Category: Rock and Roll

Introduction

When speaking about 1960-70s, many people think of the times of freedom, love and peace. Of course, it is important to note that people longed for freedom, love and peace, but there were wars, hatred and restricted rights for many people across the world. Therefore, it is possible to claim that 1960-1970s were the times of “protest and rebellion” (qtd. in Evans & Kingsbury 14). As for Americans, they were tired of the war in Vietnam as well as they were tired of hatred within the society.

Millions of people, called hippies, were promulgating principles of love and peace, and Rock n’ Roll. There was one consequential event which united all those people. That was a music festival which grew in a great sociocultural movement. It was the first Woodstock Festival held in 1969. This music event became a manifestation of all principles and ideas which were in the air. Three concepts ‘reigned’ over the festival: peace, love and Rock ’n Roll.

They opted for peace

Admittedly, the war in Vietnam was one of the most disputable issues at that period. It is important to take into account that during 1960s many people were living in a constant fear of atomic war. The assassination of the President Kennedy and the Cold War contributed greatly to the rise of people’s concerns. Of course, the involvement of the country in the war in Vietnam was criticized by the majority of Americans. They did not want to put up with the fact that young Americans were killed for nothing as no one ‘understood’ this war.

The United States participated in the war to ‘help’ French people fight against the spread of Communism in South Asia. Of course, anti-Communist ideas prevailed in the American society of that time. However, people still believed it “to be unjust, undeclared war” (qtd. in Fornatale 41).

Basically, this war divided the country “in a way it hadn’t been since the Civil War” (Fornatale 40). The majority of people did not understand the reasons for this unjust and cruel war. It is also important to add that people were bombarded by news and photos from Vietnam. Not only soldiers witnessed the horrors of that war, civilians could also see those horrors due to reportages of journalists. Notably, those reportages made Americans understand that the war was a real catastrophe which took away lives of young Americans.

Young people protested against policies of the old generation. Young people did not want to die because of some politicians’ corruption. It goes without saying that these ideas were articulated in numerous songs which Bob Dylan called “finger-pointing songs” (qtd. in Fornatale 40). These songs became hymns of millions of young people who were protesting the old rules. Those songs were about peace and brotherhood. This was what young people wanted most of all.

They opted for love and equality

However, the war in Vietnam was not the only burning issue in 1960-1970s. Civil rights were another concern of Americans. After the assassination of Martin Luther King and the death of Malcolm X numerous riots took place.

Many people came into the streets to protest. One of the most famous and crucial events of this kind was, undoubtedly, the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago (Evans & Kingsbury 14). Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested and beaten by policemen and even military people (US Army troops were also involved in that conflict).

Admittedly, those events signified that crucial changes were taking place. It is important to state that the war in Vietnam contributed greatly to raising consciousness. African Americans were called to serve their country (i.e. to go to Vietnam) but no one could say whether the country was theirs (Bennett 23). African Americans continued their struggle for their rights.

Of course, those riots and conflicts as well as the war in Vietnam made people tired of fighting. Young people opted for peace, love and brotherhood. Young people, the new generation, supported African Americans. Remarkably, African Americans used any opportunity to shed light upon the situation in the American society.

Hippies also promulgated principles of love. They claimed that there was no point in fighting as all people had to respect and love each other. Of course, song poets and singers shared the same standpoints. They were singing about love and peace, brotherhood and equality.

They opted for Rock n’ Roll

In fact, music has always been one of the most potent tools of putting some issues to the fore. It is but natural that Rock n’ Roll music was the tool used by people who lived in the 1960-1970s. This music “reached its first stages of maturity” at that period (Daley 52). Rock n’ Roll became quite a commercialized music which attracted lots of people. It was the music for masses. Ironically, such a commercialized music was chosen by people who were against consumerism of the society.

Nevertheless, Rock n’ Roll can be regarded as a kind of embodiment of the major principles of that period: freedom and rebel. This is why it became even more popular. For instance, performers were not afraid of improvising and trying new things. Rock n’ Roll was also a kind of rebel against conventions in music.

Apart from this, singers could not remain ignorant to issues which divided the society into two camps. They were singing about things they saw and people responded to their ideas: “The Beats had already cracked the façade and we, the next generation, broke through it” (qtd. in Evans & Kingsbury 15). Admittedly, the Beatles promoted Rock n’ Roll. This band contributed greatly to the spread of this kind of music all over the world.

It is important to note that it was not only about the rhythms which became that popular. Rock n’ Roll was the way to express one’s opinion. It became the music of freedom. For instance, such songs as ‘Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud’ by James Brown promoted “black pride, black unity and self-empowerment” (Bennett 22).

