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The late 1960s and early 1970s, according to some observers was a time of “sex, drugs, and rock and roll.” Certainly, the period saw an explosion in the recording industry and the kinds of music that appealed to the listening public. Some identify this period as the heyday of protest music—music aimed at awakening public awareness of social issues, particularly the Vietnam conflict.
(Source: Joel Whitburn, Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1999: Chart Data Compiled from Billboard's Pop Singles Charts, 1955-1999)
1. “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”—B.J. Thomas
2. “I Want You Back”—The Jackson Five
3. “Venus”—The Shocking Blue
4. “Thank You”—Sly & the Family Stone
5. “Bridge Over Troubled Water”—Simon and Garfunkel
6. “Let It Be”—The Beatles
7. “ABC”—The Jackson 5
8. “American Woman”—The Guess Who
9. “Everything is Beautiful”—Ray Stevens
10. “The Long and Winding Road”—Beatles
Edwin Starr, War and Peace (1970)
War-huh-yeah
What is it good for?
Absolutely NOTHING!
Uh huh, Uh huh (repeat)
War-I despise
Cos it means destruction
Of innocent lives
War means tears
To thousands of mothers how
When their sons go off to fight
And lose their lives
I said
War-huh (etc)
War has caused unrest
Among the younger generation
Induction then destruction
Who wants to die?
I said
War-huh (etc)
It's an enemy of all mankind
The thought of war
Blows my mind
They say we must fight to keep our freedom
But Lord, there's just got to be a better way
War
It ain't nothing but a heartbreaker
War
Friend only to the undertaker
War
Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, So Far (1970)
Tin soldiers and Nixon’s comin,’
We’re finally on our own,
This summer I hear the drummin’—
Four dead in Ohio
Got to get down to it.
Soldiers are gunnin’ us down.
Should have been gone long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground?
How can you run when you know?
La, la, la, la
Got to get down to it.
Soldiers are gunnin’ us down.
Should have been gone long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground?
How can you run when you know?
Tin soldiers and Nixon’s comin’
We’re finally on our own
This summer I hear the drummin’
Four dead in Ohio, four dead in Ohio,
Four dead in Ohio, four dead in Ohio,
Four dead in Ohio, four dead in Ohio,
Four dead in Ohio, four dead in Ohio |
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1. Why do you think that Edwin Starr’s War was so popular?
2. What event do the vocalists memorialize in “Ohio?”
3. How many artists do you recognize in the “Top 10 Singles” list? What are the major themes in the top ten record sales? How do these themes compare with those in Edwin Starr and the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young pieces?
4. How does list of best-selling singles compare with the list of most popular movies that you have compiled? (You may wish to consult some of the websites below to find plot synopses for the films if you are not familiar with them.) How would you account for this difference?
5. Using the “Top 10” lists, was the nation’s popular culture particularly concerned about the Vietnam War or other social issues? Using these lists as an index to national attitudes, what were the nation interests in 1970? Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages generalizing about history from these sources.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum
Devoted to the history and development of rock and roll from 1950s forward
The SuperSeventies
Lists of popular culture from the 1970s with links to mini essays about items on the various lists
The Internet Movie Database
A comprehensive database of movies, including plots, cast, personnel, awards, and so forth
The All Movie Guide
A solid database of movies, including plots and lists of movie personnel in addition to a review or two
The Sixties Project & Viet Nam Generation, Inc.
Both a gateway and multimedia site for the history of the 1960s
The Wars for Viet Nam: 1945 to 1975
An elegantly designed site that includes an overview and documents relevant to both French and US involvement
Re: Vietnam: Stories Since the War
A follow-up to the PBS Vietnam Series that concentrates on participants’ reminiscences |
