Nineteen Sixties Research Paper
The Nineteen Sixties
The 1960s was the decade of change, revolution and freedom for both
Britain and America. To many the 60's are remembered as the 'swinging sixties' a golden age, which was enjoyed immensely, but others blame the 1960's for some of the failings in society.
In the mid 1950's Britain was recovering from a long period of economic hardship after a long and draining war. Shortages and austerity were still very much part of everyday life there was little mobility in Britain as most could not afford a car, the choice of radio stations could be counted on one hand all of which catered for adults not children. The concept of consumer choice was simply 'Can I afford it?' or 'do they have it in stock' the answer …show more content…
was usually no to both. Times were hard but this was soon to change.
Britain suddenly seemed to emerge from its gloom, people believed for the first time in years that they could truly leave there troubles behind them. Like the USA, Britain enjoyed full employment and rising living standards. Things seemed to change very rapidly; fashions altered continuously, becoming more extreme. Skirts became shorter and shorter whilst colours became brighter and brighter. Music also changed, artists started to challenge traditional social views. They sang rock and roll music which adults strongly disapproved of, despite which becoming extremely popular with white teenagers. They were starting to think for themselves.
During the late 1950's, early 1960's. The average wage rose by 90% and unemployment dropped dramatically to only 2%! There were many new inventions such as the television, which now, nearly everyone could afford. The newest invention of all was 'the teenager.' Even the word itself was new. In the 1940's teenagers were seen as mini adults who were expected to behave and act as there parents did. By the 1960's teenagers no longer had to follow the fashions and interests of their elders. They had their own unique style and their own views which demanded to be heard. Everything seemed to be aimed at the young
"In the 1940's daughters tried to look like their mothers, in the
1960's mothers tried to look like there daughters'
Describe popular culture in Britainat the beginning of the 1960's.
The 1960's saw a new generation emerge, a generation that took the country by storm. A generation with money to spend that manufacturers now had to cater for. -The Teenager.
In 1959 British teenagers were spending £8.00 a week (their wages) on luxuries for themselves such as clothes records, entertainment and cosmetics. This money provided them with independence and freedom, giving them a change to re-invent themselves, making them realise they no longer had to be the mirror image of their parents.
Everything was new and nothing stayed the same for a length of time.
Everything was changing. Manufactures saw potential and realised that whatever was new was going to sell. In large quantities. The teenager brought with it, new fashions, new film and television and new music.
Making Britain seem exciting bright and youthful.
Music saw a major change and revolutionised many youngsters' lives.
Teenagers demanded their own style of music, something that was different. In the mid 1950's the amount of radio stations available could be counted on one hand, all of which catered for parents not teenagers. Radio paid little attention to pop music. Radio Luxemburg was the only way for teenagers to listen to the music they wanted, reception was however, of very low quality and the sound faded out frequently. Music was a massive part of the 60's. America seemed to lead the way with the likes of Elvis Presley. His was a never before heard sound -
'rock and roll'. This was at first seen as black music sung by white artists and became extremely popular. The power of radio helped to spread this type of music. Elvis himself became the highest paid artist of all time and his hip thrusting performances were not approved off by the older generations, but as the previous statement proves, his younger audience made him extremely popular and in1956
Elvis topped the British charts. British artists followed in Americas footsteps with Marty Wilde, CliffTommy Steele, Billy Fury and Cliff
Richard (with or without the Shadows) who was described as the British version of Elvis Presley. His hits included 'Living Doll', 'Move it' and summer holiday and he is still performing today.
[IMAGE]The biggest breakthrough for Britain came in 1962 when, Ringo
Starr, George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney began performing professionally. Their music was totally unique, a mixture of rock and roll, Rhythm and Blues and Tamla Motown. With the guidance of Brian Epstein the group were transformed into the most famous pop group in history and 'Beatle mania' emerged! The Beatles unlike many others wrote and performed their own music which made them overwhelmingly successful. Ask many people about the 60's and they are bound to mention the Beatles. They were massive.
Another new invention was the television. Now that people had money nearly every household in the country had one. Before 1950 the cinema was the only form of on-screen entertainment available. The most popular films were American such as 'Ben Hur' and 'The Longest Day' both epics. Although there was also several British studios such as
Ealing, which specialised in comedies, nothing compared to American films, which truly dominated the cinema screen.