Of course, Jimi Hendrix’s famous ‘Machine Gun’ and ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ could be regarded as anthems of that period (Bennett 25). Therefore, it was just the right music to accompany hippies in their chase for freedom, love and peace.

The mystery of Woodstock

Interestingly, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was initially aimed at promoting a new recording studio. This rock festival was thought to help to raise funds for the recording studio (Perone 23). It was expected that about 50,000-100,000 fans would attend this festival which was to last for two days. However, the organizers could not predict that this festival would become a significant part of an important sociocultural movement. More so, researchers, organizers or participants still cannot give a definite answer to the question why this festival became so meaningful for millions.

Nonetheless, it is possible to assume that it was simply the event which happened in the right time and in the right place. Admittedly, the issues mentioned above made young people highly strung.

They were already looking for those who shared their views. They wanted to shout about their views to the rest of the world. The rock festival became that great opportunity to share views and make people aware of the major principles of young people. Those young people were tired of riots and rebels. They opted for peaceful demonstration of their views. The rock festival was the best option.

Notably, the Woodstock was ‘spoiled’ by the bad weather, poor food supplies and insufficient medical service (Perone 23). Nevertheless, people did not pay attention to those inconveniences. They only memorized the atmosphere of the festival or rather its spiritual constituent.

They were thinking of ideas of freedom, peace, love and Rock n’ Roll. It is possible to illustrate the impact of the festival with the words of one of the witnesses at the Chicago Eight trial which took place in 1969-1970. The witness claimed he lived in a “Woodstock Nation” (Fornatale xvii). The witness explained that this was “a nation of alienated young people” which they carry around with them as a “state of mind” (qtd. in Fornatale xvii). The witness went on:

It is a nation dedicated to cooperation versus competition, to the idea that people should have better means of exchange than property or more money, that there should be some other basis for human interaction. (qtd. in Fornatale xvii)

Admittedly, such words signify that many people considered the festival to be the beginning of a new society, the society which promulgated the ideas of peace and love. Woodstock can be regarded as a climax of the period of changes which took place in the American society in the 1960-1970. It was a symbol of peaceful struggle for freedom.

Conclusion

On balance, it is necessary to state that Woodstock was, indeed, one of the most meaningful events in sociocultural life of the USA. This festival became a symbolic motherland for millions of young people who were against wars and injustice. Of course, this was a culmination of two decades of struggle and violence. It is possible to single out three major causes of Woodstock. These are peace, love and Rock n’ Roll.

People were against the unjust war in Vietnam. They wanted peace. Americans were tired of hatred within the country. They promulgated ideas of equality and love. People wanted to find peaceful ways of building a new and better society. Of course, only Rock n’ Roll could help people of sixties in their struggle. This music was extremely popular due to its nature. Rock n’ Roll was a rebel against rules in music. Of course, it could be regarded as revolutionary music, as music of young and active people.

Therefore, it is possible to note that the motto of the festival “3 Days of Peace and Music” revealed the essence of this festival. Admittedly, organizers did not think of any causes but they mentioned the causes of a great sociocultural movement in their motto as well: peace stood for love and peace, and music stood for the great power of Rock n’ Roll.

Works Cited

Bennett, Andy. Remembering Woodstock. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2004.

Daley, Mike. “Land of the Free Jimi Hedrix: Woodstock Festival, August 18, 1969.” Ed. Ian Inglis. Performance and Popular Music: History, Place and Time. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2006. 52-58.

Evans, Mike and Paul Kingsbury. Woodstock: Three Days That Rocked the World. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2009.

Fornatale, Pete. Back to the Garden: The Story of Woodstock. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2009.

Perone, James E. Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of the Music and Art Fair. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005.

Impacts of Rock and Roll to the Radio and Recording Industries

In the 1950s, Rock and Roll became the greatest genre of music in the United States (Dominick, 2009).This was attributed to the increased number of young people listening to radio stations, buying Rock and Roll records, and those viewing programs on the national television which featured Rock and Roll music. If a combination of factors that were somehow strange to that period and time lacked, then the change in the music to capture the resurgence of Rock and Roll would not have happened. Such factors included, the actions coming from the American union of music composers, the singers, producers, publishers, the occurrence of the economic stability that followed the end of the World War II, improved technological changes regarding technology, the dominance of the television stations as the top entertainment spots, and the unexpected ability of young people to pay for the Rock and Roll records (Mabry, 1970).

