Revolution of music in the 1960s Essay Example For Students

Revolution of music in the 1960s Essay Revolution of Music Music has continued to change throughout each decade, but the 1960s was the most influential decade in the history of music. Starting in the early 1950s, rock music was first introduced. Major record labels were releasing new â€Å"cover songs† which were originally made by black artist, but now by white artist (Rock and Roll). These cover songs changed a few lyrics from the original songs to avoid copyright issues and to also make the song more appropriate for the white listeners. The biggest star of the 1950s was Elvis Presley, who was known as the â€Å"King of rock n’ roll†. Post World War II there was a new generation known as the â€Å"baby boom† generation. The arrival of this new generation called for new entertainment (Rock and Roll). Music of the 1960s was the new entertainment for the baby boom generation and impacted America by: starting new trends in genres of music, opening diversity of artists, counterculture movements, and music festivals. Music tends to follow the trends of its listeners; genres come and go with popularity. Rock and roll was considered to have its golden era in the 1960s (Rock and Roll). It stood out with unforgettable performances by Sly and the Family Stone, The Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Grateful Dead, Santana, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin (Rock and Roll). The Beatles were one of the top rock and roll bands. It is said that their music â€Å"combined the distinct sounds of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and others which shaped a sound that dominated the sixties with its creativity and style† (Holland 105). Jimi Hendrix brought a new style of music called â€Å"acid rock†. He changed the way music was played by experimenting with different melodies, different chords, and by distorting his guitar by hand (Holland110). Another popular genre was folk music which focused its music on sending a message. Popular folk artist gave their own opinions on war, racism civil rights, justice, and the â€Å"establishment† through their music (Holland107). The suggestion of rebellion interested the baby boom generation. Two of the top folk artists from the 1960s were Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. Joan Baez was referred to as a political singer/activist and she was known as the â€Å"Queen of Folk music† (Joan Baez). Bob Dylan created plenty of politically based songs that directly warned specific areas of politics, like congressmen and senators, who wanted to stop the civil rights and peace movements (Holland 107-108). Lastly there was the genre Motown which hit its peak of popularity in the 1960s. It brought a new rhythm called the â€Å"back beat† that was enjoyed because it was easy to dance to. Berry Gordy Jr. started the Motown Company in 1962 and brought up artists like Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Little Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, and Diana Ross and the Supremes (Holland 109). All of these artists are well known and still listened to today. The racial diversity of mainstream music in the 1960s was widely spread, which is why this was such a significant decade for music. There was a so called â€Å"British invasion† that took place roughly between 1964 and 1966. British bands like the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Animals, the Beatles, and many more came to America bringing their version of rock music with a British twist (British Invasion). The music that theses bands brought over significantly impacted the growth of the baby boom generation. (Holland 106). The Beatles brought a new genre to America which was referred to in Britain as the â€Å"Mersey boat†. It was named after a river that runs through Liverpool, the hometown of the Beatles and other British groups (British Invasion). The Beatles’ I Want to Hold Your Hand was released in America while the band was still in Britain. It was said that â€Å"the single sold at the rate of 10,000 records an hour in New York City alone† (Martin 129), that’s 240,000 records sold in one day. When the Beatles first arrived in the states, the baby boom generation went into frenzy. It is said that, â€Å"The Beatles were the first British group to make it to number one on the U.S. charts† (Martin 129), which is a huge step in the diversity of music. Music, Health and Wellbeing EssayWorks Cited Axlerod, David, Sandra Harmon, Tom Wheadon, Robert Cunniff, and Raymond Siller. Jimi Hendrix- The Dick Cavett Show. The Dick Cavett Show. ABC. New York City, New York, 1969. The Official Jimi Hendrix Site. 2002. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.  . Barker, Steve. 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