Psychedelic Rock and the Hippie Movement
Psychedelic Rock and the Hippie Movement were two of the most influential movements of the 20th century. They both shared a love of music, drugs, and freedom.
Psychedelic Rock – What is it?
Psychedelic rock, also sometimes called acid rock, is a subgenre of rock music that emerged during the mid-1960s. The style is typified by a preoccupation with altered states of consciousness, often achieved through the use of psychedelic drugs, and is often characterized by an emphasis on extended instrumental solos, sonic experimentation, and an eclectic range of influences.
The sound of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It often uses new recording techniques and effects, sometimes specific to the Psychedelic genre.
Psychedelic rock broke into the mainstream with The Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, released in 1967. The Beatles’ incorporated elements of Indian music and helped to popularize an interest in Eastern spirituality with Western audiences. Many British Psychedelic groups followed in their footsteps, such as Cream, The Zombies, The Bee Gees, and Pink Floyd. American Psychedelic groups include The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Moby Grape.
Psychedelic music enjoyed its peak popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but has since undergone a revival in popularity among certain underground music scenes.
The look of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock is typified by a preoccupation with altered states of awareness, often brought on by drugs, and attempted to reproduce or reflect the experience in music. Psychedelic music is intended to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs; artists aim to capture the positive feelings of euphoria and add new sonic dimensions to musicianship. Psychedelic rock often uses distorted electric guitars, sitars, synthesizers, percussion instruments, and rapidly changing time signatures that sometimes approach improvisational jazz.
The Hippie Movement
The Hippie Movement was a social, political, and cultural movement that emerged in the late 1960s. The Movement marked a significant change in society, with an emphasis on peace, love, and freedom. Psychedelic rock was a music genre that was popularized by the hippies and is known for its trippy, mind-altering sound.
The beginning of the Hippie Movement
The Hippie Movement started in the United States in the early 1960s and reached its peak in the mid-1960s. It was a time of great social and political change, as well as a time of great creativity in the arts. The hippies were a counterculture, rejecting the traditional values of their parents and grandparents. They advocated peace, love, and freedom, and they believed in the power of music to change the world.
Psychedelic rock was the music of the hippies. It was inspired by Eastern mysticism and African music, and it sought to create an altered state of consciousness. Psychedelic rock artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane created extended jams that took listeners on a trip. They also used mind-altering drugs such as LSD to enhance their own experiences and those of their fans.
The hippies were also known for their fashion sense. They favored bell-bottom jeans, tie-dye shirts, and sandals. They let their hair grow long, and they often wore flowers in their hair. The hippies shared a belief in peace, love, and freedom, and they used these values to challenge the mainstream culture.”
The influence of Psychedelic Rock on the Hippie Movement
Psychedelic rock, sometimes referred to as simply Psychedelia, is a style of rock music influenced by Psychedelic culture and attempting to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of Psychedelic drugs. Psychedelic rock often uses new recording techniques and effects, electronic instruments, and improvised instrumentation.
Psychedelic music first became known in the United States and Britain in the late 1960s when it was developed by bands such as the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Cream, Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and the 13th Floor Elevators. The genre was also represented by less successful but influential bands such as Love, The Doors, The Yardbirds, Buffalo Springfield,Country Joe and the Fishand Vanilla Fudge. The early psychedelic sound was typified by extended solosand improvisation.
In 1967, the term “psychedelic” was first used to describe music by Billboard magazine critic Everett Morton. This era saw an increase in pop music’s audience due to baby boomers’ coming of age as well as increased television coverage of popular music acts. The style began to lose its luster by 1969-70 as new wave acts like David Bowie , Roxy Music , Lou Reed , Velvet Underground , Iggy Pop , Patti Smith and Television broke through with their own brand of art punk / glam rock . Though not nearly as successful commercially as psychedelic rock’s first wave during 1967–1969 , many of these second-wave psychedelic bands would have a significant impact on subsequent punk rock .
The End of the Hippie Movement
The hippie movement was a social, political, and cultural movement that began in the early 1960s and peaked in the mid-1970s. The movement was originally youth-oriented and anti-war, but it quickly spread to include people of all ages and became more focused on issues of peace, love, and personal freedom. Psychedelic rock, a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s, was closely associated with the hippie movement and helped to bring about its end.
The factors that led to the end of the Hippie Movement
The end of the hippie movement is usually associated with the summer of love in 1967, when the hippie culture began to be co-opted by the commercial interests of the music and fashion industries. However, there were a number of factors that led to the eventual demise of the hippie movement.
One of the most important factors was the increasing use of hard drugs such as LSD and methamphetamine by members of the hippie subculture. This created a rift between those who saw drug use as an essential part of the hippie lifestyle and those who felt that it was counter-productive to their goals.
As the 1960s progressed, many members of the hippie movement became disillusioned with what they saw as the hypocrisy and materialism of mainstream society. They began to drop out of society altogether, living in communes or on remote farms.
The Vietnam War was another factor that led to the end of the hippie movement. Hippies were strongly opposed to America’s involvement in Vietnam, and their protests became increasingly militant as the war dragged on.
Finally, by the early 1970s, disco music and culture had replaced psychedelic rock and Hippie culture as America’s youth obsession, leaving little room for hippies in mainstream society.
The legacy of the Hippie Movement
The Hippie Movement was a youth-driven cultural revolution that took place in the United States during the mid-1960s. The movement originated on college campuses but quickly spread to major cities across the country. The hippies were known for their anti-establishment views, their countercultural lifestyle, and their embrace of psychedelic drugs.
The Hippie Movement had a profound impact on American society and culture. The movement helped to popularize leftist political ideals, increase public awareness of environmental issues, and promote the use of mind-altering drugs. In addition, the Hippie Movement helped to shape the mainstream music industry and spawn a new genre of music known as psychedelic rock.
Despite its many positive accomplishments, the Hippie Movement ultimately failed to bring about lasting social change. The hippies were largely assimilated into the mainstream by the early 1970s, and the movement faded from prominence. Nevertheless, the legacy of the Hippie Movement can still be seen in contemporary American culture.