Rock and Roll had adverse effects on the recording and radio industries during this period. This genre was mainly associated with the Black American leanings. The kind of segregation against the blacks ensured that the white youth lacked access to this type of music. With the arrival of television, most people shifted to watching television and ignored radio. The radio thus resorted to playing any kind of music of the time that could appeal to the listeners. During that time, Rock and Roll appealed to the teenagers since most of the performers were young people who were in their 20s. Most young people were therefore keen on producing their own songs that they could record easily at cheap prices in the recording studios established locally within the country. The availability of cheap records from the youth enabled the radio stations to advance since most stations could not afford to pay for any live performances from established artists. Thus, the available Rock and Roll records served as the best alternative option that the stations had (Mabry, 1970).

Impacts of Disintermediation

Disintermediation refers simply to the removal of middlemen or middle people from a value chain. However, within this context, disintermediation refers to the step by step elimination of chains of record brokering or by popular terminology; intermediation. For instance, in the music and recording industry, the availability of downloadable music samples from the Web could render any recorded compact disk from artists obsolete. However, disintermediation has its fair share of merits and demerits for the industry. Nevertheless, it has balanced the playing field for all the stakeholders involved in the value chain. This refers to the producers in the recording studios and all those involved in the marketing of the records. There are several ways in which disintermediation has impacted the recording industry. For instance, it has allowed people to brand themselves and market their offerings to the final consumers without the headache of other people raking in their profits. The recording companies have also suffered greatly from this since their participation in the process of intermediation has been reduced significantly. However, they metamorphose to serve other important responsibilities that have been enhanced by the development and existence of free internet (Mabry, 1970).

In the past, the film industry used to be profitable. However this was short lived with the increasing levels of piracy. To curb this, most film producers developed several antipiracy tactics that would ensure people do not get free access to the films. However, having done all this, evidently piracy cannot be eliminated fully for several reasons. The introduction of the internet and its increased subscription from users over the world adds to the piracy debate. People are able to view films online and even download them free of charge. This raises an important concern for stakeholders in the film industry. The failure of most of the antipiracy tactics being employed by the film industry can be attributed to the lack of effort in making pirate activities worthy. For instance, the film industry has to consider using available technology to enable consumers pay for any streaming from the internet rather than stopping them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, most of the changes in culture, that were experienced in the 1950s to 1960s were as a result of the economic growth in America. In the field of music, existing big producers dominated popular genre until the entry of Rock and Roll into the scene when other big producers took over the scene in the 1960s. The fact that the youth had too much money at their disposal combined with the economic boom to transform the American culture tremendously. Disintermediation in recording and radio industry has both positive and negative effects. However, it sort of brought sanity in the way business was to be conducted in these industries. In the film industry, the antipiracy methods that are being used to regulate pirate activities are inefficient in curbing the vice. It is imperative therefore for stakeholders to invest in technologies that will use profitable rising activities of the pirates rather than tame them.

References

Dominick, J. R. (2009). The Dynamic of Mass Communication: Media in the Digital Age (10^th Ed). New York: The McGraw-Hill Company Inc.

Mabry, D. J. (1970). Rock and Roll: The Beginnings. New York: Prentice Hall.

From the pre-colonial age, music has been used as a uniting factor in the community. It influences culture and has been attributed to some of the most significant movements in history. The 1950s were characterized by rising segregation and racism, where African Americans mostly worked as slaves and were expected to collaborate with their masters. Research shows that “their rights were severely limited, and they were long denied a rightful share in the economic, social, and political progress of the United States” (Lynch, 2020, para. 2). Rhythm-and-Blues and Rock-n-Roll rose in the 1950s and became the most dominant music genre among the youth. Rhythm-and-Blues and Rock-n-Roll had one similarity: both were performed by African Americans, although some were produced by Native Americans. The two genres represented an awakening that called for the integration of black performers in the white-dominated music industry.

The rise of Rhythm-and-Blues and Rock-n-Roll is attributed to two factors: the civil rights movement and technological change. Many young people were tired of the segregation witnessed in schools and religious organizations where African Americans were denied the freedom of expression and association. Rock-n-Roll was also used by slaves in plantations to communicate about their civil rights while their masters were fooled into thinking that the slaves were singing happy celebration songs (Hill, 2020). In the 1950s, significant technological changes were witnessed, whereby the TV threatened to replace the traditional radio in the entertainment industry. Rhythm-and-Blues and Rock-n-Roll came as a solution for safeguarding the place of radio in entertainment and communication. These two types of music dominated other genres, such as country and bebop because; unlike the former, the latter was performed mainly by white Americans. The youth at this time was oriented toward change and civil rights, and Rhythm-and-Blues and Rock-n-Roll were the perfect music genres that communicated their need and fit the technological changes at the time.

