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In sass, the world was broken to smithereens after the wars, especially WI. People wanted no war, they wanted to live in peace, they wanted brotherhood and love. However, nations could not reach to kings, queens or masters individually. The demands Of society were not important for the masters. Finally, the angry societies started to throw up their angers to the system by picking hard-volume guitars, brutal vocals and aggressive-toned drums. First, it was an underground music that could not be done everywhere because of its anarchic message.
However, governments could not hold on that music underground because all of the world wanted freedom and peace and that music was announcing their demands to all the world. There is a message still alive today is freedom, peace, love and brotherhood. Taking these names under a roof, rock music is used for propaganda, especially for white propaganda. What the white propaganda is according to Jowett and O’Donnell(1 999), the correct usage of propaganda like right sources and truthful.
Musicians propagate these ideas with lyrics and hard-volume instruments so, this kind of music is used for people wanting to live in a free and peaceful world as Ellis Ambush (Newsweek reporter) said in 1969 “From Buddy the burgeoning youth culture received rock’s message of freedom, which presaged the dawn of a decade of seismic change and liberation. Buddy Holly left the United States for the first time in 1958, carrying rock ‘n’ roll–the music as well as its highly subversive message of freedom–to the world at large”.
However, this essay will also consider Rock music in black propaganda, as well. The definition of black propaganda according to Jowett and O’Donnell (1999) is the wrong usage of propaganda by false sources and lies. “Most of it [rock music] is used as a vehicle for untruth anti-Christian propaganda” (Graham Cray, 1979). Some Rock music bands not belonging to Christian religion, started to run down Christianity with lyrics and speeches. Although there is not any holy book for anti-Christians, some Rock bands created a book and spread lies from the book for Christianity.
Thus, the usage of Rock music for black propaganda started. Also, the protests songs of anti- Christian propaganda can be found in Music as Propaganda book (Arnold Ferris, 1985). Finally, rock music is used for politics and current social events. Rock music has never been silence to political and social events in terms of deaths, poverty, economic crisis and unfairness’s. When there is a critical vent in the world, Rock music singers write songs about that event and try to announce their voices and feelings to the world, so rock musicians propagate poor’ ideas.
Ellis Ambush, a Newsweek reporter, spoke to Buddy Holly about the propaganda and role of Rock music in politics. Ellis Ambush said that laying the groundwork for the social and political upheavals rock ‘n’ roll was instrumental in fomenting in the following decade” (1965). Propaganda has some special techniques to spread its ideology which is peace and love to society and make society accept the propagandist’s ideas. Some special techniques are used in propaganda of Rock music as it seems in other fields.
Rock music and Rock musicians use nearly all these techniques which are glittering generalities, testimonials, plain folks and bandwagon (Make, 2008) through the concerts, posters and products like clothing. Expanding these terms, glittering generality is to call the attractive words like freedom, love and peace. As it is known, the existence of Rock music is with these words, so Rock music has used this technique since the beginning of it. Coming to testimonial, this technique generally addresses to emotions instead Of logic, reminds people of big names. It seems in lyrics, generally.
In card- stacking method, opinions are represented by pictures and one slogan. It generally seems in Harley Davidson motorcycles which symbolize Rock music philosophy. For example, in Harley Davidson advertisements, there is a motorcycle background and written “live to ride”. This is a card-stacking method in propaganda. The usage of plain folks method in Rock music generally seems in Rock music concerts. Singers speak to the audience from the stage like a person belongs to the society, not like a person from a high situation. This is plain folks method. Finally, in bandwagon method, there is not a person but community.
Its philosophy is “since everyone is doing it, you should do it (Make, 2008). It generally seems in concerts, for example, in Rock music concerts, people head bang which means waving the head up and down, and the other people seeing that scene start to headband, as well. Also, these techniques can be used together, for example, in Rock music concerts, there are thousands of people under the name of the technique of bandwagon and there is a famous person on stage society loves and his speeches on the stage like a person among society which is plain folks.
In edition, according to one of Rock music philosophy which is love, there are some concerts in order to spread that idea to the world, for example, in 2008, live aid concerts were organized and there were many Rock concerts in most of the countries for poor African people, in addition to this, these concerts were broadcasted on many TV channels. This is one of the best example for propaganda in Rock music because the aim of Live Aid is to live in peace and love, as the same ideology of Rock music. Also, today many concerts are organized for various purposes. “Rock concerts are the churches Of today.
Music puts them on a spiritual plane. All music is God” (Craig Choice, 1982). As we see Craig Chassis’s quotation about Rock music concerts, there is an idea or a philosophy in Rock music and singers which are named propagandists spread these ideas and philosophy to the society by concerts and people are affected mainly. Secondly, Rock music uses media tools through the posters of the Rock music bands or singers. For example, Bob Marled was one of a person defending peace in world in all his life, that’s why, even if he was dead today, in his posters, there are Bob Marbles photo and the symbol of peace.
In this example, it can be clearly seen that Rock music is seed for an ideology which is peace and it is doing with posters in order to spread it. Finally, Rock music is also used through production. Generally, clothing field uses Rock music very well, because Rock music listeners want to wear Rock music band’s t-shirts they love. Where the propaganda is, these clothing companies produce black-colored t-shirts and the Cross, Christianity symbol, on t-shirts. Therefore, these firms propagate Christianity by using Rock music band’s names.
