How the Folk Music of the 60s Changed the World
How the Folk Music of the 60s Changed the World Through the Voices of the People
The Birth of Folk Music
The 1960s were a time of change and upheaval. The music of the time reflected the social and political climate, with artists using their platform to speak out against war and inequality. One of the most influential genres of the time was folk music, which became the voice of the counterculture movement. Folk music had a profound impact on the world, and its legacy can still be felt today.
Woody Guthrie and the Dust Bowl
Woody Guthrie was one of the most influential folk musicians of the 20th century. His songs spoke to the common man and tackled social issues like poverty, racism, and war. He was also a pivotal figure in the Dust Bowl era, when a severe drought ravaged the Midwest and led to mass displacement of people.
Guthrie wrote some of his most famous songs during this time, including “So Long, It’s Been Good to Know You” and “Dust Bowl Blues.” His music gave voice to the struggles of ordinary Americans and helped raise awareness about the devastating effects of the Dust Bowl.
Guthrie’s influence can still be felt today in the music of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and many other artists who were directly inspired by his work.
The Weavers and the blacklist
The Weavers were an American folk music quartet, founded in 1948 by Ronnie Gilbert, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman and Pete Seeger. Their sound was based on traditional folk music styles from around the world, but with a particular focus on American and British folk music.
The group’s political views led to them being blacklisted during the McCarthy era, and they were unable to find work in the United States. However, they continued to tour internationally and recorded a number of best-selling albums. The Weavers’ influence can be heard in the work of many later folk musicians, including Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.
The blacklisting of the Weavers came to an end in 1963 when President John F. Kennedy invited them to perform at his inauguration. This performance helped to break down barriers between folk and mainstream music, and paved the way for the massive Folk Revival of the 1960s.
The Rise of Folk Music
In the early days of the 1960s, the music industry was dominated by pop and rock ‘n’ roll. However, there was a growing underground scene of folk music that would soon rise to prominence. This new genre of music was influenced by political and social issues of the time, and it would go on to have a significant impact on the world.
The Kingston Trio and the clean-cut image
The Kingston Trio was one of the most popular folk groups of the 1960s, and their clean-cut image was in stark contrast to that of many other folk artists of the time. The group’s members were all white, middle-class men who wore suits and ties onstage. This made them much more acceptable to mainstream audiences than other folk artists, who were often associated with the counterculture movement.
The Kingston Trio’s popularity helped to bring folk music into the mainstream, and their music had a profound impact on subsequent generations of musicians. Bob Dylan, for example, credited the group with inspiring him to pursue a career in music. The trio’s influence can also be heard in the work of such contemporary artists as John Mayer and Mumford & Sons.
Joan Baez and the Civil Rights Movement
One of the most influential folk singers of the 20th century, Joan Baez rose to prominence in the early 1960s with her commitment to social activism and civil rights. A leading figure in the American folk music revival, Baez is known for her contemporary interpretations of traditional songs as well as for her original compositions.
A native of Massachusetts, Baez began playing the guitar and singing at an early age. She was immensely talented and quickly developed a reputation as a gifted performer. In 1959, she moved to New York City, where she became involved in the city’s vibrant folk music scene. It was there that she met Bob Dylan, with whom she would later collaborate on several occasions.
Baez’s involvement in the civil rights movement began in 1961 when she participated in a series of “freedom rides” designed to challenge racial segregation in the American South. She also took part in several other high-profile civil rights demonstrations, including the 1963 March on Washington. Throughout her career, Baez continued to use her music as a platform for promoting social change. In 1964, she released her album Joan Baez/5, which featured the song “We Shall Overcome.” The song quickly became an anthem of the civil rights movement.
Baez’s commitment to social justice extended beyond race relations; she was also a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War. In 1965, she participated in a number of anti-war protests, including a now-famous incident in which she refused to obey a court order requiring her to get a haircut (long hair was then considered disruptive). In 1968, she traveled to Hanoi during the Tet Offensive and lent her support to American prisoners of war who were being held captive there.
Throughout her career, Joan Baez has continued to be an outspoken advocate for peace and social justice. She remains an influential figure in the world of folk music and continues to perform and record new music today.
Bob Dylan and the protest song
In the early 1960s, American folk music was enjoying a renaissance, led by artists like Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Into this traditional world came a young man from Minnesota named Bob Dylan. Dylan’s songs were different from anything that had come before — they were poetic, personal and pointed, and they tackled social and political issues in a way that was fresh and exciting.
Dylan’s songs resonated with the young people of the 1960s, who were fighting for social change. His songs became anthems of the anti-war and civil rights movements, and Dylan himself became the voice of a generation. Thanks to artists like Bob Dylan, folk music would never be the same again.
The Legacy of Folk Music
The 1960s was a decade of social and political upheaval. In the midst of all this, the folk music of the time helped to shape a generation. The music of the 60s was a voice for the oppressed and a way to bring people together. Folk music helped to change the world and the way we think about music.
The Beatles and the British Invasion
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later utilised several genres, ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical elements in innovative ways. In 1963, their enormous popularity first emerged as “Beatlemania”; as the group’s music grew in sophistication following their 1966 album Revolver, led by Lennon and McCartney’s songwriting partnership, they came to be perceived by many fans and cultural observers as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the era’s sociocultural revolutions.
Simon and Garfunkel and the counterculture
Simon and Garfunkel were one of the most successful musical partnerships of the 1960s. They were also one of the most important cultural forces of the decade.
The duo’s music was deeply affected by the social and political turmoil of the times. Their lyrics expressed the disillusionment and anger of a generation that was coming of age during a period of great upheaval.
Simon and Garfunkel’s music helped to define the counterculture of the 1960s. It was a voice for a generation that was searching for meaning and purpose in a world that seemed to be falling apart.
The duo’s influence can still be felt today. Their music has been covered by some of the biggest names in pop music, and their songs continue to resonate with listeners all over the world.
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and the Vietnam War
Few groups were as publicly and outspokenly against the Vietnam War than Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. The group’s song “Ohio” was written in response to the shootings at Kent State University, in which four unarmed students were killed by the National Guard. The song quickly became an anthem for the anti-war movement, with its now-famous opening line of “Tin soldiers and Nixon coming…”
