Decade Of The Sixties Research Paper

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Throughout history, there has been years of great growth, and detrimental set-backs. The decade of the sixties combined both key factors. It was a time of revolution in lifestyle, culture, and attitude in America. The sixties created rebellion among people, sparking from war, politics, and even invention. Today, the change was expressed through protest, and most commonly known, the music. Music impacted decade in a powerful way; sparking independence in oneself and reinventing the dimensions of American society. Prior to the sixties, involved the end of the great World War II. With soldiers coming home from the war and starting new families, the generation became famously known as the “Baby Boomers”. With a great growth in the population,…show more content…
In the sixties, the uprising of “Rock & Roll” had begun. With the British Invasion leading a great deal of the untraditional music, encouraged a different culture to arise. Bands like The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Doors, and most famously The Beatles, played a great role in the development of today’s rock influence. The Beatles, leading The British Invasion, had the single I Want to Hold Your Hand that first went on sale in the United States at the end of 1963. Within five weeks, it became the greatest-selling record in America, and is still one of the greatest…show more content…
This was just another added element to the spark of a rebellion. Girls began to wear shorter skirts, revealing more skin, adding to the care-free attitude of the generation. Several aspects of social protest were covered in through the songs and tunes of popular artists. It took part in a great change of the culture through the words of the music. In the wise words of Bob Dylan, “There would be no music without words.” Songs like Blowin’ in the Wind, A Change is Gonna Come, and Give Peace a Chance are all examples of songs during the time that sent out a message to the changing cultural youth. Phillips Fairbanks, author of “Gonzo Lives Underground”, made the observation that “The artists are the critics of culture and the visionaries that open up possibilities for the future” (14). These songs sent out a message that people would want to sing. In fact, such a strong message that historical music festivals took place in order to gather people of this new culture. Today, one of the most famous is known as the Woodstock Music Festival of 1969. In total, over 500,000 young Americans attended. To this day, Woodstock is known as one of the many symbols of the rebellion of traditional values, creating the involvement of the historical time of the hippie movement. Artist like Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, The Who, and Jefferson Airplane all attended the

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