Classic Rock in the Year of Revolt: Using the Illusion of Life to Examine the Hits of 1968

This is not the first generation facing a fearful future. Exactly fifty years ago, 1968 – nestled between the Summer of Love (’67) and Woodstock (’69) - was known as the year of revolt. From Vietnam protests and Civil Rights marches, to the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Am...

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Main Author: Thomas G. Endres
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The International Academic Forum 2018-11-01
Series:IAFOR Journal of Arts & Humanities
Subjects:
Online Access:https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-arts-and-humanities/volume-5-issue-2/article-8/
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description This is not the first generation facing a fearful future. Exactly fifty years ago, 1968 – nestled between the Summer of Love (’67) and Woodstock (’69) - was known as the year of revolt. From Vietnam protests and Civil Rights marches, to the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, American culture, like that of countries around the world, was awash in struggle yet alive in activist ideology. In particular, Classic Rock of the era served as a reflection of the times, a call to action, and eventually offered enduring insight into the qualities of effective protest music. Using Sellnow’s Illusion of Life methodology, which examines music as rhetoric, this essay analyses the top ten hits of that year (per http://ultimateclassicrock.com), including such timeless masterpieces as Joplin’s “Piece of my Heart,” Cream’s “White Room,” Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower,” and the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.” The humanistic methodology begins by identifying first the patterns found in the songs’ virtual time (music) and virtual experience (lyrics). Analysis then delves into the use of strategies such as congruity and incongruity to get across meaning. Interpretations are offered on the impact such works had on their original generation, and concludes with applications for today.
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spelling doaj.art-9f9eb6d216564a63b5d79e536aa281842022-12-21T19:11:26ZengThe International Academic ForumIAFOR Journal of Arts & Humanities2187-06162187-06162018-11-01529911610.22492/ijah.5.2.08Classic Rock in the Year of Revolt: Using the Illusion of Life to Examine the Hits of 1968Thomas G. Endres0University of Northern Colorado, USAThis is not the first generation facing a fearful future. Exactly fifty years ago, 1968 – nestled between the Summer of Love (’67) and Woodstock (’69) - was known as the year of revolt. From Vietnam protests and Civil Rights marches, to the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, American culture, like that of countries around the world, was awash in struggle yet alive in activist ideology. In particular, Classic Rock of the era served as a reflection of the times, a call to action, and eventually offered enduring insight into the qualities of effective protest music. Using Sellnow’s Illusion of Life methodology, which examines music as rhetoric, this essay analyses the top ten hits of that year (per http://ultimateclassicrock.com), including such timeless masterpieces as Joplin’s “Piece of my Heart,” Cream’s “White Room,” Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower,” and the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.” The humanistic methodology begins by identifying first the patterns found in the songs’ virtual time (music) and virtual experience (lyrics). Analysis then delves into the use of strategies such as congruity and incongruity to get across meaning. Interpretations are offered on the impact such works had on their original generation, and concludes with applications for today.https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-arts-and-humanities/volume-5-issue-2/article-8/Sellnowillusion of lifemusicclassic rock1968
spellingShingle Thomas G. Endres
Classic Rock in the Year of Revolt: Using the Illusion of Life to Examine the Hits of 1968
IAFOR Journal of Arts & Humanities
Sellnow
illusion of life
music
classic rock
1968
title Classic Rock in the Year of Revolt: Using the Illusion of Life to Examine the Hits of 1968
title_full Classic Rock in the Year of Revolt: Using the Illusion of Life to Examine the Hits of 1968
title_fullStr Classic Rock in the Year of Revolt: Using the Illusion of Life to Examine the Hits of 1968
title_full_unstemmed Classic Rock in the Year of Revolt: Using the Illusion of Life to Examine the Hits of 1968
title_short Classic Rock in the Year of Revolt: Using the Illusion of Life to Examine the Hits of 1968
title_sort classic rock in the year of revolt using the illusion of life to examine the hits of 1968
topic Sellnow
illusion of life
music
classic rock
1968
url https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-arts-and-humanities/volume-5-issue-2/article-8/
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