Music+and+the+Cold+War

Music and the Cold War

What was the Cold War?
 * The Cold war was the period of time after World War II
 * Time of indirect conflict between the United States and the USSR
 * Never an actual engagement between the two nations
 * Instead, multiple proxy wars were fought between other nations, backed and funded both by the US and the USSR

A new era



The 60’s was a time of social revolution. This period saw a rise in feminism, drug use and protest. There was also a large anti war movement at this time. All of these things contributed to the beginning of the hippie movement, which was mainly a youth movement between the ages of 15 and 25, also having a large impact on the older generation. They embraced the sexual revolution, alternative fashions, and drug use to explore the mind. The hippie movement was large and started to influence the music industry and from that came new sounds, new content and Woodstock. At this time there were many popular music genres, including Motown, folk, and the British invasion. New bands were constantly emerging and others were gaining popularity.

Motown



Motown records was founded in 1959, and played an important role in the racial integration of popular music. This was because it was the first record label owned by an African American to feature African American artists and therefore achieved great success. The Motown sound was a style of soul music, famous for its pop influence but also released music in the genre of rhythm, soul, and hip hop. This sound was characterized by the use of tambourines to accent the back beat, prominent bass guitar lines, distinctive melodies and chords, and a style which originated in gospel music. Some famous Motown sound artists were the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, and Marvin Gaye.

British Invasion

The name British Invasion was used to describe British music that became popular with Americans in the 60’s. The music was mainly British Rock n' Roll with American influences. Many of these bands were quite old but became popular during these times. Some of the more significant ones were The Guess Who, Rolling Stones, and the still popular Beatles. This was one of the more popular styles of music at the time, and many Americans tried to imitatethe style. Folk Music

This genre of music rose up the charts in the 1960’s in the United States. The sound was famous for vocal harmonies and non synthesized electric instruments. One famous singer songwriter was Bob Dylan, who created songs such as “Blowing in the wind”, and “The times they are a changing”, which both became anthems for the civil rights and anti war movement. Many folk rock lyrics incorporated political, social and philosophical influences and included instruments such as the guitar, piano, and harmonica. Some more famous artists were the Mamas and the Papas, and Peter, Paul and Mary. media type="youtube" key="tGO8snK98l0" height="315" width="420" Woodstock

Woodstock was a 3 day festival, that took place in the little town of Bethel, New York in 1969. Over the 3 day event, 32 artists performed for a crowd of over 500,000 people. This event is considered to be one of the most significant music festivals ever. Woodstock was almost a protest in itself with people from all areas coming together about something they believed in, the Music. Drugs

Drugs had a huge impact on music. During the 60’s, drug usage became more acceptable in society, and therefore more frequently appeared in music. The more popular drugs were Lsd and marijuana. Later in the 60’s saw the introduction of more harmful drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Lsd and marijuana were used by many artists because they were considered mind altering and opening drugs. Musicians felt the drugs enhanced their minds and senses to the point that it helped with writing their music. During this period, there were many songs written and recorded about drugs. One of the most well known drug centered songs is “Lucy in the sky with diamonds” by the Beatles. The song name spelled out Lsd. Many other songs encouraged getting high. The Beatles song “I get by with a little help from my friends”, and “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix are two good examples. At this time their was a high death rate due to drug overdoses and accidents associated with drugs. Several musicians died this way, such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, and surprisingly, only 4 people died at Woodstock due to drug overdose. media type="youtube" key="EmOtWyjs8iU" height="315" width="420"  Free Love



The 60’s to this day are considered the beginning of the sexual revolution. People started rebelling against religion and the older generations by taking more than one sexual partner and having pre-marital sex. During this time the amount of unwanted pregnancies, abortions and std’s rose. Accordingly, this influenced music. One song that blatantly illustrates this instance was “Go where you want to go” by The Mamas and the Papas. This song was written by a member of the band whose wife was also in the band about their open relationship and their affairs. Another song that illustrates the freedom of love and relationships is “Cant get no satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones.

 Vietnam

The Vietnam War was a conflict that occurred between 1959 and 1975. For over a decade, American soldiers were sent to fight and keep peace in Vietnam. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and nurses served there over this period. There was a large anti war movement at this time, and a lot of these people were a part of the hippie movement. This was a huge influence to music in the 60’s and 70’s. Their were Artists like Bob Dylan, Country Joe and the Fish, and Peter, Paul and Mary. Country Joe and the Fish performed a song at Woodstock called “The Vietnam song” which criticized the war. “Where have all the flowers gone” by Peter, Paul and Mary focused on the loss of life due to the war.

99 Red Balloons media type="youtube" key="14IRDDnEPR4" height="315" width="420" align="center"


 * Released in Germany in 1983
 * Original Name is "99 Luftballons
 * Made to top spot on UK charts and 2nd on US
 * Song was written by Carlos Karges when onstage at a concert. He noticed balloons being released into the air and wondered what would happen if they were to drift into communist Germany

Significance & Impact The lyrics produced at this time challenged issues that were not present in the media. During this time people realized that music had the potential to be just as powerful and influential as a news report. From anti nuclear songs, to the civil rights movement, all the way through Vietnam, protest songs were used to express ideas in a way that could be felt closer to the heart. Lyrics came directly from the soul, and were not jumbled as they often were in newspapers. The ideas phrased during this time were able to change peoples opinions on the major events of that time, and are still being used today. Works Cited

Layman, Richard. //American Decades 1950-1959//.Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1984.

 Cott, Johnathon. // Dylan on Dylan //. Wenner Books, 2007.

Layman, Richard. //American Decades 1960-1969//.Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1984.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 90%;"> Pollock1,. "99 Red Balloons Analysis." // Wiki Spaces // <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 90%;">. Creative Commons Attributions, n. d. Web. 1 May. 2012. <http://pollock1.wikispaces.com/99 Red Balloons Analysis>.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 90%;"> Grosvenor, Charles. "Songs about the Cold War from the 80's." // In the 70's 80's 90's //. N.p., 1995. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://www.inthe80s.com/coldwar.shtml>.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 90%;"> Johnson, Kathleen. "Summer of Love and Woodstock." // Cold War Museum //. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://www.coldwar.org/articles/60s/summeroflove.asp>.

Lee, Richard. "The Power of Song: How Protest Music Was Ahead of Mainstream Media." // Hall institute of public policy //. N.p., 11-11-09. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://hallnj.org/topics/39-arts-leisure-culture-and-entertainment/582-the-power-of-song-how-protest-music-was-ahead-of-mainstream-media>.