1960s Music History including Sixties Styles, Bands And Artists

Roots rock emerged in the mid to late 1960s as a combination of several genres and subgenres of rock music that were popular at the time. Roots rock combined ... TodayInHistory YearsandDecades Menu MusicHome 1920sMusic 1930sMusic 1940sMusic 1950sMusic 1970sMusic 1980sMusic 1990sMusic MusicPlayedinthe1960'sPopularMusicFromthe60s MusicStyles,BandsAndArtistsduringthe1960's The1960'swereatimeofupheavalinsociety,fashion,attitudesandespeciallymusic.Before1963,themusicofthesixtiesstillreflectedthesound,styleandbeliefsofthepreviousdecadeandmanyofthehitrecordswerebyartistswhohadfoundmainstreamsuccessinthe1950s,likeElvisPresley,RayCharles,Dion,andTheEverlyBrothers.In1963andtheyearstofollow,anumberofsocialinfluenceschangedwhatpopularmusicwasandgavebirthtothediversitythatweexperiencewithmusictoday.TheassassinationofPresidentKennedy,theescalationofthewarinVietnamandtheforward-progressoftheCivilRightsMovementallgreatlyimpactedthemoodofAmericancultureandthemusicbegantoreflectthatchange.The"BritishInvasion"alsobeganaround1963withthearrivalofTheBeatlesonthemusicsceneandthetypeofrabidfandomthatfollowedthemwouldchangethewaypeoplewouldviewandinteractwithmusicandmusiciansforever.Inthissectionwewillcoverthehistoryofthe"BritishInvasion",MotownandR&B,FolkandProtestmusic,andthelargeamountofvariationthatemergedinRockmusicthroughoutthesixties. PopularMusicGenresofthe1960's BritishInvasionMusicians TheBeatles,TheWho,TheRollingStones,Cream,TheYardbirds,Donovan,ManfredMann,TheKinks,Herman'sHermits,TomJones,DustySpringfield,TheAnimals Motown/R&BMusicians TheMarvelettes,TheSupremes,MarvinGaye,TheFourTops,TheDrifters,TheTemptations,TheMiracles,StevieWonder,GladysKnight&thePips,TheSpinners,ArethaFranklin,CannedHeat SurfRockandPsychedelicRockMusicians TheBeachBoys,TheVentures,TheChamps,TheDoors,TheGratefulDead,TheJimiHendrixExperience,JeffersonAirplane,JanandDean,TheKingsmen,TheTrashmen---- RootsRockandHardRockMusicians JanisJoplin,CreedenceClearwaterRevival,Steppenwolf,RoyOrbison,ProcolHarum,TheRollingStones,TheWho,TheAnimals,TheBand,TheTroggs---- FolkRockandProtestMusicMusicians BobDylan,Simon&Garfunkel,TheMamas&thePapas,BuffaloSpringfield,Crosby,Stills&Nash,TheLovin'Spoonful,TheByrds,TheTurtles,GordonLightfoot,Peter,PaulandMary-- AcappellaMusicians ThePersuasionsTheHeartachesTheConceptsTheFiveJadesTheNotationsTheChessmenTheFiveSharksTheRoyalCountsTheZirconsTheFiveFashionsTheDelCaprisTheShells BritishInvasion The"BritishInvasion"isthenamegiventotheperiodoftimeintheearlytomid-1960's,duringwhichmanyBritishrockbandsandpopartistsfoundmainstreamsuccessintheUnitedStatesandworldwide.ManyofthesebandsfirststartedbycoveringAmericansongsandshowcasinganAmericanRock'n'RollandR&Binfluenceintheirsounds.Asthesebandsgainedpopularity,manyofthemventuredintonewmusicterritoryandcreatedtheirownuniquestyles.TheonebandthatcomestomindwhenspeakingoftheBritishInvasionisTheBeatles,whofirstbrokeintotheUSmusicscenein1963,butreallybecamepopularin1964afterappearingontheEdSullivanShow.TheBeatlesdominatedworldwidechartsfromthatpointintimeuntiltheybrokeupin1970.ThephenomenonthatsurroundedthemwasknownasBeatlemaniaandmanyupandcomingmusicactsemulatedtheir"LiverpoolSound".Thebandholdsmanymusicalrecordstothisdayreflectingalbumsalesandnumberonesinglesandthey'remusicremainssomeofthemostpopularofalltime.Theycanbeeasilydescribedasthemostinfluentialgroupofthe1960's.SomeothernotableBritishInvasionactsincludeTheRollingStones,TheAnimals,TheWho,Herman'sHermits,TomJones,andDonovan,someofwhomreachedcomparablesuccesslevelstotheBeatlesbuthaddifferentinfluencesonmusicalltogether. MotownandR&B