Examples of Music

How did the examples you provided influence American culture?

Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones, 1965

During this era, this song expressed the frustration and anger felt by many young people. Unlike the more accepted music of the time, the Rolling Stones were considered rebellious and spoke directly to the worries of a generation dealing with the looming threat of war. Referred to as a “complaint” (Schultze, 1991), this song addressed these concerns and aimed to engage young listeners. It provided an outlet for their anxieties and encouraged them to challenge societal norms. This paved the way for future music movements like punk, new wave, and hard core, reflecting a division within both music and the broader culture.

Schultze, Q. J. (1991). Dancing in the Dark: Youth, Popular Culture, and the Electronic Media . Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.

What’s Going On? – Marvin Gaye, 1971

This song was released as the civil rights movement was seeing violent reactions and the Vietnam War was raging. Although the song did not necessarily create anger or resentment in the audience, it did speak to the issues that were happening and who was being hurt by the decisions made by others (Lynskey, 2011). The performance served as an anthem to those who were feeling powerless and gave them a rallying cry to keep working for change. Although popular music was inherently political, the artists that followed were inspired to address issues in culture directly.

Lynskey, D. (2011). 33 Revolutions per Minute: A History of Protest Songs, from Billie Holiday to Green Day . HarperCollins.