By the late 1950's cinemas and theatres were starting to close and attendances at sport matches dropped dramatically due to the invention of television. Events such as the coronation, the Grand National, the
Cup Final and the Queens Speech could now be watched live! In the comfort of your own living room. There was no need to pay to watch matches when u could sit at home and watch them in the warmth of your own armchair.
In 1955 ITV began broadcasting and by 1957 UK cinema attendances were down by 30% on 1947. And ten years later visits had dropped by a further 70%. By 1960 television was easily the most popular entertainment medium. It improved more and more each year offering-
· More feature films
· More dramas which dealt with everyday issues such as violence, homelessness and abortion. 'Cathy Gone Home' shocked the nation as it had never been done before.
· More working class soaps and comedies such as 'Coronation Street' and 'Steptoe and Son'
Slowly the British media accepted both changes in TV and music.
Therefore television and popular music boomed. The 1960's popular culture had been born; things would never be the same again.
Why did groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones have such a great impact in the 1960's?
The British music industry in the 1950's relied almost entirely on
American imported product or home grown clones. It was controlled by middle age men who were totally out of touch with the needs and wants of the youth audience and didn't realise there was a Britain outside of London.
However out of this situation a uniquely 'British' music trend emerged in the late 50's called 'Skiffle' (a kind of folk music played in a small group with rhythmic accompaniment to singing guitarist.
This style was accessible to any group of teenagers with musical inclinations, just one guitar and some vague rhythm was all that was needed. It was popularised by Glasgow born, Lonnie Donegan who became hugely popular and an inspiration to the youth of Britain. He was unknowingly responsible for starting the careers of dozens of famous musicians As well as Lonnie Donegan, 'Shadow' Hank Marvins virtuosity on the guitar was another encouragement to many young men to save up their wages, buy a guitar and form a band.
In Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Belfast and Newcastle foundations were being made for a worldwide musical and Cultural
Revolution. Liverpool had developed a music culture dramatically different to London. London may as well have been the other side of the world. These kids loved Rock 'N Roll and Rhythm 'N Blues.
By the early 60's in these cities a large and highly competitive band scene emerged in which hundreds of local bands battled to gain the attention of discerning young audiences, hungry fir anything authentic and new.
The music produced in Liverpool was a mixture of American product performed with a touch of the Mersey Humor and individualism.
Youngsters were producing the sort of sound they wanted to hear. They were now playing it loud enough that the music executives in London had to take notice of what was happening and refer to their maps.
In 1960 four men emerged. The played in 'The Cavern' an underground brick stage built in Liverpool's center. They called themselves the
Beatles. Little did they know that they would become possibly the most phenomenal band of all time and become known world wide. By 1962 they had a top thirty record 'Love me do' their second single 'Please
Please me' reached number 2 and every subsequent single and album released there after until 1967 reached Number 1 in the U.K charts.
Thy had made there mark and Beatle mania would soon infect the whole nation after that for longer than they could have ever dreamt.
So why were the Beatles so popular?
The Beatles had a totally unique sound, they did not sound like just another band trying to imitate American stars, and they were individual! They were demanded by the teenage era. The wrote their own music and lyrics, they sung live and demanded to be listened to. They dominated rock music and pop culture throughout the 60's. They had thousands of fans who loved the Beatles wherever they went and were mobbed everywhere, mainly by screaming girls. They were seen as …show more content…
role models. They were the first band to challenge the U.S dominance of rock and roll. And once you had cracked the US, the rest of the world happily followed. They were a major success. The sheer personality that The
Beatles exuded on and off stage, as much as to do with their musical style or material made them extremely popular world wide.
This is because, the youth of Britain had increased spending power and therefore independence, they were however new to this independence and were easily lead, they bought more records and thus making the Beatles popular. They had the support of the youth.
The fab four then met Brian Epstein who promoted hem extremely well and managed them, he kept them in line and lead them even further to success along with George Martin who interpreted their ideas and produced them masterfully. Their influence on a whole world generation was totally unique. Via Beatle mania, they pioneered the British cultural invasion of the States and the world which created a 'can do' atmosphere in Britain and allowed so many great groups and creative people a chance to show the world what they could do. They proceeded to influence popular music beyond their break up in
1970. Out of the 30 most frequently broadcast songs in the U.S.A between 1955-1991 13 of them were written by members of the Beatles.
The Rolling StonesRock and Roll had become the heartbeat of the teenage rebellion in the west and a large influence in other parts of the world.