References

Hill, T. (2020). The enemy within: Censorship in rock music in the 1950s. Present Tense, 5(2), 39-72. Web.

Lynch, H. (2020). African Americans.Encyclopedia Britannica.

Introduction

The history of music has seen several musical styles which gained incredible popularity and even after their almost complete disappearance still managed to retained loyal fans. One of such musical styles was Rock and Roll that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Everybody knows that Rock and Roll in the history of music was something like a bomb that changed the minds of millions of people. Rock and roll have been made up by gifted and intelligent people, who have become renowned for this. Of course, the first names which come to mind when discussing this musical style are Elvis Presley and the real guru of Rock and Roll, “The Rolling Stones”, who continue their rolling even today. For more than forty years they have been getting their fans and admirers who did not stop loving this music even with its becoming unpopular. Since 1992 the Rock and Roll music has undergone certain changes; the greatest contributions to this musical style were made by Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame becoming the place where this music will always be alive.

Discussion

Speaking particularly about the development of Rock and Roll, it is necessary to mention, that Rolling Stones is the music band whose work has been part and parcel throughout the whole period of the development of this musical style. Highlighting the development of Rock and Roll since 1992, it is of paramount importance to state that the whole success of this band lasted till the 1990s as the Rolling Stones ended the 1990s with their album Bridges to Babylon, released in 1997 to mixed reviews. The greatest contribution of the Rolling Stones into the Rock and Roll development in the 1990s was that they sustained the popularity of this musical style. They made Rock and Roll attractive for the listeners despite the emergence of new popular music trends. Rolling Stones keep Rock and Roll alive even today when the youth is mostly focused on minimalism expressed through techno and drum-and-bass. Therefore, the Stones’ Bridges to Babylon is the brightest example of Rock and Roll music since 1992.

Of no less contribution to the development of Rock and Roll after 1992 was Bruce Springsteen’s musical performance. This singer became especially active in releasing new musical compositions in 1993. Springsteen is remarkable not only for his songs, but for contributing them to the Hollywood films, “including “Streets of Philadelphia” for Philadelphia in 1993, “Dead Man Walking” for the movie of the same name in 1995, and in 1996 “Missing” for the Crossing Guard and “Secret Garden” for Jerry MacGuire” (Cavicchi 190). After releasing several albums, Springsteen united with E Street Band in 1999 and continued his Rock and Roll career together with this group. Springsteen had a gift for Rock and Roll music: “Songs sprang out of him by the dozen … and his music was focused in styles that endured, which allowed him to be obvious to fashion in ways that almost no other rock performer could afford” (Marsh 294). This is why Bruce Springsteen can be named a star of Rock and Roll music in the late 1990s.

The year 1995 was especially remarkable for Rock and Roll. This year the concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame took place bringing together the once-famous stars of this style and those who managed to retain their popularity at present. The hall of fame opened “with a downtown parade, fireworks, and an all-star concert with more than 20 acts, including Chuck Berry, James Brown, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, John Fogerty, Little Richard, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Soul Asylum, and Bruce Springsteen” (Danilov 180). The concert was witnessed by 250,000 people. Since then the concerts in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame take place regularly. They gather the fans of this musical style and the rock stars that will always be exemplary of this trend of music. Thus, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame serves as the supporter of this music’s popularity which gave the rock stars a possibility to prove that the music they play is eternal.

Conclusion

Taking into consideration everything mentioned above, it can be concluded that Rock and Roll as a musical style can hardly ever disappear for there will always be people who will value this music. Even though contemporary young people consider it archaic and it does not attract their attention much, it continues developing even today. This music can be duly appreciated by real musical gourmets who can feel the self-expression of the singer in the trade of playing guitar and the unique rhythm and melody. Though Rock and Roll experienced the peak of its development in the 1950s, such performers as Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen will never let this style disappear and will always attract the attention of their fans. This is why the expression “Rock and Roll will never die” and the corresponding song titled like this can be perceived as literal.

Works Cited

Cavicchi, Daniel. Tramps Like Us: Music & Meaning among Springsteen Fans. Oxford: Oxford University Press US, 1998.

Danilov, Victor J. Hall of Fame Museums: A Reference Guide. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1997.

Marsh, Dave. Bruce Springsteen: Two Hearts: The Definitive Biography, 1972-2003. New York: Routledge, 2004.

