1960s: Music | Encyclopedia.com

The 1960s saw a real flowering of popular music styles. Unlike the 1950s, in which the birth of rock and roll dominated the decade, jazz, pop, and folk music ... SkiptomaincontentHistoryCulturemagazines1960s:Music1960s:Musicgaleviewsupdated1960s:MusicThe1960ssawarealfloweringofpopularmusicstyles.Unlikethe1950s,inwhichthebirthofrockandrolldominatedthedecade,jazz,pop,andfolkmusicallgathereddevotedlistenersinthe1960s.Rockandrollcontinuedtogrowasamusicalform,withaclearsplitbetween"hard,"rebelliousrockandlighter,"soft"rock—whichsoundedalotlikepopmusic.Folkmusicwasreborninthe1960sthankstoseveralyoungperformerswhowantedtorescuethemusicalformfromwhattheysawasitssaddecline.BobDylan(1941–),JoanBaez(1941–),andthegroupPeter,Paul,andMaryadoptedfolkstyles—simplemusicalarrangementsplayedonacousticinstruments—butfilledthemwithpoliticalcommentaryoncontemporaryissues.Theirsongsaddressedtheproblemsofthecivilrightsmovementofthe1950sand1960sandtheVietnamWar(1954–75)andhelpedthemgainhugeaudiences.Asthedecadeworeon,folkmergedintofolk-rockasperformersincreasinglyusedelectrifiedinstrumentsandmoresophisticatedsongwriting.DylanandthegroupSimonandGarfunkelledthewayinfolkrock.Rockandrollmusicinthe1960swasdominatedbyonegroup:theBeatles.LaunchedinLiverpool,England,thisfour-mangroupfirstappearedintheUnitedStatesin1964onTheEdSullivanShow.ThepopularityoftheBeatlesremainedstrongthroughoutthedecade.OtherBritishgroupsfollowedtheBeatles,creatingwhatbecameknownastheBritishInvasion.TheRollingStones,theAnimals,andtheWhoallsoonhadhitsintheUnitedStates.Inastrangetwist,anAmericanTVproductioncompanyknownasScreenGemsdecidedtocopythesuccessoftheBeatlesbyinventingabandofitsownmodeledontheboysfromLiverpool.TheMonkeesconsistedoffourhandsomeactors,threeofwhomdidnotevenknowhowtoplaytheirinstruments.Thisdidnotkeepthemfromhavingseveralnumber-onesingles—withthemusicplayedbyothers.Rockmusicsoonsplitintoseveralstreams.Somebandsproducedlightermusicwithpleasinglyricstoselltopopradiostations.Otherbandspursuedrockmusicasaformofprotestoraformofartisticexploration.Thismorematurerockmusicusedsophisticatedrecordingtechniquesandexoticinstruments.Twoformersoftrockbandsledtheway:theBeachBoyswithPetSounds(1966)andtheBeatleswithSgt.Pepper'sLonelyHeartsClubBand(1967).Otherbands—notablythosefromSanFrancisco,California—pushedrocktohaveanevenharderedge.TheGratefulDead,JeffersonAirplane,andJanisJoplin(1943–1970)helpedcreateaformknownaspsychedelicrock.JimiHendrix(1942–1970)andothersexperimentedwithsoundsknownasacidrock.Inaddition,twomusicfestivalsrevealedthehighsandlowsoftherockandrollsubculture:Woodstock(1969)andAltamont(1969).SomeofthemostpopularmusicofthedecadeoriginatedfromMotownRecordsinDetroit,Michigan.Merginggospel,jazz,rhythmandblues(R&B),androckandroll,MotownfounderBerryGordyJr.(1929–)andhisteamofsongwriterscreatedthebandsthathadsomeofthebiggesthitsofthedecade.DianaRoss(1944–)andtheSupremes,SmokeyRobinson(1940–)andtheMiracles,theTemptations,theFourTops,MarvinGaye(1939–1984),andStevieWonder(1950–)allgottheirstartatMotown.Bowling,Beatniks,andBell-Bottoms:PopCultureof20th-CenturyAmerica×CitethisarticlePickastylebelow,andcopythetextforyourbibliography.MLAChicagoAPA"1960s:Music ."Bowling,Beatniks,andBell-Bottoms:PopCultureof20th-CenturyAmerica..Encyclopedia.com.28Dec.2021."1960s:Music ."Bowling,Beatniks,andBell-Bottoms:PopCultureof20th-CenturyAmerica..Encyclopedia.com.