Other bands also followed very closely in the Beatles footsteps such as 'The Rolling stones' they were a British band formed in 1962 and were known as the notorious 'bad boys' of rock and roll. They had an earthy based sound based on rhythm and blues. Their rebellious image was contrasted with the supposed wholesomeness of the early Beatles.
When infact they were nothing like them. Their first song however was ironically written by Lennon and McCartney. The stones cultivated a bad tempered image, with their hair deliberately longer than
The by now acceptable mop tops.
Members of the band were arrested for drugs possession; The Stones received lenient rather than custodial sentences due to public pressure and released the insipid We Love You as a thank you to the fans. They did not portray a very good image. This however is I believe why they became so popular. They had teenagers who were rebelling against their parents and against the previous way of life following them, because they were bad, they were seen as exciting and rebellious. I believe whilst the Beatles had thousands of fans (mainly screaming girls) the Rolling Stones had a manlier image and had a more laddish following. This following has continued as they still tour today and in 1999 they performed in the UK. There were many bands in the 1960's. Another was 'The Kinks' They were an English band, who stormed onto the music scene with 'You really got me' and 'All day and all night' They had a raw, rock sound but the key strength to this band was 'Ray Davies' who wrote some of the true classics of the 60's and despite the lyrics often being full of British lyrics, the songs became popular world wide. The British were no longer making clones
of
American artists; they produced a totally new and unique sound that the world wanted to listen to.
All of these groups and many more were role models for both British youths and youngsters further a field. They were girls idles. They were boy's role models. They set trends.
To some people the 1960's were the best of times for others it was a period when many things went wrong in society. Why do people have such different views on society?
Up until the outbreak of war in 1939, British society had retained a rigid class structure, with the educated middle and upper classes believing they were superior over the working class. Proper behavior of both adults and children was compulsory, proper speaking, table manners, and appropriate dress.
However by the late 1950's early 1960's people began to question these views of society and the way people behaved. Things began to change
dramatically. By the end of the 1950s, the American way of life had become key in the aspirations of the British public, in terms of both culture and material goods. After the deregulation of broadcasting in
1954, there was room for the introduction of commercial television in
1955 and also the availability of cheap colour magazines. Also
Hollywood movies proved an instant hit. They portrayed the colourful lifestyles that Britons had only dreamed about, giving them inspiration and an appetite for change after the post-war austerity.
One of the most popular films was 'Rebel without a cause' (1955) which showed a bored teenager leading an affluent middle class life. His character is full of frustration and quickly becomes the role model of teenagers. To the British establishment the American capitalist system that produced mass consumption and planned obsolescence was a threat to the old cultural order of stability.
In 1964 Radio Caroline began broadcasting; it played non stop pop music and seemed completely designed for young people. Although popular with teenagers, it was extremely unpopular with the BBC and the government because it was pirate and illegal, the government therefore tried to have it banned. Radio Caroline and Radio London
(another pirate radio station) led the way for future music. It forced the BBC to recognize that pop music was what teenagers wanted and the only way to stop pirate stations was to make a 'pop' station itself.
Due to popular demand, Radio One began broadcasting although this took many years and was not started until 1967. The teenagers were finally been listened to, the government had to stand up and accept change.
By the 1960s consumption had become less about utilitarian needs and more to do with status and comfort. The era of the 'lifestyle' had begun. Specialist retailers emerged providing outlets where people could but into a new identity based around design or fashion.
Teenagers became a recognized social group; their demand of goods became different from their elders in a bid to express their group identity. Manufactures were only too happy to meet this demand, as youth culture spread and became dominant; these attitudes began to spread rapidly between other social groups. Consumption choices began to outline a person's identity.
To the older generation, this change was hard to absorb. Their now teenage children seemed like totally different people to the well mannered, polite obedient children they used to know. Not only this but technology and industry had expanded. Things were totally changing. This was a massive shock. The younger generation took this in their stride. They followed the new music, they wore the new clothes and they drank in the new coffee bars. The older generations however were re-luctant to change. As far as they were concerned things were fine as they were. Why change now?
The teenagers however took this new found freedom and individuality possibly a little too far? They were washed with the change and freedom and saw it as a totally brilliant thing that should be shared with everyone. It wasn't however. Others saw this change as 'society going wrong' the youngsters were trying new ideas, sampling new music and forgetting about their responsibilities. Many believed it was kids going wild.
However you look at the 1960's was a time of great change, whether you say it's good or bad. I as a teenager have to say I look at the 1960s and look as it as what seems like a really fun time to be alive. It changed many things, many things that I think everyone is grateful for today, I mean who could imagine a life without Radio One!
