The 1960s was a time of upheaval, political tumult, and revolution. Events ranging from the Civil Rights Movement to anti-Vietnam War protests overtook the nation, and young people were often at the forefront of these movements. The musical world also saw a revolution, as rock music surged in popularity and reflected the beliefs that young people held. This resulted in a strong reciprocal influence between rock music and the beliefs and behaviors of young people. One of the most popular bands of the time was The Beatles, who had a large influence on popular culture because of how they were idolized by fans. The music that The Beatles produced often aligned with the progressive and revolutionary political beliefs of their young fans, and this contributed to the political and social movements at the time. These trends were present at the University of Maryland, as students at UMD were active in both their obsession with The Beatles and in revolutionary behaviors. Using a case study of The Beatles, we examine how rock music expanded in the 1960s, influencing the youth culture at the time both across the country and locally at UMD.
Case Study: Introduction to The Beatles
The Beatles Become Popular
By the mid-1960s, The Beatles were one of the top international artists. A 1965 edition of Datebook, widely read by teenagers, was entirely dedicated to the group that was the pinnacle of music and popular culture at the time. 1 The magazine is filled with positive fan interactions expressing their admiration for the band, demonstrating the inseparable relationship between the youth population and The Beatles. The band also recognized that their fans were truly devoted, and stated that they had a “huge debt of gratitude” to them.2 The magazine perfectly describes their world-wide fandom, detailing how the band was met with swarms of young fans in the United States, Europe, Australia, and China. Fans did anything to catch a glimpse of the members upon their arrival to a country, sometimes even waiting in heavy rain.3 The band was perceived by the public to be fun, imaginative, audacious, amiable, and hip. These qualities perfectly meshed with the youth culture at the time, as The Beatles were icons for everything that teenagers supported. Another section of the magazine is completely dedicated to the fashion styles that were emerging at the time. Accounts of teenagers claimed that long hair, fringe shirts, bell-bottoms, round glasses, headbands, scarves, beads, and jewelry were all “in.”4 In an edition heavily focused on The Beatles, we see that their fashion was influential; their iconic style served as an inspiration for the look of many teenagers.5 The band’s fun and creative attitudes connected closely with their distinct fashion choices. This style served as an index, as teenagers who loved The Beatles wanted to embrace not only their style but also the associated values.6 Through their distinct, personable qualities and the expression of their values in music and lifestyle, the band powerfully influenced teenagers in the 1960s.
In 1965, the teenage magazine Datebook released an issue dedicated to The Beatles called “All About The Beatles.” The cover of the issue is pictured above. “All About The Beatles,” Datebook, Fall 1965, SCPA.
An image of the band displaying their “fun” and “amiable” side while playing a round of golf. “All About The Beatles,” Datebook, Fall 1965, SCPA.
The Beatles’ Popularity in D.C. and UMD
The Beatles are shown standing in front of microphones in D.C. on the first stop of their U.S. tour. Bayne, “The Beatles Arrive — Oh ’ave They!,” The Diamondback, February 13, 1964.
The Beatles’ first concert in the U.S. took place in Washington, D.C. on February 11, 1964, affording UMD students a convenient opportunity to see them live. Their show and press conference were reported in The Diamondback student newspaper, with a large picture of them occupying the front page of the paper and the event being enthusiastically described later in the issue.7 The caption on the photo and the article itself contain several exclamation points in the sentences “The Beatles Arrive – Oh ’ave They!,” “British Bugs!!,” and “The Beatles arrived in Washington Tuesday!,” highlighting the excitement that the reporters felt towards this band.8 The article captures the fever of the crowd as The Beatles burst onto the stage, detailing how “[a]ll heads turned and mouths fixed open as the group came down the stairs.”9 From the various quotes from the band members throughout the article, the reader can get a sense of their down-to-earth, charming personalities and how ecstatic people were to see them in person. People in attendance described The Beatles as “amazing,” “fantastic,” and “so cool,” while one “blushing teenager” was reported to have run up to Ringo to ask to hold his hand.10
Two students who were with UMD’s student-run radio station, WMUC, were present at The Beatles’ 1964 press conference in Washington, D.C. Paul Palmer and Bill Seaby recorded a 10-minute audio of the D.C. press conference along with a personal interview with The Beatles.
