The decades of the 1950s and 60s, with their unprecedented openness, naturally ushered in a new generation and a new era of censorship as well. The main questionable issues between these decades were freedom of speech, political protest, cultural radicalism, drugs, sex, literature, and of course, music (Garry 21).

Rock and roll began as a symbol of integration, as an interracial music with the participation of performers and consumers of both races (Winfield 3). It was still the 1950s, and America was not yet ready for such integration. For example, as Winfield states on page 13, “black music” was not accepted by society. To be financially successful, black music was introduced into popular culture with white “covers”. Many black musicians, such as Little Richard and Bo Diddley, received little or no compensation when their songs were recorded by whites (13).

Bob Dylan was also a hugely influential folk singer in the sixties. Dylan’s “Times They Are A-Changin’”, released in February of 1964, warned the older generation that they might be drowned in a youth-inspired social revolution. Dylan pleaded with parents to be more tolerant of the differences between generations and to accept a newer ideology. Dylan also wrote songs about several different political issues, such as James Meredith’s struggle to enter the University of Mississippi in ’62 (“Oxford Town”) and the Cuban missile crisis (“Hard Rain A-Gonna Fall”). Dylan’s second album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, was supposed to include the song “Talkin’ John Birch Society Blues”, but Columbia Records would not include the cut, fearing an adverse reaction from the right-wing group (McWilliams 106). When the CBS television network would not permit Dylan to sing “John Birch” on the Ed Sullivan Show, Dylan cancelled his appearance (106).

The generation of the 1950s had Elvis Presley and a new kind of music called rock and roll. In the sixties, hippies, protestors, rock bands, and rebellious writers all helped to define a new generation that was extremely different than that of the prior decade. Rock music of the 1960s and seventies rebelled against the authority of the establishment and attempted to create a generational identity for its listeners (Garry 10). Music pushed to limits that which had been designated as taboo by the older generation and it endured as that generation’s music as long as it continued to stomp on social rules and authority (10).

Pete Seeger was considered responsible for popularizing folk music in the United States. Seeger, along with many other folk artists, had limited performance opportunities because of his left-wing political beliefs. After he was called to testify before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1955, Seeger refused to answer questions about how he felt politically. HUAC was a government organization that investigated the influence of Communism in the entertainment business. Seeger was asked to testify because individuals related to HUAC had reason to believe that he was a Communist. Seeger invoked the First Amendment guaranteeing freedom of speech rather than the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. In 1961, the House of Representatives found him guilty of ten contempt charges and sentenced him to ten years in prison. The United States court of appeals reversed Seeger’s conviction later in 1961, but television still banned him. For example, ABC refused to allow him to appear on its network unless he would sign an affidavit indicating his political affiliations. Seeger refused to do so and therefore remained banned from ABC (McWilliams 125).

B

Some topics in this essay:
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