The 1960s was the decade of change, revolution and freedom for both
Britain and America. To many the 60's are remembered as the 'swinging sixties' a golden age, which was enjoyed immensely, but others blame the 1960's for some of the failings in society.
In the mid 1950's Britain was recovering from a long period of economic hardship after a long and draining war. Shortages and austerity were still very much part of everyday life there was little mobility in Britain as most could not afford a car, the choice of radio stations could be counted on one hand all of which catered for adults not children. The concept of consumer choice was simply 'Can I afford it?' or 'do they have it in stock' the answer …show more content…
was usually no to both. Times were hard but this was soon to change.
Britain suddenly seemed to emerge from its gloom, people believed for the first time in years that they could truly leave there troubles behind them. Like the USA, Britain enjoyed full employment and rising living standards. Things seemed to change very rapidly; fashions altered continuously, becoming more extreme. Skirts became shorter and shorter whilst colours became brighter and brighter. Music also changed, artists started to challenge traditional social views. They sang rock and roll music which adults strongly disapproved of, despite which becoming extremely popular with white teenagers. They were starting to think for themselves.
During the late 1950's, early 1960's. The average wage rose by 90% and unemployment dropped dramatically to only 2%! There were many new inventions such as the television, which now, nearly everyone could afford. The newest invention of all was 'the teenager.' Even the word itself was new. In the 1940's teenagers were seen as mini adults who were expected to behave and act as there parents did. By the 1960's teenagers no longer had to follow the fashions and interests of their elders. They had their own unique style and their own views which demanded to be heard. Everything seemed to be aimed at the young
"In the 1940's daughters tried to look like their mothers, in the
1960's mothers tried to look like there daughters'
Describe popular culture in Britainat the beginning of the 1960's.
The 1960's saw a new generation emerge, a generation that took the country by storm. A generation with money to spend that manufacturers now had to cater for. -The Teenager.
In 1959 British teenagers were spending £8.00 a week (their wages) on luxuries for themselves such as clothes records, entertainment and cosmetics. This money provided them with independence and freedom, giving them a change to re-invent themselves, making them realise they no longer had to be the mirror image of their parents.
Everything was new and nothing stayed the same for a length of time.
Everything was changing. Manufactures saw potential and realised that whatever was new was going to sell. In large quantities. The teenager brought with it, new fashions, new film and television and new music.
Making Britain seem exciting bright and youthful.
Music saw a major change and revolutionised many youngsters' lives.
Teenagers demanded their own style of music, something that was different. In the mid 1950's the amount of radio stations available could be counted on one hand, all of which catered for parents not teenagers. Radio paid little attention to pop music. Radio Luxemburg was the only way for teenagers to listen to the music they wanted, reception was however, of very low quality and the sound faded out frequently. Music was a massive part of the 60's. America seemed to lead the way with the likes of Elvis Presley. His was a never before heard sound -
'rock and roll'. This was at first seen as black music sung by white artists and became extremely popular. The power of radio helped to spread this type of music. Elvis himself became the highest paid artist of all time and his hip thrusting performances were not approved off by the older generations, but as the previous statement proves, his younger audience made him extremely popular and in1956
Elvis topped the British charts. British artists followed in Americas footsteps with Marty Wilde, CliffTommy Steele, Billy Fury and Cliff
Richard (with or without the Shadows) who was described as the British version of Elvis Presley. His hits included 'Living Doll', 'Move it' and summer holiday and he is still performing today.
[IMAGE]The biggest breakthrough for Britain came in 1962 when, Ringo
Starr, George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney began performing professionally. Their music was totally unique, a mixture of rock and roll, Rhythm and Blues and Tamla Motown. With the guidance of Brian Epstein the group were transformed into the most famous pop group in history and 'Beatle mania' emerged! The Beatles unlike many others wrote and performed their own music which made them overwhelmingly successful. Ask many people about the 60's and they are bound to mention the Beatles. They were massive.
Another new invention was the television. Now that people had money nearly every household in the country had one. Before 1950 the cinema was the only form of on-screen entertainment available. The most popular films were American such as 'Ben Hur' and 'The Longest Day' both epics. Although there was also several British studios such as
Ealing, which specialised in comedies, nothing compared to American films, which truly dominated the cinema screen.
By the late 1950's cinemas and theatres were starting to close and attendances at sport matches dropped dramatically due to the invention of television. Events such as the coronation, the Grand National, the
Cup Final and the Queens Speech could now be watched live! In the comfort of your own living room. There was no need to pay to watch matches when u could sit at home and watch them in the warmth of your own armchair.