The recording features various questions from reporters asking the members about their music, fans, and visit to America. Interview by Bill Seaby, WMUC, February 11, 1964.
Seaby: “The [Beatles] epidemic is starting to spread and one of the big reasons is that Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr are likeable guys with a disarming sense of humor.”11
This statement focuses The Beatles’ popularity not on their music but instead on their humorous and likable personalities. When Seaby says “likeable guys,” his diction presents the group as down-to-earth, as if The Beatles were not massively famous stars at the time, and instead just nice guys that Bill met. This is a crucial factor to The Beatles’ appeal. If their music or they themselves were made approachable to the public, their audiences were more likely to listen to their music, mimic their behavior, follow their fashion choices, and be influenced in more ways than one.
Press Conference Reporter: “A high school reporter wanted to know why The Beatles were not being criticized as a bad influence?”
McCartney: “I don’t know, you know, I don’t feel like a bad influence, do you?”
Lennon: “No, I think you’re a good influence…”12
This question was most likely asked because the influence The Beatles had on teenagers was perceived as bad for the 1960s and for teen culture, bad meant different. Teen culture was changing and that disrupted the norm, and society did not know to process this change and labeled it as “bad”.
Palmer and Seaby: “Could you tell us just what group of people you’re trying to appeal to with your music?”
Harrison: “Well we’re appealing to the teenagers…those from 13 up to about 25… for anyone who wants to listen. We don’t care if you’re 90 and don’t like the music, then who cares.”13
The Beatles prioritized the engagement of their core audience—teenagers—above others. This attention is reciprocated as fans actively engaged with the band, their music, and the messages and concepts that their music delivered. Music operates as an index, or something that refers to abstract concepts such as emotions, identity, social trends, or ideals.14 So, when The Beatles’ music appealed to a person or group, it reinforced those abstract concepts.
The Beatles’ song “Got to Get You Into My Life” references the use of recreational drugs.15 Marijuana use was common among youth, and for UMD students, this cultural norm was no exception. Some faculty opposed this with concerns that its use would lead to harder drugs.16 Yet, others viewed it as “not a negative thing,” stating “[t]hese kids have rejected middle class values, they are reacting against hypocrisy.”17 This demonstrates how teenagers were rejecting past traditional norms to create their own version of youth culture, and how these ideas correlated to The Beatles’ songs.
Seaby: “How do The Beatles choose their songs?”
Harrison: “We just try and keep them simple, and try to make the songs more personal, like you know, me and you and all that bit. Which I think appeals to the kids and they like that…and we like to keep them happy songs, you know. Rather than one of these sob songs, we don’t like that stuff…we started off by playing what we liked and it just happened that it caught on… we didn’t write the songs to cash in to be commercial.”18
With statements that their songs are “personal” about “me and you and all that bit,” it makes it clear that The Beatles want their music to be genuine. It is often an artist’s intention to make songs personal and genuine to create a connection between the artist and fans. The Beatles also mentioned that their songs are not meant “to be commercial,” which reinforces their sincerity in creating music driven by passion rather than profit.
Additionally, The Beatles intended their songs to be upbeat to appeal to their audience. Aware of the youthfulness of their audience, they focused on promoting joy and positivity. In doing so, teenagers could embrace a more hopeful attitude rather than a negative outlook on life.19
How The Diamondback Connects The Beatles to Politics at UMD
In addition to the positive reception to the concert and press conference, it is significant that the Diamondback article featured The Beatles on the front page. Both the article and picture were surrounded by content regarding civil liberties, civil rights, and a campus political club. The picture from the concert is large and unmissable, taking up a good portion of the page, so that it immediately catches the readers’ eyes.20 This underscores the group’s fame and popularity; their appearance in D.C. was noteworthy enough to be an attention-grabber for the Diamondback issue. The surrounding articles, which were focused on contemporaneous political issues, were indirectly related to The Beatles through close proximity in the paper, as readers viewing the article about The Beatles might subconsciously begin to associate the band with those political issues due to the articles being presented near each other.21 One of the issues the surrounding articles covered was the Civil Rights Movement. 1964, when the Civil Rights Act was passed, was a major year for this movement, which explains the importance and urgency of the civil rights articles present in this issue of The Diamondback.
