After World War II, there was a ‘baby boom’ in the West as soldiers returned home, married and had large families. By the 1960s, these children were reaching their teenage years. Thanks to free education in many countries, these young people were better educated than in previous generations. Also, the economies of most Western countries boomed in the 1950s and 1960s, so people had a lot more money to spend than their parents had at the same age.
Young people developed their own tastes in music, fashion and entertainment. This became known as youth culture. Very often, it seemed they favoured things that seemed to reject the values of their parents’ generation. They expressed their difference from what came before through their music and dress.
Music
For the fi rst time, musicians produced music that was deliberately aimed at young people. Pop stars recorded music that was bought in huge quantities by teenagers. This new ‘pop music’ sounded different and addressed topics that made adults uncomfortable: love, sex, drugs and personal freedom. Many musicians also wrote about the diffi cult political issues of the day in their music. Many older people criticised this music for encouraging what they thought was socially unacceptable behaviour, but this endeared it to teenagers even more. Some very popular 1960s music acts were:
• The Beatles • The Rolling Stones • Bob Dylan • The Doors • Dusty Springfi eld
• The Supremes • Elvis Presley • Aretha Franklin • Janis Joplin • Jimi Hendrix
Janis Joplin In this
topic, you will learn about:
The emergence of youth culture Music of the 1960s Fashion in the 1960s