(December28,2021).https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/culture-magazines/1960s-music"1960s:Music ."Bowling,Beatniks,andBell-Bottoms:PopCultureof20th-CenturyAmerica..RetrievedDecember28,2021fromEncyclopedia.com:https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/culture-magazines/1960s-musicLearnmoreaboutcitationstylesCitationstylesEncyclopedia.comgivesyoutheabilitytocitereferenceentriesandarticlesaccordingtocommonstylesfromtheModernLanguageAssociation(MLA),TheChicagoManualofStyle,andtheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation(APA).Withinthe“Citethisarticle”tool,pickastyletoseehowallavailableinformationlookswhenformattedaccordingtothatstyle.Then,copyandpastethetextintoyourbibliographyorworkscitedlist.Becauseeachstylehasitsownformattingnuancesthatevolveovertimeandnotallinformationisavailableforeveryreferenceentryorarticle,Encyclopedia.comcannotguaranteeeachcitationitgenerates.Therefore,it’sbesttouseEncyclopedia.comcitationsasastartingpointbeforecheckingthestyleagainstyourschoolorpublication’srequirementsandthemost-recentinformationavailableatthesesites:ModernLanguageAssociationhttp://www.mla.org/styleTheChicagoManualofStylehttp://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.htmlAmericanPsychologicalAssociationhttp://apastyle.apa.org/Notes:Mostonlinereferenceentriesandarticlesdonothavepagenumbers.Therefore,thatinformationisunavailableformostEncyclopedia.comcontent.However,thedateofretrievalisoftenimportant.Refertoeachstyle’sconventionregardingthebestwaytoformatpagenumbersandretrievaldates.InadditiontotheMLA,Chicago,andAPAstyles,yourschool,university,publication,orinstitutionmayhaveitsownrequirementsforcitations.Therefore,besuretorefertothoseguidelineswheneditingyourbibliographyorworkscitedlist.MoreFromencyclopedia.comRockMusic,Inthebeginning,rockandrollmusicwasaprovocation,anaffronttoparentsandpropercitizens.AsrockcriticJimMillerputit,"Itwasthemus…RogerMcguinn,TheByrds TheByrds Rockband Originatorsoffolk-rockandpioneersofacid-andcountry-rock,theByrdswereoneofthemostinfluentialbandsinro…BillHarley,Haley,Bill BillHaley Singer,songwriter BillHaleyisknowntheworldoverastheFatherofRock’n’Roll.Haleywasthefirstwhiteartisttocomb…KidRock,KidRock KidRock Rapmusician Partoldschoolrap,partmetalrock,andlikenedtorapartistEminemforbothhisoftenprofanelyricsandhisroots…JimiHendrix,Hendrix,Jimi1942-1970 Guitarist;singer,songwriter,composer Inthefewyearsbetweenhisemergenceasasoloartistandhisdeathfromabarbitur…ChuckBerry,ChuckBerry Berry,Chuck Singer,songwriter,guitarist “Iftherewereasinglefountainheadforrockguitar,ChuckBerrywouldbeit,”wroteGeneSan…Aboutthisarticle1960s:MusicUpdatedAboutencyclopedia.comcontentPrintArticleYouMightAlsoLike1970s:MusicRockMusicGlitterRockWeiser,RonnyBerry,Chuck(1926—)1950s:MusicHaley,Bill(1925-1981)Aronoff,KennyNEARBYTERMS1960s:FilmandTheater1960s:Fashion1960s:Commerce1960s:AtaGlance1960s:AnEraofPessimismandActivism1960NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1959NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1958NobelPrizeinLiteratureAnnouncement1957NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1956NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1955NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1954NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1953NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1952NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1951NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1950s:TVandRadio1950s:TheWayWeLived1950s:SportsandGames1950s:PrintCulture1950s:PopCultureExplodesinaDecadeofConformity1950s:Music1950s:FoodandDrink1950s:FilmandTheater1950s:Fashion1950s:Commerce1960s:Music1960s:PrintCulture1960s:SportsandGames1960s:TheWayWeLived1960s:TVandRadio1961NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1962NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1963NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1965NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1966NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1967NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech19681968MexicoCitySummerOlympicGames1968NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1968Upheaval19691969NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1970NobelPrizeinLiteraturePresentationSpeech1970s:AtaGlance1970s:Fashion1970s:FilmandTheater1970s:Music1970s:PrintCulture1970s:SportsandGames1970s:TheMeDecade1970s:TheWayWeLived