The Beatles perform in Washington, D.C. on February 11, 1964. Photo by Dennis Brack Sr.
The Beatles descend a plane in Jacksonville, Florida for their 1964 U.S. tour. Photo by Foster Marshall.
The Beatles, as shown through their songs and actions, were known to support this movement and its goals of racial equality and ending segregation. For example, their 1968 song “Blackbird,” with its lyrics “Blackbird singing in the dead of night/Take these broken wings and learn to fly,” was a reference to the struggles and injustices that Black women faced.22 In September 1964, after their performance in D.C. and on a later part of their U.S. tour, The Beatles also famously refused to play a show in front of a segregated audience.23 These acts demonstrated the group’s commitment to racial equality, underscoring the significance of having The Beatles article near the civil rights one.
The Beatles used their global platform to advocate for political and social beliefs, which resonated with their young audience.24 During the 1960s, young people, including UMD students, were also growing increasingly bolder with their actions to signal their revolt against power structures and existing social systems by becoming more involved in political advocacy and partaking in actions such as drug use.25 The Beatles’ music was aligned with and appealed to this revolution among the youth, suggesting the band’s support of their young audience engaging in political advocacy.26 Thus, an article referencing a political club on campus within the same issue that highlights The Beatles is also highly relevant to the band. Even though the article referenced the Young Republican Club, whose beliefs may have differed from The Beatles, this demonstrates political activism within the UMD student body.27
The Beatles are shown performing on stage in Jacksonville, Florida on September 11, 1964. Photo by Vern Barchard.
The placement of the articles about civil liberties, civil rights, and campus political clubs close to the coverage of the band indicates that Diamondback editors believed their student readers would be interested in all these things. Topics of the articles could become subconsciously associated with each other in the readers’ minds. This creates an indexical relationship between the articles, whereby thinking about The Beatles could bring to mind the other article topics such as political advocacy, which strengthens the connections between those two ideas.28
Countercultural Ideas from the Beatles
Although The Beatles communicated their beliefs primarily through platforms like songs or interviews, they also used visual arts to influence their audience. The 1967 poster by Richard Avedon of the members uses a symbolic artistic style to portray four key themes: (1) the idea of religion, (2) the psychedelic culture, (3) environmental activism, and (4) peace. What is unique about this stylistic choice is that it allows viewers to decipher the messages on their own, rather than being told directly how to think.
The painted eye on George Harrison’s hand and the patterns on his neck suggest a shift from intense religion to a more fluid version of faith: spirituality.
Ringo Starr emphasizes his investment in world peace. Although subtle, the dove perched on his hand is associated with the concept of peace, specifically during this time of political unrest in the 1960s.
John Lennon presents a psychedelic experience to the audience by using his swirly glasses as a representation of recreational drugs.
Paul McCartney highlights the importance of preserving the environment. The usage of natural colors and his delicate hand placement on the cherry tree visualizes his care and concern towards the natural world.
Poster of The Beatles in 1967. Poster by Richard Avedon.
While The Beatles were one of many influential rock bands at the time, their opinions and beliefs were adopted into the youth culture and created a shift in how youth culture was shaped due to their immense popularity. More specifically, the 1967 poster covered themes that were repeatedly represented in youth culture. Youths are susceptible to developing new beliefs and perceptions of self, so when novel concepts and beliefs are introduced, especially by those with famous platforms, audiences will feel enticed to embrace the novelty into their culture.29 The Beatles created a long-lasting shift in youth culture by consciously and unconsciously influencing opinions revolving around politics (i.e. shift to Left-wing politics) and religion (i.e. shift to spirituality instead of Christianity). In turn, audience members both consciously and unconsciously received the messages from the popular band, creating a shared sense of culture between the band and audiences, and between different audience members.30 By contributing to the shift of cultural thought, The Beatles helped to introduce a new way of looking at the world, one that calls for a critical eye that calls for action and challenges traditional beliefs.
