Protest Songs In The 1960's Essay

In the 1960’s, protest songs were more popular than the protest songs of previous decades. While political music existed before the 1960’s, these protest songs often appealed to only small groups within society. For this reason, much of this protest music, especially that regarding the labor movement, did not reach the widespread popularity that protest songs enjoyed during the sixties. The example by Pete Seeger as mentioned before was really only designed to be an anthem for union members. As a result, “it had little appeal for nonunion members” (Gitlin, 1987). Essentially, “limiting the applicability of the song, and decreasing its widespread popularity” (Fox & Williams, 1974).

The limited popularity of protest music did a complete U-turn in the 1960’s. This reversal was a result both of political events such as the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, which affected the entire nation, unlike the labor movement protest decade early, which was only really important to industrial workers and factory owners. In addition, music in the

1960’s had a much more efficient distribution system than was previously available. College students and teens would take these records and actually depict the entirety of the lyrics. The music gave them an understanding of what they were feeling during this time. Moreover, music charts made it even more possible for protest songs to be played across the country, creating a single mainstream music culture. This allowed songs to be easily distributed across the entire country, giving them a massive audience that could produce great social and political change.
“These factors let protest songs enter the primarily pop music charts and spread political commentaries and ideas” (Garofalo, 1992). For example, in 1965, Barry McGuire’s song “Eve of Destruction” reached number one in the US Hot 100 music chart. As I listened to the song I was stuck by the vivid depictions of war and chaos about the atomic age which instantly resonated in my mind. As I played the song to more people they also had a profound impact. My roommate even stated that the lyrics where extremely relatable since presently we have a fear of nuclear warfare. She just like the youth of the 1960’s was able to have a deep connection with the song even though it was from two different parallels and time frames. Similarly, Bob Seger 1960’s “2+2=?” also reached number one on the same chart. The song speaks unflinchingly to the perspective of someone whose high school buddy went to Vietnam and is now “bound in the mud in foreign jungle land” (Seger, 1968). Many high school and college students were drafted into one of America’s most horrific wars. Coupled with stories and visual images from TV showed just how brutal the Vietnam War truly was. Many teens and young adults during this decade came to rely on protest music like Seger song to understand what they were feeling in the inside and encouraged them to make a change. Therefore, I can see why this song was number one across music charts since it gave its listeners a huge aesthetic awaking to protest for the end of the Vietnam War.
Protest music is defined as “music that discusses or protests the current social and political state” (Phull, 2008).

During the 1960’s, protest music had reached greater national popularity than ever before. In addition, radio and vinyl took protest music to a whole new level since it allowed the music to be distributed more widely than before. This emphasized its political effect. However, was the protest music caused by the politics of the time, or did protest music have its own effect in influencing and creating political events? This issue has been argued extensively both ways, although the dominant argument is that the politics caused protest music. However, one thing that is certain is that protest music is one of the most effective tools in exposing a negative system and creating massive public support for change not only in the 1960’s but other modern events such as the L.A. Riots and the Black Lives Matter

Movement.
In 1992 the L.A. riots arrived with a soundtrack already in place. Sanctioned police brutality, a grim job market, gang life, a decimated school system, and racial tensions were all being documented by West Coast rappers long before Rodney King's beating by Los Angeles Police Department officers was caught on tape. John Singleton, director of Boyz in the Hood states, that “even before the riots … voices in L.A. hip-hop were foretelling what was to come, and so many people who didn't grow up black and poor couldn't understand why it happened. You can live in a different part of L.A. and never understand that frustration. But if you listen to “F— tha Police,” you hear where they're coming from” (Robey, 2014). The protest music of rap emerged from the riots in lighting a massive audience similarly to how 1960’s protest music exploded across the nation. “F— tha Police” by NWA gave the black community not only in L.A. but across America the revelation that enough is enough. We see NWA song being chanted as mostly black youth took to the streets to fight about discriminatory policing and police brutality against minorities. Just like how the 60’s created this youth counter culture protest rap did the same in establishing and motivating black youth. They took the words of NWA song so strongly it was like it gave them the means to understand their inner emotion of being daily harassed or brutalized by cops. The strong worded lyrics in the song resonated with the listener and motivated the strong response we saw in 1992 with the L.A. Riots.
Furthermore, we can draw parallels with the Civil rights movement protest music with that of the L.A. Riots and the Black Lives Matter Movement. Bob Dylan’s, "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" from 1963 protested racism and societal injustice. The lyrics of the song are quite captivating, “that even a noble is properly handled. And that the ladder of law has no top and no bottom, stared at the person who killed for no reason… and handed out for penalty and repentance, William Zanzinger with a six month sentence” (Dylan, 1964). The song protests racism within the justice system by telling the story of a black woman killed by a white man who later only receives a six-month sentence for the murder. As I listened to the song I felt an instant emotional sadness. The lyrics painted such a vivid picture that I felt I witnessed the atrocity. However, I also felt this deep rooted anger just like the one experienced by the black youth in the L.A. Riots. The protest music in these two decades spoke volumes to many people. While each listener has a different inner response to the lyrics and the song it still has the same element to be an effective persuasion tool for change. Even though Bob Dylan’s song was released in 1963 and NWA’s in 1988 they both sparked events of protest for social injustice, racism, and the need for reform.