Date of Award
5-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Rebecca Stoil
Committee Member
Dr. Rod Andrew, Jr.
Committee Member
Prof. Hamilton S. Altstatt
Abstract
The Cold War era saw the emergence of many different pop culture phenomena. Some were political, such as the Punk Rock and Hippie movements. Others were fashionable trends like Disco. However, Heavy Metal music is unique due to its opaque origins, skyrocketing popularity, and final disappearance after the end of the Cold War. Heavy Metal had a direct relationship with reflecting the fears and anxieties of the late Cold War period. It was a direct response to the Hippie activist counterculture rock n' roll of the 1960s, and it charters a new path of rock n' roll in the process. However, Heavy Metal's content and moral reputation grew darker, so it lost much of its widespread appeal in the post-Cold War world. The emergence of Grunge and Hip-Hop in the 1990s dethroned Heavy Metal from its seat atop the pop-culture throne. This paper tracks the evolution and downfall of Heavy Metal from the 1970s through the 1990s. The findings are that Heavy Metal music was unique to the Cold War and could not exist without this conflict's geopolitical and social climate. However, Heavy Metal has survived in developing regions throughout decolonization. These individuals use Heavy Metal as an active and passive means of resistance against repressive and oppressive societies.
Recommended Citation
Sibert, Shelby, "Children of the Grave: The Rise, Fall, and Experience of Heavy Metal Music During the Latter Cold War From 1969-1991" (2024). All Theses. 4290.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/4290