In the 1970s and 1960s, it involved protests and the evolution of the ‘hippie’ culture. It also involved dressing in unconventional ways and listening to psychedelic rock music.

Background

The counterculture movement of the 1960s began with protests that were anti-establishment in nature. Soon, the movement spread across the Western world and continued until the mid-1970s. Most of the adherents of this culture were the young people who came together in large groups. All of them rejected many of the beliefs held commonly by the larger sections of society. 

This rejection often took the form of non-violent resistance. Widespread poverty, racial segregation, environmental pollution, and discrimination towards minorities were the major issues that led to such protests. The emergence of television as one of the reliable sources of information further fueled this social change. 

Popularity across the world

The counterculture movement was aimed towards freeing society from restrictions. It succeeded in putting an end to the restrictive censorship of films and other media. Filmmakers were now making films on subjects that were earlier banned or prohibited. Fashion trends also evolved around this time and the youth readily accepted the new trends. 

The old couldn’t accept the new trends and this led to a generation gap. People who were involved in this movement also protested against the Vietnam War. News coverage of the Vietnam War and many horrifying images of it were shown on television. 

For the first time, certain realities of the war were brought to the living rooms of people. The spread of cinema and radio broadcasts also took the culture to different corners of the world. In Europe, the counterculture adherents created their own music, fashion, and magazines. 

The French government was nearly toppled by the movement involving students in 1968. In the Czech Republic, the youth who were against the establishment maintained long hair. A few satirical magazines in Australia published obscene content in the 1960s.

Resistance from authorities

Law enforcement officials and the older generation opposed the counterculture movement on many issues. The police tried to stop the protests at several places. Many of the practices that the counterculture adherents indulged in were banned. 

Arrests of many students and activists also happened at different places across the world. The hippies were seen as unkempt and were banned from entering most of the public places. On some occasions, many long-haired youths were forced to cut their hair after they were arrested.

Lasting influence

Films, music, fashion, literature, and art of the Western world were significantly influenced by the counterculture movement. It addressed certain issues that were considered taboo topics, such as racism, homophobia, and xenophobia. This resulted in a wider acceptance of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community. 

Same-sex relationships were eventually accepted by law in most of the American states albeit decades later. Many states in America abolished racial segregation, following the non-violent protests of the counterculture adherents. Several aspects of the counterculture movement also got included in the mainstream culture.

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The music festival wouldn’t have had such a massive impact if it wasn’t caught on film and preserved. It was made into a documentary in 1970, which was partly edited by Martin Scorsese. Many who’ve seen that movie get the feeling that they were at Woodstock. Even after so many years, it still continues to be a source of inspiration for many.

A lesson in harmony

All thanks to events like Woodstock, people discovered the importance of peace and love. This happened during the 1960s when the world was plagued by increasing political violence and cultural upheavals. Just a week before this music festival, some horrific events like the Manson murders had occurred. 

The response was the emergence of a new sense of community and social cohesiveness. Woodstock gave many individuals a reason to believe that a large number of people could come together as one.

A positive effect on the local community

There was a certain degree of animosity towards the festival among the local communities. It was largely owing to the massive crowd of hippies that it attracted. Today, the entire Sullivan County has accepted the legacy. In 2017, the place of the concert was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. 

The members of the local community who were teenagers at the time learned some important lessons. People who had gathered for the music festival were treated well by some of them. Since the hippies didn’t have enough sustenance, some members of the local communities even prepared food for them. 

A standard for modern music festivals

Woodstock was not the first music festival, but it set a new standard for such concerts. It had the largest live audience ever assembled and the largest number of talented performers. The festival also brought together different genres of music, such as rock, folk, country, and soul music genres. 

It proved to the event promoters that if big names were present, a concert can attract significant numbers of people. The audiences of today are always looking for something like this legendary music festival. They want more engaging, collaborative, and inspiring experiences.

The power of music

The extent of pop music’s power was witnessed, perhaps, for the first time by many. Now, the world could no longer ignore the multi-coloured aspect of pop culture. Everyone saw how people were willing to come together despite all the troubles for the sake of music. 

The overwhelming influence of pop music was evident. Some unexpected opportunities surfaced after that massive event and many artists and businesses capitalized on them. In the years that followed, many of the musicians who performed at Woodstock enjoyed a highly successful musical career.

Growth of the youth lifestyle

While this historic event inspired people to engage with others civically, a new lifestyle also emerged. The counterculture’s aesthetic and bohemian lifestyle were reflected in the clothes that the adherents wore. The clothes that one wore became more important than the cause. It was turned into an emerging style and many businesses made enormous profits out of it.

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