from factions and individuals; that have declared certain genres and subgenres of popular music to be immoral and vulgar. Throughout the history of popular music these factions, cause an avalanche of controversial topics on what is the effect it has on the youth. In North America and Europe, the 1950’s was a decade that was revolutionary in the aspect of popular …show more content…
Even later in the decade, Psychedelic Rock brought new controversy; the use of drugs, such as Marijuana or LSD, became an immense part of popular music of the time. As “Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n’ Roll” became more prominent in the cultural scene, the Counter-Culture was formed, and for some, it heralded a national epidemic of drug abuse and teenage rebellion. Author Kenneth Bindas in his book, America’s Musical Pulse: Popular Music in Twentieth Century Society wrote, “The new psychedelic music registered a protest of form rather than substance. [Psychedelic] music was sexual, highly creative, nonconformist, and clearly in protest of white middle class America” (Bindas 6).We see now why Rock music, in its roots, was considered either the “Devil’s music” or the beginning of a new era that was ready to lead the way to new personal …show more content…
Some radio stations have even banned songs from the air. Such stations include WBLS/New York, which announced it will no longer play songs it feels encourage violence, misogyny, or vulgarity; WPGC/Washington, D.C., which enacted a bleep-and-ban policy; BET, which unveiled a ban on “violent” rap videos; and WCKZ/Charlotte, which exiled gangsta rap to late night airplay. Many believe that songs alit with drug and sexual behavior references are unhealthy for developing minds; for instance according to an article published by the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, “The average adolescent is exposed to approximately 84 references to explicit substance use daily in popular songs, and this exposure varies widely by musical genre…[music] is well-known to connect deeply with adolescents and to influence identity development, perhaps more than any other entertainment medium.” With this being stated others believe, that in fact, music is an outlet; it gives young people a way to deal with the serious stresses of their lives, and whether it is using songs to connect to their own lives or as a way to tell their own stories. The music an individual enjoys attracts and soothes them emotionally and mentally. Musicians have always used music as a way to deliver a message or a belief. If rap artists and rock groups are censored, they will lose what drives them; their freedom to write