Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll Essay Example

“Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n’ Roll” The “Swinging Sixties” was a decade of new developments changing ideals that ranged from women’s movements, to “the New Left,” and to the musical scene of Rock ‘n’ Roll. These important progressions began the counterculture and social revolution among the youth in the United States. The counterculture ideals and visions were brought about by the extraordinary explosion of creative thought through music and other forms of art. The music scene, that overwhelmed the country, allowed for the culture’s expression of the social upheavals caused by the events overwhelming the country. The popular Rock ‘n’ Roll music, along with the bands themselves, during the “Swinging Sixties” had a great deal of influence that affected the counterculture, the psychedelic scene, and the endless concerts/festivals from the beginning of the decade up until the early seventies. The origin of Rock ‘n’ Roll, which dominated the music scene in the sixties, dates back to the late fifties and early sixties with the underlying roots of folk, rhythm & blues, gospel, country, and jazz. Rock ‘n’ Roll, along with all types of music during the decade, influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. Furthermore, Rock ‘n’ Roll became a steady underbeat of political activity which offers some acclaim for the help of the civil rights movement along with other movements. Likewise, musical artists were influenced by the political events and the lifestyles of their audience in writing their lyrics. With this sway, Rock ‘n’ Roll became known as a “weapon of cultural revolution” spanning the country from coast to coast (227, Takin’ It to The Streets). In the early stages of this new revolution of Rock ‘n’ Roll and early years of the Sixties, the beginning bands were more laid back and relaxed. Taking the Sixties by storm in nineteen sixty-two was the sensation known as the Beatles. In nineteen sixty-four, the Beatles’ influence over the youth