Rock N Roll In The 1960s

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When music comes from the heart, it can have the power to change the world. The 1960s was probably the most influential time period for music – especially the rock n roll genre. Bands such as The Who, The Beatles, and many others had a great influence in society. Their style of music and performance caught the attention of millions, and their lyrics eventually became the beliefs of these fans. These lyrics inspired thoughts of freedom from social norms and anti-war activity, as represented through excessive drug abuse and peace protests. The style of rock n roll in the 1960s triggered new thoughts and a new way of life during that decade. Every rock band in the 60s had a distinct influence on society because of how their lyrics correlated…show more content…
Folk rock, a sub-genre of rock n roll, specialized in protest songs (thepeoplehistory.com). New songs during the 60s started to become a “new method of protest” against America’s involvement in the Vietnam War (Hopkins). One of the reasons for this war –a war that U.S. citizens consider an unnecessary war – was because of America’s trying to prevent the spread of communism throughout another country (Rotter). Many citizens began to think this was not a valid reason for war, and rock n roll music continuously spread this view, with songs like The Beatles’ “Give Peace a Chance” (Hopkins). As the Vietnam War progressed, rock n roll reflected the views of the people’s discomfort about the war. “As more and more American troops were being sent to Vietnam with virtually no progress being made, an anti-war movement began to gain steam in the mid-sixties and protest music accompanied it” (thepeoplehistory.com). Woodstock also affected the anti-war movement. On August 17, 1969, Jimi Hendrix played a “searing rendition of America’s national anthem”, which included a brief playing of “Taps” and realistic “war sounds, including machine gunfire and explosions” (Hopkins). This performance, along with many other performances, added more power to the anti-war movement in America. Although these efforts towards peace did not directly affect the Vietnam War, it did aid in uniting Americans using a common

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