Pop Culture:
The British Invasion: American Teens love the Beatles!
February 9, 1964- The Beatles make their first US television appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. Teens were crazy, especially the girls, for these four British boys with their new sound. After them came other British artists such as Petula Clark and Herman’s Hermits, each with songs that would race up billboard charts. American bands were not as successful in the early 60's. Two groups were not dragged down by the success of the Beatles: The Beach Boys and the Four Seasons.
Transistor Radios: The iPod of the 60's
Just like today, teens of the 60's loved their music and had to carry it around with them everywhere. Transistor radios were AM/FM radios that had to be fine tuned manually. They also came with a pair of earphones. Prices ranged from $25 to $40 depending on the brand and model. Television Color televisions came out, and with that, shows that were once filmed and broadcast in glorious black and white were then filmed in color. Shows such as “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Beverly Hillbillies” had to make the transition. For the first time, audiences were able to see the colors of hair and clothing. Censoring was very strict. A female navel could not be shown on TV. Simple things, such as dancing, were also questionable. Elvis was only filmed from the waist up… Shows were meant for the whole family, and were often about families. Shows like “Leave it to Beaver” and “The Andy Griffith Show” were funny and always had a lesson to be learned at the end of each episode. Unlike today’s shows, there weren't any continuing story-lines on a regular basis. Each episode was its own separate story. Usually it would only be two-part season finales that would say “to be continued” at the end of the second to last episode.
TV & Music
The TV and the music of the 1960's were something far different from today. Although it was different that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The TV and music of the time were great. Both the television and the music of the time have had prominent influences on today’s media. Without the music and TV of the 1960's, today’s world would be a lot different.
The music of the 1960's was a beautiful thing. Rock and Roll was a popular type of music at the time. In 1965 two rock and roll songs topped the charts. They were Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones, and Help! by the Beatles. Female groups and surfing style music also began to hit the airwaves. One prominent example of the female groups of the time was Diana Ross And The Supremes. The Beach Boys were also a popular artist of the time.
Way back in 1965 TV was far different than it is today. Color television was still a thing of the future. In 1964 only 3.1% of households with television had color television. However the lack of color TV didn't detract from the popularity of the programming. TV was a popular choice to help pass time. Westerns were among the fan favorites as far as genres go. Three of the most popular shows of the time were The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Addams Family.
Perhaps one of the most popular bands in the 1960's was the Beatles. They experienced massive success during the 60s. They were so popular during the 60's that in 1964 they held the top five places on Billboard's Top Pop Singles Chart, a feat which has never been repeated. Soon after their great success the Beatles began to fall apart. Each of the members started to focus more on their individual careers and eventually broke up in 1970. Although they were together for a relatively short time of just 10 years, their effect on music can be felt today as they have had an influence on the music of countless numbers of bands.
One of the most popular shows of the 1960's was The Andy Griffith Show. The show was an American television series humorously depicting life in a fictional southern community. The show stared Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor, the sheriff of Mayberry, North Carolina. The main cast also included Ron Howard as Andy's son,Opie; Frances Bavier as Andy's aunt, who he and Opie lived with, Beatrice " Aunt Bee” Taylor; and Don Knotts as Andy's deputy, cousin, and friend Barney Fife. The show lasted eight seasons from 1960-1960 and was a staple of 1960's television.
Hairstyles and Fashion of the 60's
Cascade High School was born in the retro 60's out of an explosion of bright and loud colors and embellished hairstyles. On your left, you have the hippies expressing their free will and amazing flower powers. On your right, you have the upper/middle class students working hard to meet the demands of the government. Talk about opposites! And yet, they still had a unique style all their own!
The hippies had long hair that flowed in the wind, decorated with little flowers and ribbons and feathers. Sometimes, they even wore headbands with gems on them. Their clothes were environmentally friendly and never consisted of leather or fur. As unhygienic as it may sound, hippies typically flimsy sandals or even no shoes at all. Girls wore drapes and tie-dye togas arranged in such a way that it gave the impression of a dress. Or, they would imitate stereotypical Native American looks, such as long braids, beads, and tassels. The men wore baggy shirts or no shirts at all and sometimes braved going in their birthday suits. They too had long tangled hair, much like the girls did. The hippies were also very creative when it came to shielding their eyes from the sun. Taking two circular wires, they would create sunglasses with minimally protective lenses in light shades of yellow, pink, or blue. The pants commonly worn were bell-bottoms adorned by a wide belt. And no hippie outfit would be complete without the trademark, universal sign of world peace.
The other members of society, wore equally as bright of clothes, but were more into shinny leather, short shorts, mini skirts, and midriffs. The majority of the people stuffed their boldly patterned shirts into their skinny-legged pants. Most wore bold plaid or stripe patterns, which gave this era their own style. Their pants were very high-waisted and were usually pastel colors. Nearly all clothes were meant to accentuate or create super skinny waists, like a modern day corset. The upper class girls typically wore long, fanned-out dresses with sleeves about three-quarters of the way down their arms, and topped the look off with white gloves.
The hairstyles usually consisted of two cans of hairspray, flip curls, and thick plastic headbands. Beehives were common; even though these do's took much time and effort to create. Greasers carried combs in their back pockets and would slick back their greasy hair very often. The Greasers typically wore black leather jackets with the collars popped up, denim jeans with the bottoms rolled up, and black boots.
Obviously, the most memorable of the trendsetters were the hippies. Their revolutionary style was completely different than the fashions before them. The 60's were crazy and full of experimentation. Even though we have changed out style by great lengths today, we can still look back on this memorable time in fashion history and smile.
