The 1960s was a tumultuous time in Western History. It is also the time that Postmodernism started. Postmodernism is the zeitgeist (spirit of the times / era) that started in the 60s and we are still living in it today. Before Postmodernism was Modernism (not to be confused with the Modern Era). Modernism, which started around the time of the Industrial Revolution, is characterized by the belief that science has all the answers, everything can be explained, everything can be labeled (named), and demarcated; in short, that man has all the answers.
Two world wars later and the new generation realized that man do not have all the answers. This new generation protested against all Grand Narratives of the time. The term “Grand Narratives” refer to any system of authority (for instance Science, Religion, Political Ideologies, etc.) that pretends to have all the answers. Instead Postmodernism rebels against such systems of authority, questioning their claim to truth, and breaking down their label systems and demarcations (this is called “Deconstruction”).
It was during this time (1964) that The Beatles enters the stage of the world’s history.
When someone says "music of the 1950's", they mean the "sound of the 50's" which occurred primarily in songs between 1955 and 1963. And, when someone says "music of the 1960's", they mean the "sound of the 60's", meaning primarily music between 1964 and1970, the actual Beatles era.
In fact, today, when radio stations like FM, AM or SiriusXM Satellite channels that play "oldies" music actually categorize their music, they often use these divisions.
For example, The 50's Channel on SiriusXM really only plays hit songs from 1955 to 1963 (and NOT 1950 to 1959 as the casual listener might think), and their 60's Channel plays songs from 1964-1970 (NOT 1960 to 1969), because of that generational line in 1964, the year the Beatles began their international fame. [Tom Zarecki]
Watch the short documentary film below about The Beatles-phenomena.
How is the sound of The Beatles different from the Rock 'n Roll that preceded it? In the video above, when the reporter asks them what is their sound, how does it differ from other Rock ‘n Roll, they answer: “It doesn’t really.” Crossroads in Music (p. 219) confirms that “The Beatles’ styles was acclaimed as new even though their music was simply a combination of pop and rockabilly styles…” Maybe the difference was not in how they sounded, but what they represents. "The Beatles themselves seem to have no illusions. They symbolize the 20th century non-heroes, as they make non-music, wear non-haircuts, give non-mercy…” These "non-" prefixes is representative of Postmodernism that refuses to be demarkated, or labeled. In a sense, The Beatles became a symbol for this new zeitgeist.
Let's listen to some examples of songs by The Beatles.
To show that they are a continuation of what preceded them, here are The Beatles performing the old spiritual "When the Saints Go Marchin' In," which was also recorded by Elvis (see here).
Of course it is their other songs that are more popular, like "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," "Hey Jude," and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds":
Look at the lyrics of "I Want to Hold Your Hand." What part is the chorus? Is the hook part of the chorus?
This last song, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," sounds different from the previous songs. Try to identify the difference and describe it.
Assignment:
Write a short essay in which you explain what "Postmodernism" is. Cite sources.
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