ROCKING THE WORLD - POLITICAL THEMES IN POPULAR MUSIC

Welcome to Political

Themes in Popular

Music :

Listen To
The Moody Blues

The Second Dimension of

Rocking The World

In this section we explore a number of themes

summarised below.

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Topic One: Social Revolution: Anti-War, Peace & Counterculture -

Progressive Radical Politics

In this topic we examine Pop music’s role in recent wars, the Peace Movement and the

Counterculture. In particular we look at Vietnam and later wars.

Perhaps the most prominent role

Western Popular Music has played

in society has been either as an

expression, or architect, of the

social revolution against war,

aspects of traditional Western

culture and political norms that

appear to support and promote

such barbarous human activity.

Hair - Let The Sunshine In

Go to Topic One

Topic One

Topic Two: Popular Music And The Environment

Popular Music has proven to

be a force at times advocating

and championing the rights of

those who can’t quite `speak’

for themselves. In this sense

we are talking collectively

about the `environment’ - the

flora and fauna on this planet

so seriously threatened by the

activities of humankind.

Michael Jackson - Planet Earth

In this topic we examine some of the music and the messages therein aimed at

spreading awareness of the exploitation and threat of destruction of our natural

environment.

Go to Topic Two

Topic Two

Topic Three: Popular Music And Human Rights

Human Rights awareness,

protection and furtherance has

become a major political issue

not just in states but globally

largely since the Second World

War. In this topic we examine

the role Western Popular Music

has played in both spreading

awareness and protecting such

rights.

Bob Marley - Get Up, Stand Up

Go to Topic Three

Topic Three

Topic Four: Popular Music And Class

In this topic we examine more of

the explicit politics in modern

Popular Music. Apart from

providing good entertainment, Pop

Music has also proven to be a

voice for the oppressed and the

exploited not only with respect to

women, people of colour and

others, but at times, it also speaks

for other downtrodden sectors or

The Kinks - Dead End Street

classes in society, for example the ‘lower class’, both in the West and also in the

developing or Third World. In this topic we examine some of the Pop Music and the

messages therein aimed at the oppression of certain other ‘sectors’ of Western society.

Go to Topic Four

Topic Four

Topics Five & Six: Popular Music and Drugs

In these two topics we look at sex and drugs and Western Popular Music. The norms

of behaviour in Western `traditional’ culture have long been challenged by alternative

ideologies and lifestyles and indeed perceptions of self and sexuality. Those considering

themselves to be `progressive’ or `liberated’ often measure/or determine what they

regard as `oppressive’ societies by mainstream and even official attitudes to personal

things like sexuality and drug use. More 'conservative’ elements in society, however,

tend to measure what they consider as the 'decay’ and corruption of societies in much

the same way.

Therefore attitudes to sexuality and drug use can tell us a lot about the power relations

of any given society. And much of collective society’s attitudes and indeed the

challenges to them are reflected in Western Popular Music.