Rock History- The '60s

JACLYN LICCONE
Nov 7, 2016
3 min read

Soul music was big in the 60s because it reflected the search for African American identity. The term soul had been used by African Americans during the 1950s to suggest the essence of being an African American.

James Brown was known as “The Godfather of Soul." He was the hardest working man in show biz and brought R&B into Soul. He was also associated with early ‘70s Funk.

The most important labels to promote soul were: •VEE Jay in Chicago •Stax and Volt in Memphis

•Atlantic Records in New York •Motown in Detroit •Philadelphia International in Philadelphia

ATLANTIC RECORDS was big in the '60s. Initial success of soul is attributed to Atlantic Records. Founders of the label are Ahmet Ertegun & Herb Abramson with producer Jerry Wexler. Some of Atlantic's major soul artists were Ray Charles, "The Genius of Soul" and Aretha Franklin, "First Lady of Soul." Both artists were very powerful because they had a lot of rare talent.

MOTOWN in the '60s was founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. Distinct “Motown Sound” reflected and furthered the integration of African Americans into White America Many Motown artists were teens from Detroit that Gordy specially groomed and cultivated to make acceptable to mainstream America. Motown had stylists, producers, musicians and songwriters, all in house. Berry Gordy could create and control the whole creative process, much like automobile assembly in Detroit. Big MoTown artists included The Supremes, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, and Marvin Gaye.

FOLK MUSIC in the '60s created social awareness through music. Folk music targeted 18-24 year olds and involved acoustic instruments only. Folk musicians HATED artificiality, electric guitars, and studio techniques associated with the ‘kid music’ that Rock’n’Roll had become.

Bob Dylan was the ultimate folk singer. His 1963 album “Freewheelin’Bob Dylan” was the first all original folk album. His no-nonsense lyrics represent the confidence and optimism of the Youth Movement.

Other folk artists included Peter, Paul & Mary. Joan Baez, Richie Havens, and The Kingston Trio.

Bob Dylan started the Folk Rock Era in 1965 at the Newport folk festival when he unveiled his new electric sound to the folk community. People were not happy about this and booed him. But nothing stops Dylan. Because of his folk rock debut, other artists because involved in the folk rock genre. These artists were The Byrds, The Lovin' Spoonful, Sonny & Cher, and Simon and Garfunkel.

THE BRITISH INVASION

The Beatles/Beatlemania

•Beatlemania = result of baby boomer generation

•Beatlemaniacs were more than 43 million youth born between 1947 and 1957.

•The mass hysteria of Beatlemania could only occur during the mid-1960s when the majority of the baby boomers were old enough to become interested in music.

•The wholesome image appealed to the white middle class

•American Teenagers were frightened/confused by assassination of JFK and the riots of the civil rights movements.

•The fun-loving Beatles seemed a perfect antidote to the pessimism that had engulfed america after the death of JFK.

•Teenagers seemed to be searching for an identity and latched onto the Beatles as a symbol of unity.

The Ed Sullivan Show was the Beatles first U.S. performance.

73 million Americans watched. 60% of all television viewers at that time.

The Rolling Stones

•Blues influenced Rock band.

•Named after Muddy Waters song “Rolling Stone.”

•After the Beatles success in America, The Rolling Stones were their closest rival.

•Rolling Stones had opposite attitude of the Beatles- they wore what they wanted, they looked “scraggly,” they did their best to repulse adult society

The Who

Mod image

•Clean cut ivy league, fashion conscious, opposite the rolling stones.

•Initially played Chicago blues

•The band became popular when they started writing their own songs.

•Their songs captured the anger and rebelliousness of english youth.

•Band became popular in America after performing at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967

1960's California

•Surf music is born out of the California

Main Artists:

Dick Dale Jan and Dean The Beach Boys

By 1963, an estimated 100,000 surfers hit the beaches per weekend