New Ideas, Beliefs, and Values at UMD
As students and other young individuals were navigating ways to advocate for their opinions, they often participated in countercultural movements as a form of expression. One of the major student-led political movements of the time was Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), which promoted progressive, socialist, and anti-Vietnam War values and protested against existing power structures. A 1968 Diamondback article by its former editor-in-chief, a journalism student, explores how SDS was active at UMD, campaigning for peace and against the Cold War. The article explains how national officials were concerned that the group would “smash first our educational structure, then our economic system, and finally our government itself,” despite the organization being focused more on social justice, advocacy, and “bettering the world” than actually eradicating the entire existing system of government.31
Two different forms of student demonstrated advocacy are photographed in the Terrapin. “Everyone Campaigned for His Own Thing,” p. 65, Terrapin, 1969.
Another example of student-led advocacy is depicted in UMD’s yearbook,Terrapin, which captured UMD students gathering at the Memorial Chapel.32 The Memorial Chapel was and has continued to be an area for student organizations to hold events. Just below the image of students advocating on the chapel field,Terrapin displays a bumper sticker on a car with the name of a senator who was against the U.S.’ involvement in the Vietnam War.33 This display shows that self-expression was not just done through large group advocacy, but through simple, small acts like a bumper sticker. Another page fromTerrapin included a caption that stated, “This is the year of change. The year of diversity, rebellion, contrast. And though our university has long been labeled apathetic, it has also begun to show signs of response to the outside world.”34 The words “diversity” and “rebellion” signify the university’s transformation; a transformation that was driven by the student body who were not afraid to be different. The line “… begun [our emphasis] to show signs of response to the outside world,” amplifies the message that this was only the beginning of change for the campus.35 Together, the Diamondback article and yearbook photos indicate how national political movements made their way into UMD and how students here participated in those movements.
A Call for Action: Students Engage in Advocacy and Political Movements
An additional example of student resistance came via the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam, which took place on October 15, 1969.36 On this day, people across the country took part in demonstrations, teach-ins, and marches; college campuses, including UMD, saw organized efforts to participate in this anti-war event. A large portion of Diamondback articles from that day were focused on the Moratorium, as it was a major event that affected the whole student body. This emphasizes just how significant the Moratorium was, as anyone who read The Diamondback that day would be bombarded on nearly every page with articles detailing the Vietnam War, protests, and opinions from across the board. Some articles focused on specific groups on campus, such as SDS, and their opinions of the Moratorium, while others touched on broader issues such as the federal government’s lack of support of the Moratorium and their insistence that it would be ineffectual.37 Regardless of the topic of each article, Diamondback readers would have been exposed to many different viewpoints and facts about the Moratorium and the Vietnam War in general, highlighting its importance to students. Despite all of the coverage of the Moratorium, the university administration did not support it and kept the school open as normal; as a result, the many UMD students who chose to skip class to participate were acting in opposition to the administration.38 Whether administrators actually did not support the Moratorium or just did not support students skipping class to participate in it, this situation shows how students were willing to go against those in positions of authority and power in the name of political advocacy.
1967 March on the Pentagon
The photograph captures the mass of demonstrators gathered at the Lincoln Memorial ready for the march. Buchler II, “Reflecting Dissent,” The Diamondback, October 23, 1967.
A protestor is photographed holding a flower as they face a line of soldiers. Photo by Marc Riboud.
