1960'S Music Trends Essay

In the early 1960s, there was a fragmentation of the music market. No one particular form of music style seemed to dominate the other. The two different styles I have chosen to discuss are folk music and surfing music. Both had an impact on the youth of the 1960’s in their own ways. I will discuss these two trends and how they each affected different youth cultures.
First, we will discuss the impact that folk music had on the youth of the 1960’s. Folk music was a style of music that addressed major issues that were taking place in society at that time. Much of how the 1960’s are remembered is associated with our involvement in Vietnam, the racial discrimination issues, and at the center was politics. It was a time of unrest and unknown. Folk music of this time prompted a youth of the 1960’s that were now a more serious and thoughtful listener. They became more discontent with these issues and began to take action in the form of protesting and activism.
Not only did these artists and their music make an impact by provoking thought and action in its listeners, it also provoked change in physical appearance. The youth of the 1960’S would often dress according to the subculture in which related most closely with. For example, the urban folk listener resembled a very clean cut, collegiate look. The “folknik” listener on the other hand would tend to have facial hair and were more closely associated with the “hippie” style.
Next, we will discuss how the surfing style of music made an impact on the youth of the 1960’s. Surfing music was made popular by such artist as Jan and Dean and the Beach Boys. This style of music appealed to the more carefree youth. These listeners took little interest in the major issues in society; they were mainly focused on having fun.
Surfing music allowed the listener to dream about the sandy beaches, fast cars, swimming in the ocean, and beach bodies. Although this music style was mainly found on the west coast, it was not isolated....