| The 1960s decade refers to the years from the | | | | merged into popular music. Dylan though was one of |
| beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. However, the | | | | few artists that did not jump on the psychedelic |
| term also refers to an era more often called The | | | | bandwagon. However, his efforts at the time inspired |
| Sixties, which denotes the complexity of inter-related | | | | countless bands that did. |
| cultural and political trends in the west, particularly | | | | The first psychedelic bands came from San Francisco, |
| United States, Britain, France, Canada, Brazil, Australia, | | | | and some of these were the Grateful Dead, Jefferson |
| Spain, Italy, and West Germany. Nevertheless, political | | | | Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company. |
| turmoil was not limited to these countries, but also | | | | Nevertheless, it did not take long before the |
| included nations like for example Japan and Mexico. | | | | psychedelic aesthetic spread musically to other places |
| "The Sixties" as they are known in popular culture in | | | | such as New York, where band like The Fugs and the |
| the United States, is a term often used nostalgically to | | | | Velvet Underground, Sly and the Family Stone and the |
| describe the counter-culture and social revolution; and | | | | Chambers Brothers were inspired and in England |
| pejoratively to describe the era as one of irresponsible | | | | bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, among |
| excess and flamboyance. Also the decade has been | | | | others, began producing the same kind of music. |
| labeled the Swinging Sixties because of the libertine | | | | During this period music entered and era of "all hits", as |
| attitudes that emerged during this decade. | | | | an abundant number of artists released recordings |
| Experimental drug use became tightly associated with | | | | beginning in the 1950s, as 45-rpm singles, and the radio |
| the counter-culture of the era, as pointed out by | | | | stations most of the time only played the most popular |
| Jefferson Airplane co-founder Paul Kantner: "If you | | | | of the large number of records being made. Also, |
| can remember anything about the sixties, you weren't | | | | bands most of the time only recorded the best of their |
| really there." | | | | songs to have a better shot at getting radio play. |
| There is no doubt the 1960s have become | | | | Among the best examples of American listeners |
| synonymous with all the new, exciting, radical and | | | | expanding from the folksinger, doo-wop and |
| subversive events and trends of the period, which | | | | saxophone sounds of the 1950s and evolving to |
| continued to develop in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and | | | | include psychedelic music is the developments of the |
| beyond. Also in Africa the period was an important | | | | Motown Sound, "folk rock" and the British Invasion of |
| one as considerable political change was brought | | | | bands from the U.K. |
| about. Altogether 32 countries gained independence | | | | There is no doubt that the rise of the counterculture, |
| from their European colonial rulers during this period. | | | | particularly among the youth created a huge market |
| By some commentators it has been pointed out that | | | | for rock, soul, pop, reggae and blues music produced |
| this era was a classical Jungian nightmare cycle since | | | | by drug-culture influenced bands like the The Beatles, |
| a rigid culture, unable to contain the demands for | | | | The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Cream, |
| greater individual freedom, broke free of the social | | | | The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, |
| constraints of the previous age through extreme | | | | Bob Marley, Deep Purple, The Who, Sly and the Family |
| deviation from the norm. A vivid example is the rise, | | | | Stone and Jimi Hendrix Experience also was helping to |
| success, fall/nightmare and explosion in the London | | | | create folk rock. |
| scene of the 1960s. However, as pointed out, this does | | | | The sixties are today celebrated by some of the |
| not alone explain the mass nature of the phenomenon. | | | | people, who remember the freedom and good times |
| During this period in time rock music became the most | | | | they had during this time in history, but the period is also |
| popular way of defining the new hippie aesthetic, and | | | | widely celebrated by younger people all over the |
| the style that arose with the stark, swirling colors and | | | | world, who have made the period an important part of |
| hallucinogenic imagery was coined with the term | | | | their life by adopting the aesthetics, buying the records, |
| psychedelic. Among others Bob Dylan demonstrated | | | | wearing the clothes and approaching life with the open |
| that expressive songs with surrealist imagery could be | | | | and free attitude which characterized this period. |