On October 23, 1967, The Diamondback published an article that recounted the events of another event of resistance, the fall mobilization in Washington, D.C. Just a couple of miles from the University of Maryland campus, 60,000 anti-war protesters rallied at the Lincoln Memorial and prepared for the 1.8-mile march to the Pentagon in protest of the Vietnam War. Among them, 50 to 100 were students from the university, a majority of whom were members of SDS.39
The group eventually reached the steps leading to a plaza in front of the main entrance to the Pentagon, and this was when Bob Simpson, an SDS marshal, warned fellow protesters that their march permit did not allow them to go past this point. With their bullhorns, law enforcement warned that anyone who went forth would be subject to arrest. Despite the warnings, hundreds of protesters broke through and continued forward.40 Many broke through the police line while many others stayed back with chants of “Peace now” repeated over and over.
The emphasis and call for peace was similarly seen in The Beatles’ 1967 poster, where Ringo was pictured with a dove sitting on his hand, symbolizing peace. This is strongly relevant to the political and social chaos occurring in the 1960s as protestors and artists used the symbol to demonstrate their outcry for change with an end to the Vietnam War. Songs like “We Shall Overcome” and “America” were reported to have been sung over and over again at the 1967 march.
Conflict between law enforcement and protesters continued to ensue until the evening, and protesters began burning their draft cards to demonstrate their resistance. A Defense Department spokesperson told The Diamondback that a total of 443 arrests were made that day, but none of them were students of UMD.41 Despite the potential consequences of protesting, the students’ participation signifies their willingness to risk their safety to make their voices heard. It also shows how they strategically used their relative proximity to the national landmark of Washington, D.C. to their advantage to amplify their voices and contribute to a nationwide effort for change.
The Beatles’ Lyrical Undertones
Song: “Revolution 1”
“You say you want a revolution, well, you know. We all wanna change the world. You tell me that it’s evolution, well, you know. We all wanna change the world. But when you talk about destruction. Don’t you know that you can count me out?”42
The Beatles reference the revolutions and protests that were taking place across the world due to the Vietnam War. The Beatles highlight the fact that they are embracing peace and they wanted to be “counted out” of destruction. This resembles the peaceful ideologies of the band, as they were not interested in division, hatred, and destruction. They state that they do want to see change in the world, but they allude to the fact that this will be extremely difficult. This particular song reflects their political ideologies, and seems to target those who are listening to their music or those that have similar political beliefs. They are in favor of the anti-war sentiments, but they do not want to get hypocritically hostile over these beliefs.
Song: “Got To Get You Into My Life”
Paul McCartney indirectly references the first time that he ever smoked marijuana with the lines “I was alone, I took a ride” and “see another […] mind there.” With these statements, McCartney reveals that when he is under the influence of marijuana, he has a more open mind, or he thinks differently than how he would when sober. This embodies the energy of hippy and youth culture at the time. Marijuana was popular and use was normalized.
“I was alone, I took a ride. I didn’t know what I would find there. Another road where maybe I Could see another kind of mind there.”43
Song: “Tomorrow Never Knows”
“Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream. It is not dying, it is not dying. Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void. It is shining, it is shining. That you may see the meaning of within. It is being, it is being. But listen to the colour of your dreams.”44
This particular quote details Lennon’s experience while taking LSD. The lyrics are descriptive of a trippy, mind-opening experience. Lennon shines a positive light on the use of drugs, encouraging his listeners to “listen to the colour of [their] dreams” and “surrender to the void” so they can find “the meaning of within.” While this is somewhat ambiguous, it refers to the idea that if you let go from reality with hallucinogens, you can find truth and meaning in life. This particular sentiment is easily connected with teenagers at the time, as psychedelic drugs started to become normalized and glorified in youth culture.