The"MotownSound"andpopularR&BmusichadamajorsignificanceintermsoftheCivilRightsmovementandintegrationinAmericansocietyduringthesixties.MotownstartedasaDetroit-basedrecordlabelinthelatefiftiesandearlysixties,butitquicklyturnedintomuchmoreastheactsgainedpopularityworldwide.MotownrecordsconsistedmainlyofAfrican-Americangroups,singers,songwritersandmanagementandtheirmusicalandbusinesssuccessprovedinbreakingdownthebarriersofsegregationandgrantedAfrican-Americanperformersandmusiciansachancestoreappropriatemuchofthesuccessthathadbeencreditedtowhiterock'n'rollersandpopartistswhohadsuccessinsinging"blackmusic"duringthepreviousdecade.TwoofthemostinfluentialgroupstocomeoutoftheMotownsoundwereSmokeyRobinsonandtheMiraclesandDianaRossandtheSupremes,bothofwhichhadasmuchchartsuccessasanyoftherockgroupsthatdominatedtheairwavesduringthesixties.ThesuccessofMotownalsopavedthewayforR&Bsingersandgroupswhowerenotnecessarilyapartofthemovementtoalsoenjoymainstreamsuccess.SomeotherpopularMotownand60'sR&BartistsincludeTheTemptations,TheMarvelettes,TheFourTops,StevieWonder,MarvinGaye,ArethaFranklin,andtheJacksonFive. RockanditsSubgenres Whilerock'n'rollmusicenteredthepopularmusicspectruminthe1950s,rockmusicreallycameintoitsowninthe1960s.Rockmusicdominatedthepopularmusicsceneduringthedecadeandasthegenregrewandchanged,manydiverseandnewsubgenresemerged,alltiedtooriginalrockbuteachwiththeirownuniquestyleandpurpose.Thesespecificsubgenresalsohadvaryinglevelsofpopularitythroughoutthedecadeandmanyarestillpopulartoday.Quiteafewrockbandsandmusiciansoscillatedbetweenthesegenresdependingonwhatwaspopularatthetimeanduseditasawaytoexperimentwithfindingtheirowntruesound.Someoftherocksubgenresthatwewilltouchuponaresurf,psychedelic,roots,andhardrock.Itisimportanttorememberthatthespecificartistswediscussinthesevarioussectionsoftenfallintomorethanonecategoryanditisupfordebateamongsttheirfanswhatgenretheybestrepresent.Wehavetriedourbesttocategorizetheseartistsandrealizetherewasmuchcross-overduringthedecade. SurfRockandPsychedelicRock SurfrockbeganinSouthernCaliforniaasatypeofdancemusicthatwasmostlyinstrumentalanditbecamequitepopularintheearlytomidsixties,untiltheBritishInvasiontookoverthemusicscene.Thesubjectmatterforsurfrockwasquiteliterallysurfing,however,thatexpandedasthegenregrewinpopularitytosongsaboutgirls,carsandgeneralteenageantics.ThemostinfluentialandpopulargrouptocomeoutofthegenrewereTheBeachBoys,whosevocalharmoniesandwell-craftedcompositionscametodefinethegenre.TheBeachBoyswereoneoftheonlybandstocomeoutofthegenreandsustaintheirsuccess.SomeotherimportantsurfrockactsincludeJanandDean,TheVenturesandTheChamps. Psychedelicrockwaspopularduringthelatterhalfofthe1960sandreacheditspeakattheendofthedecade.Psychedelicmusicwasassociatedwiththehippiecounter-cultureandhallucinogenicdruguseanditwascreatedwiththeintentionof"enhancing"theexperienceoflistenerswhowereusingLSDorothermind-alteringsubstances.Thelyricswereoftenstrangeandmadereferencetodrugsandbandswouldoftenuseinstrumentsthatwerenotusual,likethesitar,tabla,harpsichordandorgan.TherewasmuchexperimentationinthesoundandmuchofitwasinfluencedbyEasternandIndianmusic.PsychedelicrockalongwithFolkrockbecametwoofthemostrecognizablesoundsassociatedwith1967's"SummerofLove"phenomenon.Manypopularrockbandsexperimentedwiththisgenre,includingTheBeatles,TheDoors,TheJimiHendrixExperience,JeffersonAirplane,Cream,PinkFloyd,andTheYardbirds. RootsRockandHardRock