Professor Suzuki Discusses Rock 'n' Roll's Evolution in mid-1960s

SF STATE NEWS -- Up until the “British Invasion” in 1964, rock music was for kids, according to Dean Suzuki, associate professor in the School of Music. Once people entered young adulthood, they no longer listened to rock. In the early ’60s, people might listen to folk music or ever more mature artists such as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. When Baby Boomers came of age during the 1960s, it was presumed they would grow out of their rock phase, but that never happened, he added. At the same time, music began to mature. For example, early Beatles songs like, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” featured innocent lyrics. But by 1965, when the “Rubber Soul” album was released, songs began to appear with more adult lyrics. When the Beatles sang, “We talked until 2 and then she said it’s time for bed” in “Norwegian Wood,” they weren’t just referring to going to sleep, Suzuki said.