There was a Frank Zappa interview where he's comparing types of record company executives: the ex-hippy children of the 60's and the old-timers.
He concluded the emasculated hippies were a far bigger pain in the ass, because they thought they knew what the kids wanted to hear, kept editing you. The old guys were sucking on a cigar looking out the window and just took a 'you know best' approach.

Point being the 60's changed the musical landscape and defined pop culture for years to come; but the world keeps turning and free love was quickly exploited, branded and sold back to people. The original participants inherited the system that they opposed and i'm still moaning

Yes, but I'll be cynical and say that it's very rarely in a direct or dramatic fashion.
Music can't start a movement, but it can inspire and unify people around a cause. Music is the strongest facet of pop culture/youth culture. Anything with such a strong impact upon our culture will usually have some trickle down effect upon our politics.

And in a multitude of small ways, music provides a voice for people, and articulate the protest of a group. As a potentially flawed example, look at the length dictatorships will go to censor any music that goes against their policy.

Any change no matter how small changes the world. Music inspired you to ask the question so therefore must make a difference. Without music the question would not exist:)

I highly doubt that.

Why do you doubt it? As far as I know, The "concept" of the world belongs to every individual. We all have different interpretations of the world. Music affects us and therefore can change our perception of the world. The world will always remain a concept...

As Woodie Guthrie had written on his guitar "This Machine Kills Fascists"

Quite


I think music can change elements to the world, like with the Tropicalia movement in Brazil; it changed Brazil but didn’t necessarily change anything else.

Likewise Punk I believe changed Britain forever but saying that, that statement does depend on where in Britain you lived at the time both socially and geographically.

Also I do think that if music is solely based on making a change, like Live Aid for example, it can bring some exposure but ultimately the point is lost after the euphoria dies down.

However if a musical phenomenon is organically grown and just happens, then I think it has the promise and ability to alter anything it touches………problem then is to ensure it stays true to itself and doesnt go up its own ass, which it rarely does.

eh, the 60s. Dylan was particularly important in spreading certain sentiments across the intellectual world.

Today, no. Not because music as a medium has lost its capacity to do so, but due to the multinationalized, fully commercialized nature of the popular music industry these days. Nobody with anything worth saying could ever get the voice to express it.

The shortest answer I can offer that is that music has the ability to change an individuals perception of something, to the point where it influences how they handle that perception of something.

At best, it's kind of like a domino effect.

Music changes the world just like everything else is changing and being changed by the world. Music is an expression of the reality we live in. It's a two way street. People ask this question constantly but rarely is it asked: "Does the world change music?" That is the answer to the first question and the logical next step.

Protest songs only exist because of negative change, politically speaking. So for positive change to come from music, there has to be an exterior problem to come first. Music is part of culture... it can expedite movement. It can be the fuel that keeps the fire burning. In that way, yes, music changes the world. But the fire has to be started and the movement has to begin somewhere before the song is even written.

yea, everything changes the world in some way. like i just posted this, and you are reading it and thinking about it and it might even have an impact on your life!
deep right
but music has already changed the world millions of times in millions of ways. just think of life without music.................and with music..............are they different? yes music has changed the world and will continue to change the world.. (woo :D)