The Pop Culture of the

Early 1960s
What was the major cultural influences of the early
1960’s?

How did popular music change during the early

1960’s?
 How did popular culture start to
change in the early 1960’s?
•  During the 1950’s,
American culture was all
about conformity
–  A common culture
–  Group mentality

•  During the early 1960’s,

the rise of teen culture /
mass media was creating
diversity & conflict
Suburban Life of the 1950’s
Consumerism
The Birth of the Automotive Culture
The Growth of Television
Development of 1950’s Social Norms…
Emerging Teen Culture
How were cultural norms / values
changing in the early 1960s?
•  For the first time in almost 30
years, American were
economically stable
–  All their needs were
satisfied
–  All their wants were
satisfied

•  Many Americans started to

struggle with their new found
prosperity / should they be
doing more?
 Sociologist Daniel Bell: The Cultural
Contradictions of Capitalism
•  Post-WWII U.S. culture was caught between two
contradictory sets of social values:
1.  Early industrial values of hard work, thrift,
moderation, discipline, and delayed
gratification from the 1930s & 1940s
2.  Post-industrial values, with an emerging
emphasis on personal pleasure, self-expression,
consumerism, materialism, and instant
gratification (1950s – 1970s)

•  Bell believed that this constant conflict of values

would inevitable lead to a less moral, more divisive
society (dangerous for the Cold War)
How was teen culture affected by
this cultural shift?
•  Teens of the early 1960s
had never known poverty
like their parents (WWII
generation)

•  This drove a kind of

ideology in this new
generation
–  Fight the wrongs in
American society
–  Discover who they
were as people
Youth Movement in the Civil
Rights Movement
The Fight Against Poverty
The Fight for the Environment
How did popular culture showcase this changing
of cultural perspective?
•  Many cultural mediums
helped to showcase the
diversity / discussion of the
early 1960’s
–  Television
–  Movies
–  Popular literature

•  Many of these forums helped

to break cultural / social
taboos from the 1950’s
 TV Talk Shows

Open End
(1958-1986)

David Susskind
The Beginning of the TV sitcom
The Beginning of the TV sitcom
The Beginning of the TV sitcom
Making Their Lives Better?
Daytime Dramas
TV Westerns
The Police Drama
The Optimistic Future?
TV’s Slightly Strange?
Popular Movies: Expensive Blockbusters
Popular Movies: Beach Flicks
Popular Movies: Romantics Comedies
Popular Movies: Break Social Norms
Popular Movies: Bond…James Bond
TV “Bond” Spin-Offs
Popular Movies: Cold War Paranoia
Popular Literature: Push Boundaries
Popular Literature: Guilt / Morality / Fear
Popular Literature: Fed Up with
Traditional Norms
How did gender roles change during
the early 1960s?
•  In 1950’s, traditional gender
roles were rigidly defined
–  Home & Workplace
–  Roles of Men & Women

•  Early 1960’s, women’s roles in

the workplace / culture started
to change
–  “Career Girls”
–  Changing relationships
(dating, sex, fashion, etc.)
–  Changing racial dynamics
Female Independence
Breaking Social Norms
TV Empowering Women?
The Iconic Nature of “Jackie O”
“The Pill”
 The Evening Meal

1950’s
Softening of Racial Lines…to an extent
 How did politics change during
the early 1960s?
•  The politics of the early
1960’s is of course
dominated by JFK
–  “The New Frontier”

•  Even successful Republicans

(like Ike) had to be more
moderate in their politics to
be successful
–  Undertone of
conservative ideas
 -Birth of Modern Conservatism-
Barry Goldwater & The Election of 1964
How did art and fashion become
a focal point of the early 1960s?
•  Popular art started to
change to hard-edged
colors and styles
–  More abstract
–  More pop culture
oriented

•  Greatest artist of the

period was Andy Warhol
(1928-1987)
Andy Warhol (1928-1987)
Early 1960s “Pop Art”
Popular “fads”: Civil Defense
Popular “fads”: Surfing
Popular “fads”: Phone Booth Stuffing
How did art and fashion become
a focal point of the early 1960s?
•  Women’s fashion in the
early 1960’s was getting
more seductive
–  Shorter skirts
–  More form fitting

•  For men, suits & ties

started to become more
colorful and bright
Women’s Fashion: Tailored Suits
Women’s Fashion: The Miniskirt
Women’s Fashion: Clamdiggers
Women’s Fashion: The Bikini
 Female Hairstyles

Pixie Hairstyle
Men’s Fashion: Suits & Tie
Men’s Hairstyles
 How did popular music change
during the early 1960s?
•  With rock ‘n’ roll on the back
burner, the early 1960s was a
time for new genres to take
shape
–  Teen idols
–  Crooners
–  Folk Music
–  Soul Music

•  American music will be rather

subdued until 1964
Early 1960s Teen Idols
The Most Popular Music: “The Rat Pack”
Early 1960’s Folk Music:
Greenwich Village (NYC)
 Dave Van Ronk (1936-2002)
“The Mayor of MacDougal Street”
The Kingston Trio (1957-1967)
Joan Baez (1941- )
Peter, Paul, and Mary (1961-1970)
Bob Dylan (1941- )
1960’s Coffeehouse Scene
Motown Records / Artists
Aretha Franklin (1942- )
What changed the course of popular music
in the US in the early 1960s?
•  Throughout the early 1960’s,
American rock ‘n’ roll had
been popular in Europe
–  Many European artists
tried to mimic it

•  In 1963, British artists started

signing to US record
companies
–  “The British Invasion”
THE BEATLES!!!!!
 Who were the Beatles?
•  Considered one of the
most influential bands of
the 20th Century
–  1960 – 1970
–  Liverpool, England

•  Heavily influenced by
1950’s American rock /
helped to set musical
trends of the next decade
The Founders: John Lennon & Paul
McCartney
The Beatles in Hamburg,
Germany (1950’s)
Commercial Success in England (1960)
BEATLEMANIA!!!!
Coming to America!!! (1963)
The Beatles Cultural Impact
 What is the lasting legacy of the
early 1960s?
•  Despite its optimism, the early
1960’s was a forgotten period
–  Overshadowed by the late
1960’s
–  Set the stage for the later
part of the decade

•  Legacy?
–  More diversity
–  Pushing the boundaries
–  Revolutionizing music