Argus and Political Activism
The Diamondback was not the only university publication that covered the 1967 fall mobilization for peace. A student-run magazine called Argus, known for its controversial opinions on contentious issues, also reported on the event, describing how, in addition to college students, people from all different backgrounds with varying opinions on the war and its implications participated in the mobilization.45 The fact that Argus reported on and displayed pictures of this march indicates its significance, both in general and to the university community, and shows how students at UMD were politically active. Readers who saw this article might have realized how their fellow students were partaking in political advocacy, which could have inspired them to consider their own political beliefs. People learn from others around them and adopt ideas and actions from those in similar backgrounds and situations, so seeing fellow students exercising their political rights could guide readers into becoming more politically active themselves.46 Even if the readers did not decide to take action after reading this article, they were still able to see real examples of other students doing so, which is important because it allows them to see that students were able to be politically involved and effect change. This could expand their own views on the role of students and young people in creating social change, which could further cement the idea and inspire them to create change down the road.47
As students became bolder and more outspoken with their (especially revolutionary) beliefs, they often clashed with existing power structures. A particularly salient example of this that happened on UMD’s campus was in December 1969, when Argus published an issue with a blank white cover that only said the word “censored.”48 On the back of the magazine, it explained that the cover they designed was supposed to show “an American flag in flames,” but that the university refused to print that image.49 The fact that a student publication was intended to have a cover that publicly desecrated an American symbol illustrates the seemingly-radical beliefs young college students held. These “radical” beliefs are also evident in the statement on the back of the issue, where Argus editors harshly condemned the censorship of the cover image and protested against it by calling out officials like the president of UMD and the state’s Attorney General for their role in the censorship.50 Considering all of the events that had taken place during the decade when this issue was published, an image of an American flag in flames holds even more significance and conveys revolutionary and dissenting beliefs. This connects to The Beatles’ song “Revolution 1,” as both detail actions and thoughts that go against the government and existing power structures.51 Together with Starr’s section of the 1967 Beatles poster, these layers of evidence signify a commitment to finding and maintaining peace in a politically turbulent world.52
The Beatles pose in London in 1968, the year “Revolution 1” was released on their album The Beatles. Photo by Don McCullin.
Another photo from The Beatles’ photoshoot in London on July 28, 1968. Photo by Don McCullin.
The Beatles perform new songs in London in June 1966, just under two months before “Got To Get You Into My Life” and “Tomorrow Never Knows” were released as part of their album Revolver. Photo by Mark and Colleen Hayward.
The Beatles perform in St. Louis, Missouri in August 1966, a few weeks after the release of Revolver. Photo by Mark Richman.
One of the articles in the “censored” Argus issue is titled “Faculty on Drugs,” and describes the surge in the use of illegal drugs, particularly marijuana.53 It explains that drug use had not just been rising in popularity among students, but also among university professors, some of whom agreed that it should be legalized, calling it “relaxing,” “a good thing, much less harmful than alcohol,” and something with “no evidence to suggest that [it] is dangerous.”54 This illustrates the cultural shift in drug use, as before it was primarily used by “society’s disenfranchised […] not […] the white, the middle class, the educated, the well-adjusted, the goal oriented or the status seeker.”55 The Beatles’ song “Got To Get You Into My Life” recounts Paul McCartney’s experience with trying marijuana for the first time, while the song “Tomorrow Never Knows” gives listeners a glimpse into John Lennon’s experiences with LSD.56 Lennon’s section of the 1967 poster also references his use of recreational drugs and having “trippy” and psychedelic experiences because of them.57 As The Beatles were extremely popular at the time, the fact that the members of the band openly talked and sang about using recreational drugs to their audience of primarily young people, who were also beginning to experiment with drug use like previous generations had not, denotes a strong link between what beliefs and actions The Beatles exhibited and what beliefs and actions young people were adopting.
An article in Argus detailing the powerful connection between rock music and political revolutions in the 1960s. Allen, “Rock: The War Drum of the Movement,” Argus, December 1969, 25, SCUA.
The same Argus issue also firmly connects rock music with youth culture and revolutionary politics through the article “Rock: The War Drum of the Movement.” The article describes how teenagers in the 1960s engaged with their music, particularly rock, in a way that was fundamentally different from previous generations, as they were determined “to change the [social] environment, instead of merely lamenting it[…]”58 The existence and rhetoric of this article convey the significance of rock music to the political movements at the time and solidify the strong connections between the youth culture, rock music, and political advocacy in the 1960s.59 By considering the hallmarks of the 1960s youth culture in tandem with the lyrics, meanings, and messages of rock songs, such as those by The Beatles, these connections become clear. The Beatles espoused beliefs relating to peacefully protesting against the government and experimenting with recreational drugs, and at the same time their massive and devoted audience of young people was participating in these behaviors. The Argus article emphasizes the novelty and importance of this relationship, detailing how young rock fans wanted to create real change in the world and how the music they listened to aligned with those beliefs and supported those desires.
