Before It Was Cool

Before It Was Cool will explore pop prior to that pivotal moment in 1965 when the great poet of the folk scene himself turned to rock, intellectualizing the young genre and beginning what would become a decades-long tradition of experimentation. But what of the older forms and artists post-1965 ones supplanted? Despite the 50s and early 60s being marked by intense civil rights struggles at home and Cold War proxy conflicts abroad, it often feels as though the era’s pop can serve as a portal to some mythic, simpler time. While my heart ultimately lies with the music that came later, pre-1965 pop, in part due to its heavy thematic focus on young love, distinguishes itself with a certain innocence and calm.