In conclusion, although Rock music is just a music style, it has been used as a tool for propaganda since it appeared. Special propaganda techniques, music posters and the production field use Rock music for their ideas and products in order to spread the idea and make community accept it. The other thing that we should put emphasis on is the usage of Rock music in Christian propaganda, peace and love propaganda and propaganda with helping concerts. Although Colic Chapman clarified in 1 968 that many people think that Rock music is so anti-Christian, actually, Rock music has good sights of defending Christianity.
For example, there is a Rock music band, Black Sabbath, propagating Christianity idea and the products of that band always eve cross, Christianity symbol, on. Generally, such propaganda are propagated with t-shirts or piece of jewelries. Also, Rock music is seemed like a horrible kind of music that propagating wildness and horror by little regions. “Rock ‘n’ roll is a beast. Anybody with a pennyworth of grey matter could see it was trouble” (Ray Gosling, 1982). However, the comments on Rock music are quite different and also including propaganda. There is a great deal of powerful, albeit subliminal, sexual stimulation implicit in both the rhythm and [the] lyrics of rock music” (Dry. David Liked, 1981). In addition, n John Lemon’s one speech, he said that the Beetles’ main purpose for doing music is not wildness or any beast but just to do what people want as long as the things that people do, do not hurt somebody (1969). The most important thing about Rock music that it defends peace and love and tries to announce them to the world.
Although all the world looks at that kind of music like a monster, the reason for existing of Rock music is peace and love. In addition, during the history of that music, the propaganda of these ideas have been always propagated. “Mama put my guns in the ground, I can’t shoot them anymore” (Axle Rose, 1988). This is a part Of a song from Guns N’ Roses which is the head band for propagating peace propaganda to the world. Another usage of Rock music is helping concerts for poor people or for people who need any kind of help. For example, there was a broad in scope helping concert 4 years ago which is Live Aid.
The idea of living in good health and helping poor people in Africa was broadcasted on TV’s nearly all the world and many Rock music bands had concerts at the same time in all the world. Thus, we see that Rock music has ideas like peace, love, Christian and helping people and supports these ideas and its bands try to announce these ideas to he whole world with concerts, products or anything else under the name of propaganda. Another usage of Rock music for propaganda is black propaganda. Rock music has always seems as the voice of Satan and evil. There are many examples of seeming that music as evil. The themes of rock ‘n’ roll include rebellion, homosexuality, Satanism, the occult, drugs, murder, suicide, incest, vulgarity, sadomasochism, anti-patriotism and above all, free seek’ (Fletcher Brothers, 1987). The first book I wrote as a young Christian was Mom and Dad Sleep While the Children Rock in Satin’s Cradle, a warning about the dangers f rock music (not currently in print). Thirty-two years later I am more convinced than ever that secular rock music is spiritually destructive and that “Christian rock” is a misnomer. Rock music is not a proper medium for singing the praises of a holy God (David Cloud, 1998).
As we see in these examples, even some musicians and music reporters see Rock music as the symbol of evil. However, these quotations do not depend on real sources, because the topics that Fletcher Brothers (1987) and David Cloud (1998) talked about are not truthful. As we said above that, some Rock music bands created a “holy” kook and wrote their lyrics according to it, that is why there can not be any kind of truthful source. It can seem that some songs include Satan, devil, evil or vulgarity but the underlying source of these ideas is not reliable.
In some Rock music bands’ lyrics, Satanism idea is propagated, so they use that music for their ideology. However, Satan does not have any holy book, so the ideas or lyrics of Satanism do not depend on reliable sources. For example, there is a band name Maraud and its song name is “with Satan and victorious weapons”. As we understand from the name of song, that band propagates he Satanism ideology to the world with their lyrics and Rock music but while they are doing this, they use lie sources and made-up words, so Rock music is used for black propaganda to Christianity world.
In addition, there is sometimes a secret propaganda in Rock music. Some bands and singers use special technique of propaganda which is backhanding method. When people listen to the song, it seems that nothing evil is in lyrics, but when it is listened reversing, secret messages are found in it. Madonna, Michael Jackson, The Beetles and Led Zeppelin are the famous examples of using that special method of propaganda in their music. For example, “Stairway to Heaven” is a song of Led Zeppelin and when it is heard, it seems that there is nothing about evil, but when it is heard reversing, Satanism ideology appears clearly.
Also, in songs of Michael Jackson, Madonna and The Beetles have the same thing that using Rock music with their lyrics for propaganda against Christianity. The last topic of usage of Rock music for propaganda is in politics. There are current events everyday and generally, nobody says something. However, some singers and bands also use Rock music for announcing the voice of societies. As we illustrated above with Ellis Ambush’s quotation, Rock music Caucasians have never kept silence to the current events and shouted at governments and world for the people looked at with an inferior eye.
In brief, Rock music is a kind of music style like classic music, pop music or rap music and it is a common, general music style that is listened in all around the world. As a result of its prevalence, people use it in order to announce their ideology to the world and while doing it, they use propaganda techniques and also some special methods. Also, it is used for both types of propaganda. When we read this text, we can see that Rock music is used for tooth black and white propaganda by musicians with lyrics and songs.