In 1955 ITV began broadcasting and by 1957 UK cinema attendances were down by 30% on 1947. And ten years later visits had dropped by a further 70%. By 1960 television was easily the most popular entertainment medium. It improved more and more each year offering-
· More feature films
· More dramas which dealt with everyday issues such as violence, homelessness and abortion. 'Cathy Gone Home' shocked the nation as it had never been done before.
· More working class soaps and comedies such as 'Coronation Street' and 'Steptoe and Son'
Slowly the British media accepted both changes in TV and music.
Therefore television and popular music boomed. The 1960's popular culture had been born; things would never be the same again.
Why did groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones have such a great impact in the 1960's?
The British music industry in the 1950's relied almost entirely on
American imported product or home grown clones. It was controlled by middle age men who were totally out of touch with the needs and wants of the youth audience and didn't realise there was a Britain outside of London.
However out of this situation a uniquely 'British' music trend emerged in the late 50's called 'Skiffle' (a kind of folk music played in a small group with rhythmic accompaniment to singing guitarist.
This style was accessible to any group of teenagers with musical inclinations, just one guitar and some vague rhythm was all that was needed. It was popularised by Glasgow born, Lonnie Donegan who became hugely popular and an inspiration to the youth of Britain. He was unknowingly responsible for starting the careers of dozens of famous musicians As well as Lonnie Donegan, 'Shadow' Hank Marvins virtuosity on the guitar was another encouragement to many young men to save up their wages, buy a guitar and form a band.
In Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Belfast and Newcastle foundations were being made for a worldwide musical and Cultural
Revolution. Liverpool had developed a music culture dramatically different to London. London may as well have been the other side of the world. These kids loved Rock 'N Roll and Rhythm 'N Blues.
By the early 60's in these cities a large and highly competitive band scene emerged in which hundreds of local bands battled to gain the attention of discerning young audiences, hungry fir anything authentic and new.
The music produced in Liverpool was a mixture of American product performed with a touch of the Mersey Humor and individualism.
Youngsters were producing the sort of sound they wanted to hear. They were now playing it loud enough that the music executives in London had to take notice of what was happening and refer to their maps.
In 1960 four men emerged. The played in 'The Cavern' an underground brick stage built in Liverpool's center. They called themselves the
Beatles. Little did they know that they would become possibly the most phenomenal band of all time and become known world wide. By 1962 they had a top thirty record 'Love me do' their second single 'Please
Please me' reached number 2 and every subsequent single and album released there after until 1967 reached Number 1 in the U.K charts.
Thy had made there mark and Beatle mania would soon infect the whole nation after that for longer than they could have ever dreamt.
So why were the Beatles so popular?
The Beatles had a totally unique sound, they did not sound like just another band trying to imitate American stars, and they were individual! They were demanded by the teenage era. The wrote their own music and lyrics, they sung live and demanded to be listened to. They dominated rock music and pop culture throughout the 60's. They had thousands of fans who loved the Beatles wherever they went and were mobbed everywhere, mainly by screaming girls. They were seen as …show more content…
role models. They were the first band to challenge the U.S dominance of rock and roll. And once you had cracked the US, the rest of the world happily followed. They were a major success. The sheer personality that The
Beatles exuded on and off stage, as much as to do with their musical style or material made them extremely popular world wide.
This is because, the youth of Britain had increased spending power and therefore independence, they were however new to this independence and were easily lead, they bought more records and thus making the Beatles popular. They had the support of the youth.
The fab four then met Brian Epstein who promoted hem extremely well and managed them, he kept them in line and lead them even further to success along with George Martin who interpreted their ideas and produced them masterfully. Their influence on a whole world generation was totally unique. Via Beatle mania, they pioneered the British cultural invasion of the States and the world which created a 'can do' atmosphere in Britain and allowed so many great groups and creative people a chance to show the world what they could do. They proceeded to influence popular music beyond their break up in
1970. Out of the 30 most frequently broadcast songs in the U.S.A between 1955-1991 13 of them were written by members of the Beatles.
The Rolling StonesRock and Roll had become the heartbeat of the teenage rebellion in the west and a large influence in other parts of the world.
Other bands also followed very closely in the Beatles footsteps such as 'The Rolling stones' they were a British band formed in 1962 and were known as the notorious 'bad boys' of rock and roll. They had an earthy based sound based on rhythm and blues. Their rebellious image was contrasted with the supposed wholesomeness of the early Beatles.