Rock and roll music developed between 1916-1956 when the words “Rockin” and “Rollin” were being used in the music industry, its development lead to what become to be a social phenomenon which is international acceptable as music.

Rock music popularity was in the 1950’s when it was well known buy many people. Its early development caused cultural change over. The new musical style made the young people to rebel against their parents and this is known as the most defiant time in the history of America which had been brought by music.

In late 1960’s and early 70’s musical groups and bands were created then with an aim of specializing with rock music. Formation of the groups and bands hastened its growth and popularity through 1970’s it also influenced the youth movements in the 1960’s and 70’s. It also has effects on the cultural change over in the youth generations which were on those days (White and Busen).

Introduction of Rock and roll music had major effects in the cultural background of the Americans as it created a generation gap which made the youth to be rebellious to their parents. Although different generations differ in culture, lifestyles and practices it was evident that these changes took place as a result of influence by the music.

Rock and roll music made the youth defy most of their cultural values which brought up a more rebellious generation in the history of American’s who were living those times. The youth was referring to the previous music which was being played as boring by today’s standards. The earlier rocks music had sexual implications which the parents were very much against it because they termed it not to be cultural.

At the beginning of the 1960s, the movements that were formed for Rock and roll music started their manifestation to establish itself as a successful way that revolutionized cultural radicalism. The cultural changeover over made the youths be defiant to the norms which had been considered to make the society much more moral and the youths to behave well as expected by their parents (Stuessy and Lipscomb, 87).

This liberation of the cultural norms worked as a catalyst to the artists by revolutionizing the music to make the youth more defiant and rebellious. Therefore, the youths become more rebellious and defiant to the cultural practices which have been strictly obeyed by the former generations.

The lyric of the songs become more political and explicit this made it not to be just artistic and they started to respond to the changing needs of the society. This made the music break into two one emphasized cultural practices and the other dealt with political activism. Both types of songs had far-reaching effects on how the community responded to them. The drastic effect of music on the cultural differences is evident in how music could be able to influence the culture and lifestyle of the community as it did in the United States and other countries which rock and roll music was being played in the ’60s and ’70s.

The introduction of rock and roll in the United States generated controversies which are commonly known as musical riots because its response by the youth was less like a riot towards whatever was against the teaching of rock or what it was advocating. The outrageous reception of the United States by the introduction of rock and roll songs it’s a clear indicator of the values of the United States at that time. Rock and roll music celebrated sex and romance which was unheard of before in the United States culture which brought a lot of contentious issues which were debatable if the music should be tolerated. However, the more pressure and criticism the music industry got the more it reinvented the songs to be more defiant.

The 1960s and ’70s are the decades in which the United States experienced the stiff struggle for the control of its culture which was seemed to be interfered with by the introduction of rock and roll. The introduction of rock music opened up fault lines between race, sexuality and family. This was a difficult movement which it was difficult for the citizens to contain it because it comes at some time with the introduction of civil right movement which contributed to its speedy growth by introduction of race music which was being favored by both those who were against and for racial discrimination.

Most of the rock artists at that time were black Americans who were advocating for their rights and the elimination of racial discrimination. This awakened the debate in the country on the practice of racial discrimination, this is an issue that has been debated for a long but it has never been addressed conclusively to eliminate racial discrimination which was real at that time.

Celebrations of Rock and roll music enabled the youth to create a cultural difference between the young generation and the elderly in the United States. Such differences degenerated to a clear gap between the different age sets in their cultural practices and lifestyle. The division between the generations is attributed to cultural change in the United States in terms of discussion of sexuality and romance in public and was passed over to the next generation because they did not uphold the cultural values for their parents which they would have passed it over to the next generation.

During the 1960s and 70’s rock music seemed to be everywhere and its influence was felt by all the citizens. Its conflict changed the culture of Americans and the foundation which was set then can not be reversed. The music was vibrant and attractive to the youth who were the majority. Hence, they were able to support its growth by adoring it, buying the music and promoting it to listen in the media.

The cultural challenges which arose due to the introduction of rock and roll music since the 1960s and ’70s were irreversible and its effects are still felt today. It is not only the rock and roll songs that openly discuss issues of sexuality and romance. Therefore, liberations are high which has also increased the rate of immorality and not adherence to the cultural teachings which were strictly followed by the former generations.

Works cited

Stuessy, Joe and Lipscomb, Scott. Rock and Roll: Its History and Stylistic Development. Upper-Saddle-River: Prentice Hall. 2005.

White, Meredith and Busen, Maria. The social developments that led to the development of rock ‘n’ roll in America & Britain in the 1950s? 2008. Web.