Question by nicktolleson: What role did music play in the counterculture movement of 1968?
Was it inspirational? Did it bring people together? Did it help inform a generation of the problems of society? Did the music have a political message, or was it simply an attempt to make sense of a crazy world? I’m doing an essay in my “revolution of 1968” class, so I’m trying to narrow a topic down. The music aspect has me interested, so I’m hoping to somehow focus on it.
Best answer:
Answer by million$gon
The media and the ‘establishment’ was always talking like there was only one perspective, a common problem and one solution — war. Popular music let young people know that’s not whole truth, and not the only solution. The music was partly protest, partly teaching people to realize the wastefullness and inappropriateness of war as a solution, and that mainstream media and the establishment had it wrong, though they presented themselves as right and forced the assumption that theirs was the only perpective. Counterculture music promoted understanding of the wastefulness and injustice of war, promoted peace, and so many young people catching on let them feel they were a siginificant lobby, not to be ignored.
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