When infact they were nothing like them. Their first song however was ironically written by Lennon and McCartney. The stones cultivated a bad tempered image, with their hair deliberately longer than
The by now acceptable mop tops.
Members of the band were arrested for drugs possession; The Stones received lenient rather than custodial sentences due to public pressure and released the insipid We Love You as a thank you to the fans. They did not portray a very good image. This however is I believe why they became so popular. They had teenagers who were rebelling against their parents and against the previous way of life following them, because they were bad, they were seen as exciting and rebellious. I believe whilst the Beatles had thousands of fans (mainly screaming girls) the Rolling Stones had a manlier image and had a more laddish following. This following has continued as they still tour today and in 1999 they performed in the UK. There were many bands in the 1960's. Another was 'The Kinks' They were an English band, who stormed onto the music scene with 'You really got me' and 'All day and all night' They had a raw, rock sound but the key strength to this band was 'Ray Davies' who wrote some of the true classics of the 60's and despite the lyrics often being full of British lyrics, the songs became popular world wide. The British were no longer making clones
of
American artists; they produced a totally new and unique sound that the world wanted to listen to.
All of these groups and many more were role models for both British youths and youngsters further a field. They were girls idles. They were boy's role models. They set trends.
To some people the 1960's were the best of times for others it was a period when many things went wrong in society. Why do people have such different views on society?
Up until the outbreak of war in 1939, British society had retained a rigid class structure, with the educated middle and upper classes believing they were superior over the working class. Proper behavior of both adults and children was compulsory, proper speaking, table manners, and appropriate dress.
However by the late 1950's early 1960's people began to question these views of society and the way people behaved. Things began to change
dramatically. By the end of the 1950s, the American way of life had become key in the aspirations of the British public, in terms of both culture and material goods. After the deregulation of broadcasting in
1954, there was room for the introduction of commercial television in
1955 and also the availability of cheap colour magazines. Also
Hollywood movies proved an instant hit. They portrayed the colourful lifestyles that Britons had only dreamed about, giving them inspiration and an appetite for change after the post-war austerity.
One of the most popular films was 'Rebel without a cause' (1955) which showed a bored teenager leading an affluent middle class life. His character is full of frustration and quickly becomes the role model of teenagers. To the British establishment the American capitalist system that produced mass consumption and planned obsolescence was a threat to the old cultural order of stability.
In 1964 Radio Caroline began broadcasting; it played non stop pop music and seemed completely designed for young people. Although popular with teenagers, it was extremely unpopular with the BBC and the government because it was pirate and illegal, the government therefore tried to have it banned. Radio Caroline and Radio London
(another pirate radio station) led the way for future music. It forced the BBC to recognize that pop music was what teenagers wanted and the only way to stop pirate stations was to make a 'pop' station itself.
Due to popular demand, Radio One began broadcasting although this took many years and was not started until 1967. The teenagers were finally been listened to, the government had to stand up and accept change.
By the 1960s consumption had become less about utilitarian needs and more to do with status and comfort. The era of the 'lifestyle' had begun. Specialist retailers emerged providing outlets where people could but into a new identity based around design or fashion.
Teenagers became a recognized social group; their demand of goods became different from their elders in a bid to express their group identity. Manufactures were only too happy to meet this demand, as youth culture spread and became dominant; these attitudes began to spread rapidly between other social groups. Consumption choices began to outline a person's identity.
To the older generation, this change was hard to absorb. Their now teenage children seemed like totally different people to the well mannered, polite obedient children they used to know. Not only this but technology and industry had expanded. Things were totally changing. This was a massive shock. The younger generation took this in their stride. They followed the new music, they wore the new clothes and they drank in the new coffee bars. The older generations however were re-luctant to change. As far as they were concerned things were fine as they were. Why change now?
The teenagers however took this new found freedom and individuality possibly a little too far? They were washed with the change and freedom and saw it as a totally brilliant thing that should be shared with everyone. It wasn't however. Others saw this change as 'society going wrong' the youngsters were trying new ideas, sampling new music and forgetting about their responsibilities. Many believed it was kids going wild.
However you look at the 1960's was a time of great change, whether you say it's good or bad. I as a teenager have to say I look at the 1960s and look as it as what seems like a really fun time to be alive. It changed many things, many things that I think everyone is grateful for today, I mean who could imagine a life without Radio One!