ipl-logo

Music Of The 1960s Essay

632 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Music had a major effect upon the civil rightd movement

Music of the 1960s The 1960s were a time of significant social and political changes throughout the United States. The most effective changes include the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the countercultural movement, which were all and are still well-known events all throughout the world. Many of these events and issues were communicated through music. There were several favored and more popular songs during this time. My favorites of the variety are "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath, "Imagine" by John Lennon, and "Looking Out My Back Door" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. First, the song "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath was released in 1970 and has continued to grow in popularity today. The song is a specific protest in opposition to the …show more content…

The lyrics attempt to call a truce to the violence and destruction that war brings. I believe this song has a very important, powerful message as well as strong lyrics that are against the horrors of war and want the suffering of it all to come to an end. "War Pigs" is considered to be in the heavy metal genre. Second, "Imagine" by John Lennon is a classic song in the pop genre that was released in 1971. This song has an overall meaningful message that creates a theme of wanting peace and unity. Today, "Imagine" has become one of the most beloved songs of all time. The lyrics create a beautiful scene of imagining a world without all the bad things we face in our world. As you listen to this song, you can imagine a world without war, hunger, and division. The song encourages us to unite as one and work together to create a better future for our people. "Imagine" contains a simple melody as well as a very powerful message. Lastly, "Looking Out My Back Door" is a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival that was also released in 1970. The song is known for its upbeat tempo and catchy melody, as well as its surreal lyrics. The lyrics help to describe a strange

Show More
Related
668 Words | 3 Pages

The years of the 1950s and 60s was a time where many hardships occurred as global tension was high and as a result many wars occurred as well as movements. The historical issues and events of the fifties and sixties was often propelled by popular culture through art and media such as television, paintings and music. The civil rights movement succeeded in bringing equal rights to the African American population within the United States in a peaceful manner thanks to meaningful art forms. The Vietnam War was widely seen as a controversial conflict and opened insight to Australians as to what was actually happening through music and television which in turn swayed the public opinion of Australia’s involvement with the war.

Read More
153 Words | 1 Pages

Establishing political rights for citizens in the American colonies was sometimes a rocky process. In 1735, John Peter Zenger helped establish the right of freedom of the press. Zenger was a German immigrant, who went to work for a newspaper called; The New York Weekly Journal. Zenger and the Newspaper attacked corrupt officials in New York, by printing articles that told the truth about the actions of the officials. Zenger’s articles printed in the newspaper, but soldiers were ordered to burn the newspaper in the public square.

Read More
958 Words | 4 Pages

The 1960s were a time of revolution and a time of civil rights, movements were being held left to right by very influential political and union leaders. During the 60s there was spectacular change but not all was good. It also kept the nation from turning on each other. Rebellions, wars and threats of nuclear warfare were in the voices of everyone. This was a time of racial and sexual identity.

Read More
1341 Words | 6 Pages

Artist have a unique way of getting messages of positivity around, some in paintings, poems, social media or in song. With protest songs, artist express their feelings towards worldwide issues to their audience but also to send awareness. First, In Cole’s song “Be Free,” explains the issue of police brutality towards the African Americans community.

Read More
1436 Words | 6 Pages

The 1960s was a tumultuous decade for the United States. Along with the escalation of the Vietnam War, this decade was rocked by the Civil Rights movement and the second wave of the Feminist movements, creating an immense amount of social tension. As a result, people turned to politically-charged music, predominantly Rock n’ Roll, to release their frustrations. However, an equally important musical genre, Soul, was left in the background. Despite the fact that Soul music was not as popular in the United States, artists such as Aretha Franklin released many politically-charged songs that advocated for social justice.