February 9, 1964- The Beatles make their first US television appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. Teens were crazy, especially the girls, for these four British boys with their new sound. After them came other British artists such as Petula Clark and Herman’s Hermits, each with songs that would race up billboard charts. American bands were not as successful in the early 60's. Two groups were not dragged down by the success of the Beatles: The Beach Boys and the Four Seasons.
Transistor Radios: The iPod of the 60's
Just like today, teens of the 60's loved their music and had to carry it around with them everywhere. Transistor radios were AM/FM radios that had to be fine tuned manually. They also came with a pair of earphones. Prices ranged from $25 to $40 depending on the brand and model. Television Color televisions came out, and with that, shows that were once filmed and broadcast in glorious black and white were then filmed in color. Shows such as “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Beverly Hillbillies” had to make the transition. For the first time, audiences were able to see the colors of hair and clothing. Censoring was very strict. A female navel could not be shown on TV. Simple things, such as dancing, were also questionable. Elvis was only filmed from the waist up… Shows were meant for the whole family, and were often about families. Shows like “Leave it to Beaver” and “The Andy Griffith Show” were funny and always had a lesson to be learned at the end of each episode. Unlike today’s shows, there weren't any continuing story-lines on a regular basis. Each episode was its own separate story. Usually it would only be two-part season finales that would say “to be continued” at the end of the second to last episode.
TV & Music
The TV and the music of the 1960's were something far different from today. Although it was different that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The TV and music of the time were great. Both the television and the music of the time have had prominent influences on today’s media. Without the music and TV of the 1960's, today’s world would be a lot different.
The music of the 1960's was a beautiful thing. Rock and Roll was a popular type of music at the time. In 1965 two rock and roll songs topped the charts. They were Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones, and Help! by the Beatles. Female groups and surfing style music also began to hit the airwaves. One prominent example of the female groups of the time was Diana Ross And The Supremes. The Beach Boys were also a popular artist of the time.
Way back in 1965 TV was far different than it is today. Color television was still a thing of the future. In 1964 only 3.1% of households with television had color television. However the lack of color TV didn't detract from the popularity of the programming. TV was a popular choice to help pass time. Westerns were among the fan favorites as far as genres go. Three of the most popular shows of the time were The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Addams Family.
Perhaps one of the most popular bands in the 1960's was the Beatles. They experienced massive success during the 60s. They were so popular during the 60's that in 1964 they held the top five places on Billboard's Top Pop Singles Chart, a feat which has never been repeated. Soon after their great success the Beatles began to fall apart. Each of the members started to focus more on their individual careers and eventually broke up in 1970. Although they were together for a relatively short time of just 10 years, their effect on music can be felt today as they have had an influence on the music of countless numbers of bands.
One of the most popular shows of the 1960's was The Andy Griffith Show. The show was an American television series humorously depicting life in a fictional southern community. The show stared Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor, the sheriff of Mayberry, North Carolina. The main cast also included Ron Howard as Andy's son,Opie; Frances Bavier as Andy's aunt, who he and Opie lived with, Beatrice " Aunt Bee” Taylor; and Don Knotts as Andy's deputy, cousin, and friend Barney Fife. The show lasted eight seasons from 1960-1960 and was a staple of 1960's television.
Hairstyles and Fashion of the 60's
Cascade High School was born in the retro 60's out of an explosion of bright and loud colors and embellished hairstyles. On your left, you have the hippies expressing their free will and amazing flower powers. On your right, you have the upper/middle class students working hard to meet the demands of the government. Talk about opposites! And yet, they still had a unique style all their own!
The hippies had long hair that flowed in the wind, decorated with little flowers and ribbons and feathers. Sometimes, they even wore headbands with gems on them. Their clothes were environmentally friendly and never consisted of leather or fur. As unhygienic as it may sound, hippies typically flimsy sandals or even no shoes at all. Girls wore drapes and tie-dye togas arranged in such a way that it gave the impression of a dress. Or, they would imitate stereotypical Native American looks, such as long braids, beads, and tassels. The men wore baggy shirts or no shirts at all and sometimes braved going in their birthday suits. They too had long tangled hair, much like the girls did. The hippies were also very creative when it came to shielding their eyes from the sun. Taking two circular wires, they would create sunglasses with minimally protective lenses in light shades of yellow, pink, or blue. The pants commonly worn were bell-bottoms adorned by a wide belt. And no hippie outfit would be complete without the trademark, universal sign of world peace.
The other members of society, wore equally as bright of clothes, but were more into shinny leather, short shorts, mini skirts, and midriffs. The majority of the people stuffed their boldly patterned shirts into their skinny-legged pants. Most wore bold plaid or stripe patterns, which gave this era their own style. Their pants were very high-waisted and were usually pastel colors. Nearly all clothes were meant to accentuate or create super skinny waists, like a modern day corset. The upper class girls typically wore long, fanned-out dresses with sleeves about three-quarters of the way down their arms, and topped the look off with white gloves.
The hairstyles usually consisted of two cans of hairspray, flip curls, and thick plastic headbands. Beehives were common; even though these do's took much time and effort to create. Greasers carried combs in their back pockets and would slick back their greasy hair very often. The Greasers typically wore black leather jackets with the collars popped up, denim jeans with the bottoms rolled up, and black boots.
Obviously, the most memorable of the trendsetters were the hippies. Their revolutionary style was completely different than the fashions before them. The 60's were crazy and full of experimentation. Even though we have changed out style by great lengths today, we can still look back on this memorable time in fashion history and smile.