Rootsrockemergedinthemidtolate1960sasacombinationofseveralgenresandsubgenresofrockmusicthatwerepopularatthetime.Rootsrockcombinedelementsoffolkmusic,blues,countryandrock'n'roll.And,thegenrewasexemplifiedbyits"backtobasics"sound.BobDylanisthoughttohavepioneeredthegenrewiththereleaseofhis1966albumBlondeonBlondethatdemonstratedwhatrootsrockwastobecome.Manyofthemostpopularbandsofthetimejoinedthe"rootsrevival"andcraftedalbumsoftheirownthatfeaturedandexperimentedwitharootssound.SomeofthebandsthatcreatedmusicinthestyleofthisbroadgenreincludedTheRollingStones,TheDoors,TheBeatles,TheBand,andCreedenceClearwaterRevival. Hardrocktooktheelementsofrock'n'rollandmadethemheavierasthegenreformedinthemiddleofthedecade.Thesoundischaracterizedbymoreaggressivetonesanddelivery.Hardrockvocalistsareidentifiedbytheirhigherrangeanddistinctandoftenraspyvoices.Themusicwasinfluencedheavilybybluesrock,garagerock,andrhythmandblues.Thisstylebecameassociatedwithrebelliousyouthandananti-authoritydemeanor,withafewactsevendestroyingtheirowninstrumentsonstage(likeTheWho).Duetotheirhard-partyinglifestyles,manymusiciansthatwereapartofthehardrockscenedevelopeddrugandalcoholproblems.Asaresultoftheseproblems,quiteafewinfluentialmusiciansdiedatayoungagefromsubstanceabuseoraccidentsrelatedtosubstanceabuselikeJanisJoplinandJimiHendrix.Notablehardrockbandsformthe1960sincludeTheWho,DeepPurple,LedZeppelin,TheRollingStones,TheKinksandSteppenwolf. FolkRockandProtestMusic Folkrockcameontothesceneasapopulargenreinthemid-sixtiesandmuchofitgrewoutoftheprotestmovementsthatwereactiveduringthoseturbulenttimes.Muchofthefolkrockandprotestmovementwasbornoutoftheemerginggroupofsinger-songwritersthatwereinfluencedbythefolkmusiciansofthe1930s.BobDylanbecameoneofthemostprominentsongwritersofthedecadewithmanypopulargroupssuchasTheByrdsandPeter,PaulandMarycoveringhissongssuccessfully.Dylanevensawsuccessasasoloperformerandwasrecognizedbyhisunusualvoice.Thisgenrewascharacterizedbyitsmelodicsoundanddidnotnecessarilyhavetoconnecttotheprotestmovementsatthetime,althoughlyricallyalotofthefolkrockcontainedprotestmessages. Protestmusicwasdistinctlydifferentinthatitalwayshadamessageandwasnotconfinedtothesoundandstyleoffolkrock.Thismusicwasoftenareactiontosocialinjustice,culturalchanges,andnewsevents.And,inmanycases,itbroughtawarenesstotheyoungergenerationwhowouldthenjointheprotest,thereforegrowingthemovements.Thisgenrewasnotnecessarilyspecifictocertainartistseither,asmanymainstreammusiciansdecidedtocontributetothecannonwiththeirownfeelings.Forexample,R&BandSoulsingerSameCookewroteandrecorded"AChangeIsGonnaCome"in1963,asongthatbecameananthemfortheCivilRightsmovementinAmerica,alongwithotherslikeBobDylan's"Blowin'intheWind"andJamesBrown's"SayItLoud-I'mBlackandI'mProud"from1963and1968respectively.AnotherissuethatprotestmusicwasusedtoaddresswasthewarinVietnamanditsescalationduringthedecade.AsmoreandmoreAmericantroopswerebeingsenttoVietnamwithvirtuallynoprogressbeingmade,ananti-warmovementbegantogainsteaminthemid-sixtiesandprotestmusicaccompaniedit.Someexamplesofanti-VietnamsongswerePeteSeeger's"WaistDeepintheBigMuddyfrom1967,TheDoor's"TheUnknownSoldier"from1968,andBobDylan's"MastersofWar"from1963.Bothfolkmusicandprotestmusicwereconnectedtothe"hippie"movementatthetimeandgreatlyinfluencedandwereinfluencedbythefeelingsoffreedom,loveandpeacethatcharacterizedthehippies.Someexamplesoffolkrockandprotestmusiciansfromthe1960sincludePeter,PaulandMary,CatStevens,BuffaloSpringfield,SimonandGarfunkel,andPeteSeeger. Acappella