Beginning on January 1st 1960 and ending on December 31st 1969, the era that was the 1960's is often known just as “The Sixties”, denoting an era when cultural and political trends took precedence. Seen as the “cultural decade”, the time frame of “The Sixties” is slightly different – beginning around 1963 and ending in approximately 1974.
The decade is known as one of great excess and flamboyance in all manner of areas – music, fashion, radical political change and the fall or relaxation of some of the social taboos, especially relating to racism and sexism, with the 1960's being known as the decade of the sexual revolution.
Numerous assassinations happened in the 1960's, most notably those of John F. Kennedy in November 1963, Malcolm X in February 1965, Martin Luther King in April 1968 and Robert F. Kennedy in June of 1968.
Numerous movements sprung up – the anti-war movement opposing the US involvement in the Vietnam War, the emergence of the Black Power Movement and the Hispanic and Chicano Movement which fought to end racial discrimination.
With a second wave of feminism rising to prominence in the 1960's, along with the Gay rights movement, the decade became known for having the Summer of Love in San Francisco in 1967 and the Woodstock Festival in upstate New York in 1967.
Psychedelic drugs such as LSD became popular with this psychedelic movement having its influence across music, films and art with many prominent musicians dying of drug overdoses during those ten years. There was also a growing interest in Eastern religions and philosophy, with communes being formed that varied from supporting free love to religious puritanism.
Music in 1960's entered an era of “all hits” as numerous artists released recordings and radio stations tended to play only the most popular of the records that were made.
Motown Records was formed in the 1960's, The Beatles arrived in America in 1964 starting the invasion of British bands to the US and then worldwide. The decade became synonymous with artists such as The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, the Byrds, Otis Redding, the Bee Gees, The Who and Simon and Garfunkel, amongst others.
Listen in to the new sixties show every Wednesday night with Graham Dene here at www.lovesongs247.com