An illustration relating themes of peace and love with music. These topics were highly intertwined with rock music and deeply affected young people. Allen, “Rock: The War Drum of the Movement,” Argus, December 1969, 26, SCUA.
1960s youths were deeply invested in revolutionizing the traditional and pre-existing structures of the world, reshaping the way teenagers and young adults behaved and thought. Due to this, youth culture was characterized by values regarding radicalism, advocacy, and experimentation with novel social behaviors. Teenagers and young adults during the 1960s utilized rock music as a way of developing a sense of self and belonging. The case study of The Beatles exemplifies this connection between how rock artists portrayed their beliefs in their music and how those beliefs influenced the way youth culture developed. As seen with the student youth population at the University of Maryland, this collaborative relationship between artists and their young audiences uncovers the conscious and unconscious developmental effects that external sources, such as rock artists and their music, have on youth culture. As a result of these developmental effects, UMD students unveiled a shift in how they present themselves to the public and demonstrated how rock music rewires the way they operate as a culture and as individuals.
Bibliography
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Korn, Bob. “MU Protesters Join in National Anti-War March.” The Diamondback. October 23, 1967. Digital Collections, University of Maryland Libraries. https://digital.lib.umd.edu/result/id/062f3f24-dfbc-45da-aa87-b7f95b9eddcc?relpath=pcdm.
LaRoche, Marianne. “Anti-War Actions Today Draw Campus Support.” The Diamondback. October 15, 1969. Digital Collections, University of Maryland Libraries. https://digital.lib.umd.edu/student-newspapers-old/id/c1453ae1-d41e-4149-bb4b-d602dfe1ae78?relpath=pcdm.
Lewis, Alan. “Despite Nixon, Moratorium Goes On.” The Diamondback. October 15, 1969. Digital Collections, University of Maryland Libraries. https://digital.lib.umd.edu/student-newspapers-old/id/25ee94aa-4111-4694-b1ff-33e9d4cbd5cc?relpath=pcdm.
Lightman, David. “Beatles, Motown Sound Get Off to Rocking Start.” The Diamondback. October 9, 1969. Digital Collections, University of Maryland Libraries. https://digital.lib.umd.edu/student-newspapers-old/id/a66e62ca-a42d-4427-a909-c2e14ac4fd93?relpath=pcdm.
Lightman, David. “Music of Sixties Runs in Cycles.” The Diamondback. December 19, 1969. Digital Collections, University of Maryland Libraries. https://digital.lib.umd.edu/student-newspapers-old/id/df5a2713-309c-4265-83c7-6c2dc18efe1b?relpath=pcdm.
Neighbor, Chad. “YAF, SDS Watch from Sidelines Today.” The Diamondback. October 15, 1969. Digital Collections, University of Maryland Libraries. https://digital.lib.umd.edu/student-newspapers-old/id/7d1b1741-776f-4ec5-9cf7-c102e22ef4ac?relpath=pcdm.
Noebel, David A. The Beatles: A Study in Drugs, Sex, and Revolution. Christian Crusade Publications, 1970. Box 3, Folder 52. Series 5: Books 1963–1982, undated. Hugo Keesing Collection on The Beatles. Special Collections in Performing Arts, Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, University of Maryland Libraries.
Quirin, Jim, and Barry Cohen. “Rock 100: Top 100 Music, 1956–1981.” Chartmasters. Box 17, Folder 1. Series 3: Clippings, Scrapbooks, Top 40 Song Lists, and Musician Biographies, undated. Hugo Keesing Collection on Popular Music and Culture. Special Collections in Performing Arts, Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, University of Maryland Libraries.
