‘How long do you think tt’s gonna ast?': the Velvet Underground, The Doors, Bob Dylan and the 1960s rock counterculture

The 1960s rock counterculture is typically seen by journalists and fans in terms of overly simplistic or mythologised histories. These histories have become, to an extent, part of the cultural legacy of the 1960s and the means by which we understand that countercultural movement. However, by closely...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Strongman, Alexander
Format: Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/65461/
_version_ 1848800229167464448
author Strongman, Alexander
author_facet Strongman, Alexander
author_sort Strongman, Alexander
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description The 1960s rock counterculture is typically seen by journalists and fans in terms of overly simplistic or mythologised histories. These histories have become, to an extent, part of the cultural legacy of the 1960s and the means by which we understand that countercultural movement. However, by closely examining the primary source material of three of the period’s most influential artists, this thesis uncovers the nuanced, diverse and contradictory nature of the 1960s rock counterculture. This thesis examines key songs by The Velvet Underground, The Doors and Bob Dylan. Through close analysis of both music, lyrics and performance, I will interrogate the interplay between them as expressions of the cultural and political ideals of each artist. This approach facilitates a deeper understanding of how each group relates to the 1960s rock counterculture and wider 1960s counterculture. It is also a departure from the typical scholarly reliance on analysis of lyrics, especially in analyses of The Doors and Bob Dylan. Secondly, this approach will broaden the current understanding and definitions of 1960s’ rock counterculture by allowing the primary source material to illustrate each artist’s position within it. By uncovering this complex history of the 1960s rock counterculture we will uncover how sociological definitions of ‘counterculture’ are formulated within 1960s rock music, and more closely examine the complex interplay of bands within it. This helps us to navigate the complicated history of the wider 1960s counterculture; to illustrate its nuance in 1960s rock music and move away from mythologised journalistic narratives.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T20:48:14Z
format Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
id nottingham-65461
institution University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
institution_category Local University
language English
last_indexed 2025-11-14T20:48:14Z
publishDate 2021
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling nottingham-654612021-08-04T04:42:12Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/65461/ ‘How long do you think tt’s gonna ast?': the Velvet Underground, The Doors, Bob Dylan and the 1960s rock counterculture Strongman, Alexander The 1960s rock counterculture is typically seen by journalists and fans in terms of overly simplistic or mythologised histories. These histories have become, to an extent, part of the cultural legacy of the 1960s and the means by which we understand that countercultural movement. However, by closely examining the primary source material of three of the period’s most influential artists, this thesis uncovers the nuanced, diverse and contradictory nature of the 1960s rock counterculture. This thesis examines key songs by The Velvet Underground, The Doors and Bob Dylan. Through close analysis of both music, lyrics and performance, I will interrogate the interplay between them as expressions of the cultural and political ideals of each artist. This approach facilitates a deeper understanding of how each group relates to the 1960s rock counterculture and wider 1960s counterculture. It is also a departure from the typical scholarly reliance on analysis of lyrics, especially in analyses of The Doors and Bob Dylan. Secondly, this approach will broaden the current understanding and definitions of 1960s’ rock counterculture by allowing the primary source material to illustrate each artist’s position within it. By uncovering this complex history of the 1960s rock counterculture we will uncover how sociological definitions of ‘counterculture’ are formulated within 1960s rock music, and more closely examine the complex interplay of bands within it. This helps us to navigate the complicated history of the wider 1960s counterculture; to illustrate its nuance in 1960s rock music and move away from mythologised journalistic narratives. 2021-08-04 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en cc_by https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/65461/1/Student%20Number%204343339%20Alexander%20Strongman%20American%20Studies%20MRes%20Thesis%20May%2023%20.pdf Strongman, Alexander (2021) ‘How long do you think tt’s gonna ast?': the Velvet Underground, The Doors, Bob Dylan and the 1960s rock counterculture. MRes thesis, University of Nottingham. counterculture united states nineteen sixties
spellingShingle counterculture
united states
nineteen sixties
Strongman, Alexander
‘How long do you think tt’s gonna ast?': the Velvet Underground, The Doors, Bob Dylan and the 1960s rock counterculture
title ‘How long do you think tt’s gonna ast?': the Velvet Underground, The Doors, Bob Dylan and the 1960s rock counterculture
title_full ‘How long do you think tt’s gonna ast?': the Velvet Underground, The Doors, Bob Dylan and the 1960s rock counterculture
title_fullStr ‘How long do you think tt’s gonna ast?': the Velvet Underground, The Doors, Bob Dylan and the 1960s rock counterculture
title_full_unstemmed ‘How long do you think tt’s gonna ast?': the Velvet Underground, The Doors, Bob Dylan and the 1960s rock counterculture
title_short ‘How long do you think tt’s gonna ast?': the Velvet Underground, The Doors, Bob Dylan and the 1960s rock counterculture
title_sort ‘how long do you think tt’s gonna ast?': the velvet underground, the doors, bob dylan and the 1960s rock counterculture
topic counterculture
united states
nineteen sixties
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/65461/