The evolution of music: The music revolution of the 1960s

Drugs also had an influence on music. Psychedelics and downers, such as marijuana and LSD, influenced psychedelia. This music was characterised by its dreamy, ... ›Culture›Music›Theevolutionofmusic:Themusicrevolutionofthe1960s Yousayyouwantarevolution?Looknofurtherthanthe1960s.Thedecadeofpoliticalprotest,sexualliberation,psychedelicdrugs,eyebrow-raisingfashionsandsweet,sweetmusic.  The1960smusicrevolution Rock'n'rollhadspreadfromtheUSandmarkedthearrivalofyouthrebellioninthe'teenager'.Musicfromnowonwouldalwayscomewithahintofrebellion.Thefiftiesendedonthe3rdFebruary1959—dubbedas'TheDaytheMusicDied'—markingthedeathofthreemusicians, BuddyHolly, RitchieValens,and J P "TheBigBopper"Richardson,inaplanecrash.  Thisdaywassopoignantlymarkedthatitbeganawholenewchapterfortheyouthofthe1960s.Inspiredbythesoundsofrock'n'roll, youngmusiciansweregettingbacktoitsoriginsandsocameanewwaveof folk andpureR&Brevivals—stylessuitedtoadecadeofpoliticalprotest. SingersBobDylanandJoanBaezledthemovement,andDylan's"Blowin'intheWind"(1962)becameacivilrightsanthem. Musichadbecomeavehicleforsocialchange.Theprotestsongsandpsychedeliaofthe1960swerethe soundtrackstoa sexual revolution andanti-warmarches.     BobDylanalsoproducedsomethingquiterevolutionarywithinthemusicworld.Hissecondalbum, TheFreewheelin'BobDylan(1963),putDylanonthemapasamajorartist.Itwasn'tjusthissongwritingthatshooktheindustry,itwasthecraftofthealbum. Previouslyalbumstructurehadbeenanafterthoughtandtheresultwasveryformulaic,resultinginmanyalbumsleadingwiththesecondand/orthirdsingle,followedbyaballad,andsidetwo wouldleadwiththefirstsingle,thentherewouldbeaseriesofcoversongs.Dylan'salbumbrokethisformulabyturningthealbumformatintoanartforminitself.Ofthealbum,GeorgeHarrisonsaid, "Wejustplayedit,justworeitout". Whilemanywhitemusicianswereheadingbackwards,African-AmericansbasedintheNewOrleanscontinuedtodevelopthesoundofR&B. Funkbegantoincreaseinpopularity.JamesBrownwasattheforefrontreleasinghitssuchas"Papa'sGotaBrandNewBag"(1965)and"IGotYou(IFeelGood)".FunkwouldgoontobeinfluencedbypsychedeliagivingrisetoinfluentialbandsFunkadelicandParliament,andwouldeventuallyinformdisco.       InBritain,TheBeatlescreatedtheirownmusicalstylewithablendofclearmelodiesandcomplexrhythms,informedbyR&B.Their1963single"FromMetoYou"begananunbrokenrunofUKnumberonehitsthatdominatedthedecade,lastinguntil1967. PaulMcCartneyandJohnLennonwerethegroup'schieflyricists.Theircompositionsincluded"PleasePleaseMe"and"HeyJude."GeorgeHarrison'ssongwritingcapabilitiesreallystartedtoshinethrougharoundthetimeofTheWhiteAlbum(1968), perhapsreaching fullpotentialwith"Something"(1969). TheBeatlesstoppedperformingasabandin1969buttheirinfluencedreignseternal.    WhileTheBeatlesreignedthechartandwentontoachieveinternationalsuccess,R&Bwas alsoinforming anewBritishsub-cultureknownasmods.Themods celebratedjazz andsoul,followedBritishbandssuchasTheRollingStonesandTheKinks,andcreatednewbandssuchasTheWhoandSmallFaces. TheUS meanwhilehadgivenbirthtotheanti-Beatlesin TheVelvetUnderground.Perhapstheveryfirstart-band,LouReed,JohnCale,SterlingMorrisonetalproducedmusicthatdrewinfluencefrommodernistcomposers(CorneliusCardew),literature(VenusinFurs),poetryandpopmusic.WhileTheBeatlesweresinging"LucyintheSkyWithDiamonds"and"WhenI'mSixty-Four"(SgtPepper'sLonelyHeartsClubBand, 1967)TheVelvetUndergroundweresingingaboutthedarkunderbellyofNewYorksub-cultureinsongssuchas"Heroin"and"VenusinFurs"(TheVelvetUndergroundandNico,1967). Theresultwassometimesunsettlingbutalwaysinteresting.TheirinvolvementwithAndyWarhol,althoughfraught,propelledtheircareer andledtothembecomingdebatablythemostinfluentialbandtohaveexisted—afterTheBeatlesthatis.     Drugsalsohadaninfluenceonmusic. Psychedelicsanddowners,suchasmarijuanaandLSD,influencedpsychedelia.Thismusicwascharacterisedbyitsdreamy,sometimeslaidbackand sometimeserraticsound.Itwasamplified,madeuseofemergingtechnologyinguitarpedalsandsoundeffects. Lyrically,thesongswouldbeaboutlove,oneness,freedom,sexualliberation,literature,orsometimeswouldjustbenonsensical.BandslikeTheBeatles, JeffersonAirplane,TheSoftParade,JimmiHendrix,Donovan,PinkFloydandCaptainBeefheartallvariedinstylebutallembracedpsychedeliaintotheirsound.     TheriseofasmallrecordlabelcalledMotowninDetroitbecameabywordforsoulmusic—anewsingingstylewithitsrootsingospel.StevieWonder,TheSupremes, andGladysKnightpopularisedMotown’ssound.It'sasoundthatremainspopular,althoughbytheendofthedecaderelationswithitsartistswerebecomingstrained.Motownsongsweretypicallydefinedbytheirdrumbeat,clean-cutvocalists, andlyricsoflostlove,orforeverlove. MarvinGayewasoneofMotown'sbiggestnamesandhadrecentlycelebratedhisbiggesthit"HearditThroughtheGrapevine"(1968),butafterthedeathofhislong-timesingingpartnerTammiTerrel,Gayebecamedepressedandbegantorebelagainsthisclean-cutMotownimage.TiringofhiscreativerestrictionsandinspiredbythewitnessingofpolicebrutalityinBerkley'sPeople'sPark,hereleasedhisbiggestalbum What'sGoingOn (1971) onMotown-subsidiarylabelTamla.     Readmorefromtheevolutionofmusicseries: Fromtheearliestscoretoclassicalcompositions Jazz,Bluesandtheriseofpopularmusic LikeusonFacebook and followusonTwitter formoregreatarticles ReadmorearticlesbyMandiGoodierhere KeepupwiththetopstoriesfromReader’sDigestby subscribing toourweeklynewsletter. RelatedContent