“Radical Guide to the University of Maryland.” 1970. Folder: Student Organizations: Democratic Radical Union of Maryland (D.R.U.M.). Student Organizations: UPUB S34 S11. University Publications Collection. Special Collections and University Archives, Hornbake Library, University of Maryland Libraries.
“Signs of Spring.” Argus. April–May 1966. Folder: Student Publications. Argus April–June 1966. Student Publications: UPUB S36.032. University Publications Collection. Special Collections and University Archives, Hornbake Library, University of Maryland Libraries.
Singleton, Sue. “Vietnam Teach-Ins Set.” The Diamondback. October 15, 1965. Digital Collections, University of Maryland Libraries. https://digital.lib.umd.edu/student-newspapers-old/id/d120398b-ba3f-41d6-86a1-87e24be5876c?relpath=pcdm.
“Then the ’60s, Now the ’70s, and in Only 14 Years 1984.” The Diamondback. December 19, 1969. Digital Collections, University of Maryland Libraries. https://digital.lib.umd.edu/student-newspapers-old/id/9be288ea-845f-40b5-b18d-b94144463ff3?relpath=pcdm.
“This is the Year of Change.” p. 20. In Terrapin, edited by Pamela Clayton and Sandra Goody. Vol 68. Undergraduate Student Body of the University of Maryland, 1969. Yearbooks. Digital Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.
Usher, Gary, and Roger Christian. The Beatles’ Story. Recorded 1957–1964. Capital Records STBO-2222, 1964. Box 2. Series 7.2: Recordings, 1951–1999, undated. Hugo Keesing Collection on Popular Music and Culture. Special Collections in Performing Arts, Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, University of Maryland Libraries. (STBO-2222) 1957-1970.
“WMUC,” p. 84. In Terrapin, edited by C. Stuart Callison. Vol. 59. Undergraduate Student Body of the University of Maryland, 1960. Yearbooks. Digital Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.
“WMUC Changes Include More ‘Pop’ Records, Shows.” The Diamondback. March 16, 1961. Digital Collections, University of Maryland Libraries. https://digital.lib.umd.edu/student-newspapers-old/id/4c32ccef-5272-49c4-923d-507a303a277a?relpath=pcdm&query=%22popular%20music%22.
Scholarly Sources
Brown, Valerie. “Music on the Cusp: From Folk to Acid Rock in Portland Coffeehouses, 1967–1970.” Oregon Historical Quarterly 108, no. 2 (2007): 246–77.
Burke, Patrick. “Tear down the Walls: Jefferson Airplane, Race, and Revolutionary Rhetoric in 1960s Rock.” Popular Music 29, no. 1 (2010): 61–79.
Covach, John, and Andrew Flory. What’s That Sound: An Introduction to Rock and Its History. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018.
Duncan, Russell. “The Summer of Love and Protest: Transatlantic Counterculture in the 1960s.” In The Transatlantic Sixties: Europe and the United States in the Counterculture Decade, edited by Grzegorz Kosc, Clara Juncker, Sharon Monteith, and Britta Waldschmidt-Nelson, 144–73. Verlag, 2013.
Kealing, Bob. Good Day Sunshine State: How The Beatles Rocked Florida. University Press of Florida, 2023.
Mandelbaum, Michael. “Vietnam: The Television War.” Daedalus 111, no. 4 (1982): 157–69.
Siegler, Robert S., and Jenny R. Saffran, Elizabeth T. Gershoff, and Nancy Eisenberg. How Children Develop. Worth Publishers, Macmillan Learning, 2020.
Turino, Thomas. “Habits of the Self, Identity, and Culture.” In Music as Social Life: The Politics of Participation, 1–16. University of Chicago Press, 2008.
Turino, Thomas. “Why Music Matters.” In Music as Social Life: The Politics of Participation, 93–121. University of Chicago Press, 2008.
Additional Sources
U.S. Marshals Service. “U.S. Marshals and the Pentagon Riot of October 21, 1967.” Department of Justice. Accessed December 2, 2025. https://www.usmarshals.gov/who-we-are/history/historical-reading-room/us-marshals-and-pentagon-riot-of-october-21-1967.