During the Vietnam conflict, war had a very visible and direct affect on society, and most obviously, on popular culture - especially music. As that war raged on, and the television cameras overseas broadcast images of death and destruction all over the jungles of Southeast Asia, the natural evolutionary processes of popular culture did their thing. To coin a cliche - people started "tuning in, turning on, and dropping out." Everyone from the Smothers Brothers to the Grateful Dead became enveloped in the mass youth-culture movement that embraced an anti-war, pro-love, pro-narcotic stance. Hell, if not for two major world wars, we wouldn't have jazz. I don't need to elaborate on this. if you don't know about the direct effect war had on the music of the 1960s (ergo, the music of today), go read a book. .
So if a war were to break out today, especially one directly involving the United States, would there even be a cultural revolution? How would it change popular music as we know it? Below are presented several different scenarios as to what could possibly happen should a MAJOR (not a quickie like the Gulf War) hypothetical armed conflict rage once again. .
1) Corporations start pumping out more and more pre-fabricated pop acts. Music geared towards a pre-teen market - you know, your average "boy band" - is essentially safe, non-challenging, and totally non-threatening. Right now, it seems as though these kind of "saccharine bands" are on the downswing due to over-saturation, but a general sense of dismay or a need for escapism amidst a depressing cultural climate could call The New Kids on the Block out of retirement. But I doubt it. .
2) Pre-fabricated pop acts discover the creative process. When the Vietnam war hit, a lot of barely politically aware musicians suddenly had their eyes opened. Look at the drastic aesthetic change in the music of the Beatles around the release of Rubber Soul.