TheGoldenAgeofAcappella1963-1973explodedinurbanAmericaalongtheacappellacorridorthatstretchedfromBostontoPhiladelphia;aregionalsoundthatcapturedtheheartandmindsofyoungpeopleintheinnercities.ThebirthofAcappellaasanewurbanmusicgenrebeganinNewYorkCityinasmallrecordshopcalledTimesSquareRecordsrunandoperatedbyIrving"Slim"Rose.ThetermAcappellawasthewordthatSlimRosecameupwithtopromotemusicthatwasmadewithoutmusic.Recordingsmadewithoutmusicwasplayedontheradiobyvocalgroups,vinylacappellarecordsweresoldinrecordstoresandAcappellaShowsdrewhundredsofteenagersthroughoutNewJerseyandNewYork.ThusanewurbansoundcreatedanicheinthemusicindustrycompetingwithMotown,BritishInvasion,folkandmanyothermusicalgenres.Acappellabecamethestartingpointandcatalystforoldiesradioprograming,reissuesofrecordsofthelate40'sand50'sandthepreservationandpromotionofrhythmandbluesvocalgroups.Amidthesocialandculturalrevolutiontakingplaceduringthe1960'sacappellaasawholeroseaboveethnicandracialbarriersandbecameadynamicmusicalmovementinAmericanhistory.IwouldliketothankAbrahamSantiagowhowrotetheparagraphaboutAcappellaMusicforusIfyouwouldliketofindoutmuchmoreaboutthesubjectpleasevisitwww.ricocreative.com/harmonyreview.htm PopularSongsEachYearinthe60's PopularsongsfromtheSixtiesDecade,arrangedbyyearbutinnoparticularorder.Doyourememberlisteningtothesesongsontheradio? Somehitsfromthe60's Istilllistentonowmorethan50yearslater ApacheTheShadows1960 TheLionSleepsTonightTheTokens1961 PleaseMr.PostmanTheMarvelettes1961 ReturnToSenderElvisPresley1962 SheLovesYouTheBeatles1963 IWantToHoldYourHandTheBeatles 1963 BabyLove-TheSupremes1964 TheHouseOfTheRisingSun-TheAnimals1964 I'mIntoSomethingGood-Herman'sHermits1964 IGotYouBabeSonny&Cher1965 WildThingTheTroggs1966. GoodVibrationsTheBeachBoys1966 TheseBootsAreMadeForWalkinNancySinatra1966 AWhiterShadeOfPaleProcolHarum1967 LilyThePinkScaffold1968 IHeardItThroughTheGrapevineMarvinGaye 1969 HonkyTonkWomenTheRollingStones1969 SomethingInTheAirThunderclapNewman1969 InTheYear2525Zager&Evans1969 BadMoonRisingCreedenceClearwaterRevival1969 1960-TheTwist-ChubbyChecker(-)It’sNoworNever-ElvisPresley(-)GeorgiaOnMyMind-RayCharles(-)Cathy’sClown-EverlyBrothers(-)I’mSorry-BrendaLee, 1961-StandByMe-BenE.King(-)BlueMoon-TheMarcels(-)AtLast-EttaJames(-)Runaway-DelShannon(-)TheLionSleepsTonight-TheTokens, 1962-LoveMeDo-TheBeatles(-)Sherry-TheFourSeasons(-)Surfin’Safari-TheBeachBoys(-)TheWanderer-Dion(-)SoldierBoy-TheShirelles, 1963-LouieLouie-TheKingsmen(-)It’sMyParty-LesleyGore(-)RingofFire-JohnnyCash(-)HeyPaula-Paul&Paula(-)SheLovesYou-TheBeatles, 1964-TwistandShout-ChubbyChecker(-)Oh,PrettyWoman-RoyOrbison(-)YouReallyGotMe-TheKinks(-)HouseoftheRisingSun-TheAnimals(-)WhereDidOurLoveGo-TheSupremes, 1965-Satisfaction-TheRollingStones(-)MyGeneration-TheWho(-)SoundsofSilence-Simon&Garfunkel(-)MyGirl-TheTemptations(-)LikeaRollingStone-BobDylan, 1966-GoodVibrations-TheBeachBoys(-)EleanorRigby-TheBeatles(-)WildThing-TheTroggs(-)LastTraintoClarksville-TheMonkees(-)MellowYellow-Donovan, 1967-HappyTogether-TheTurtles(-)ForWhatIt’sWorth-BuffaloSpringfield(-)LightMyFire-TheDoors(-)Respect-ArethaFranklin(-)SomebodytoLove-JeffersonAirplane, 1968-TheDockoftheBay-OtisRedding(-)PieceofMyHeart-JanisJoplin(-)HeyJude-TheBeatles(-)WonderfulWorld-LouisArmstrong(-)BorntoBeWild--Steppenwolf, 1969-SugarSugar-TheArchies(-)Aquarius-TheFifthDimension(-)MyWay-FrankSinatra(-)SpaceOddity-DavidBowie(-)SweetCaroline-NeilDiamond