Read More
1110 Words | 5 Pages

Through their music, both artists have been able to spread their messages of hope and inspiration to millions of people during the Civil Rights Movement. In addition to being powerful songs, they have extremely meaningful messages behind the reason for their creation. Both Legend and Seeger use their talent of music to express their thoughts about the struggles faced by the African American community in hopes of achieving social change. Additionally, these songs contain uplifting and motivating messages that encourage the protestors to stay strong, fight for their rights, and to help protests to remain alive. Despite hardships, these inspirational pieces remind individuals that there is always hope for change when everyone works together peacefully.

Read More
577 Words | 3 Pages

The word that best defines the 1960s is change. Everything changed. More and more people went to university, more and more were educated which made an entirely new generation. The music scene changed, with the apparition of bands with hugely popular music like Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Fashion changed with the invention of a new and young lifestyle, with miniskirts and tights, geometric patterns and unusual fabrics; with the bob as trending hairstyle and the emergence of supermodels such as Twiggy.

Read More
1504 Words | 7 Pages

Radio and Television 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.

Read More
1267 Words | 6 Pages

As America is amid a Cold War, World War 2 has just ended and promises were made that were not kept. African Americans continued to struggle by encountering segregation, getting brutally targeted, and not getting an equal opportunity for jobs and education. Additionally, the Vietnam War contributed to questioning social norms during the 1960s, which further inspired musicians to create music that reflected the desire for social transformation and civil rights. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were several noteworthy events and movements that pushed for change and played crucial roles in the advancement of civil rights and social transformation in the United States. Examples include the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the case of Brown v Board of Education,

Read More
1524 Words | 7 Pages

There was rock, folk music, and many more. But, in the late sixties Rock n Roll, commonly reckoned as the golden age of rock and roll when it attained a maturity unimaginable for the delinquent rebellion of the fifties, there are numerous references to the Vietnam War. The criticism of the war is submerged in or displaced by the politics of sexuality, lifestyle, and drugs. Rock music of that time period celebrated anti-materialism, spiritual awakening and social disengagement (James pg 133). Like the social movement it made possible, hippie music was ideologically and economically assimilable.

Read More
999 Words | 4 Pages

In a time of economic prosperity, a rise in the standard of living and rock and roll, also known as the “happy days”, the 1950s were a time looked back on with nostalgia. On the other hand, the 1950s were also met with many problems involving civil rights, the Cold War and McCarthyism. After the end of World War II, Americans came home to jobs available and a period of consensus. Consensus meaning there wasn’t much debate in politics. However tensions quickly rose throughout the nation when Joseph McCarthy made serious accusations about the State Department.

Read More
1235 Words | 5 Pages

In the 1960s the world record for points per game was broken by Wilt Chamberlain making 100 points in one game. This massive scoring game led the way for many new records or high-scoring games to follow. 1960s basketball is the true start of one of the most watched sports in the United States. Basketball got more appealing to watch and has interested young players for many years. The aspects of 1960s basketball include overall basketball in the 1960s, teams, clothing, rule changes, and the top players of the age.

Read More
651 Words | 3 Pages

The song “War” was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1969 to protest against the Vietnam War. The song was later recorded by the singer Edwin Starr and it became the number one hit on the billboard hot 100 chart in 1970. The song was later sung by Bruce Springsteen and it gained popularity again in 1986 for being the most popular protest song ever recorded. In the song there were some controversial lyrics about their opinions of the Americans being part of the Vietnam War. The song was successful because it spreaded the anti-war messages across America and people agreed with them.

Read More
1132 Words | 5 Pages

Cultural Impact of Rock and Roll Amidst the 1960’s Jimi Hendrix formerly stated, “Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.” A generation which was earnestly devoted to peace, protest, and revolution, the counterculture amongst the 1960’s yearned for change. Rock and roll was far beyond just a genre of music; it influenced lifestyles, protests, and attitudes, thus, kindling an awakening in the youth of American culture. The distinction between parental and youth culture was a persistent root of concern, considering that teens throughout the world found a sense of belonging in this style of music.

Read More
416 Words | 2 Pages

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.

Read More

More about Music Of The 1960s Essay

Related Topics

Open Document