Music is one of the most powerful tools of influence as well as expression in the society. Over centuries, humans have used music to pass different messages concerning different aspects of life, for instance, love, politics, crime, fashion, crime, poverty, riches, different types of discrimination, identity among others (Crozier, 1997). Music has been used to motivate as well as criticize different activities or rather practices in the society. Songwriters of different times sang about different themes depending on what was trending during their times.
The 1960's and the 1970's were years of political protests, eyebrow-raising fashion, sexual liberation, psychedelic drugs and sweet music. Civil unrest and fight for change were major factors in the society during the two decades. Americans, for instance, took on the issues of women's rights, civil rights, Vietnam War, and the environment. Just like the civil war and the great civil war of the late 1920's and early 1930's, these social changes led to the production of a number of songs with some remaining popular up to today. Many radical ideas arose in the 1960s and gained broad acceptance in 1970s. The events of the times were reflected in music and literature as well as in fashion and other entertainment arts such as movies. One huge change impacting cultures across the world in the 1970's was the growth of women's rights. The women made their way out of the kitchen into workplaces. Movements, particularly anti-war and anti-racism ones arose during these decades. The ‘Rock n Roll' spreading from the US marked the arrival of youth rebellion. Music in this decade had a hint of rebellion. A new wave of folk and R&B revivals dominated suiting the political protests characterized years. Singers such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez were a great influence during the time. Dylan's ‘Blowing in the Wind' became a civil rights anthem. Music was a vehicle for social change during this decade. The protest songs and the psychedelia during this century were soundtracks to anti-war marches and a sexual revolution. Dylan's second album ‘The Freewheeling' of 1963 put him on the map as a major artist. African-Americans began to dominate and develop the R&B sound. James Brown released ‘Papa Got a Brand New Bag' in 1965 and ‘I Got You' later the same year. Funk continued to rise in popularity and was influenced by psychedelia giving rise to great bands such as Funkadelic and Parliament. Informed by the R&B, The Beatles in Britain created their musical style involving a blend of clear melodies and complex rhythms. One of the greatest British hits dominating the decade was ‘From me to You.' Soul music also arose with one of its greatest artists being Motown in Detroit with a gospel-rooted new style.
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Drugs influenced music greatly in the 1960s (Holland, 1999). Psychedelics and downers especially marijuana and LSD had much influence on psychedelia. The music influenced by drugs was characterized by dreamy and erratic sound. It made use of emerging technology in sound effects and guitar and was amplified. Lyrically, the songs were about love, oneness, sexual liberation, freedom, literature and sometimes nonsensical. Others like Marvin Gaye sang about police brutality.
The 1970s were dominated by Soft Rock, Hard Rock, Disco, Pop as well as the Funk, Soul and R&B music. The late 1970's witnessed the birth of ‘Hip-hop.' This decade was a golden era of vinyl records with the likes of David Bowie, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin. Technology in this era was more advanced compared to that in the 1960s making music more experimental than it was before. Music equipment was finally giving artists more tracks to work with. The floppy disc was discovered in the 1970s. The invention of the videocassette recorder also promoted music since it was affordable for almost everyone to acquire. Jumbo jets increased flight range enabling singers to perform in many places across the world. Other inventions that enhanced music and its impacts include email in 1971, Skylab in 1973, and barcode scanner in 1974. Among the most popular artists were Elton John and the Jackson Five. Great music festivals, for instance, Woodstock were canceled due to the inherent danger of attending violent crowds and drug abuse. Disco music, however, prompted the opening of many dance clubs whereby people especially the youth interacted and promoted unity and equality.
Disco fell out of fashion in 1980's as dance music took over. Rock music, however, continued to enjoy a wide audience. Following the turmoil of the 1960s and 1970s, many Americans had been left frustrated. Their trust and confidence towards their government and fellow citizens had been greatly undermined. Americans' idealistic dreams had been destroyed by inflation, escalating crime and foreign policy troubles by the end of Jimmy Carter's presidency. To cope up with the situation, Americans opted for a new conservatism in the social, economic and political way of living under the administration of President Reagan. The 1980s are known for materialism and consumerism as well as the rise of the ‘yuppie' culture. Many people including the youth were enjoying good pay. They were, therefore, able to hit the bars, spend on designer clothes and other forms of luxuries. The music scene in this decade was therefore much about image. With the introduction of the Music Television in 1981, an artist's image mattered now more than ever. The 1980s re-introduced many genres such as heavy metal, hip-hop, hair metal, the advent of new wave and rap music. Music in this decade created a great gap as far as peoples' financial status was concerned. Pop stars became affluent. They were seeking to prove that they could be generous and could tackle certain causes. They also participated in charity work, for example, ‘We Are the World,' ‘Live Aid,' and ‘Farm Aid' concerts. Examples of best selling artists of the 1980s include Michel Jackson, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Queen among others. Technology advancements supporting music production in the 1980s include the invention of the Compact Disk, Digital Audio Cassette, and the Walkman.
The 1990's and 2000's did not spawn any radically new genre of pop music (Kiger, 2014). Instead, styles were morphed and merged making the music of these decades’ sound both edgy and familiar. A good example of such music is the grunge of the early 1990's popularized by bands such as Pearl Jam and Nirvana which is a hybrid of punk and hard rock. The lyrics of the 1990s songs sounds to express a downbeat and self-deprecating irony, for example, ‘I feel Stupid and Contagious,' and ‘Smells like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana and Cobain respectively. The music in the 1990s promoted a culture that adored the young age. Rap music took over the 1990s with rappers such as Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg dominating. The main themes of the rap songs were drugs, crime struggles of the youth especially African-America and success or rather acquiring wealth. Reggae and Country music was also played a lot during the 1990s, the central themes being love, freedom, and unity that the people were enjoying in this decade.
The first decade of the 21st century was just like an advancement of the 1990s. Music was till about drugs, life struggles of young people, wealth accumulation, and love. Like the 90's, music styles have been merged and sound edgy and at the same time familiar. Technology however improved much and enabled quality music videos and audios. Cell phones and computers became readily available for almost everyone. The internet developed and people become more familiar with it. Social media, for example, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram became a major platform for interaction and for artists to market their work.
References
Crozier, W. R. (1997). Music and Social Influence, 67-83 . New York: Oxford University Press.
Holland, G. (1999). The 1960s, 63-90 . San Diego: Lucent Books.
Kiger, P., J. (2014). The 90's: Music. Retrieved From http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/the- 90s-the-last-great-decade/articles/the-90s-music/
