Does music have the capacity to change the world?
 

I've been grappling with this issue for a while now and I think the answer is rather ambiguous. I'd like to hear other people's views on the matter, because it's certainly a discussion worth hearing.

I'm not talking about within the music community; e.g. psychedelia on hippies, but a broader sense of music's influence on how the world revolves.

Are there any outstanding contributions to the world by musicians?

http://www.bilerico.com/2007/06/2002...-bono-bush.jpg

(politically no, culturally yes)

On the local more so than anywhere else.

yeah if you go by Last.fm the most far-reaching and influential bands are Radiohead, Coldplay, all that sh*t, and to their credit they seem to realise their position to influence but they waste it and make me want to drive forks into my eyeballs into the bargain

I was thinking more along the lines of Steve Reich's "Different Trains" than whatever political candidate Bono is endorsing today.

It changed my world and that's good enough for me.

You can't whistle Steve Reich driving into work on Monday morning so he gets no airplay or multimedia promo campaigns, i wouldn't hold my breath.

Plus the average boring c*nt doesn't want anything thought-provoking because it confuses them

Yes...see the 60's.

absolutely, although i can't name any of the top of my head. the best examples i can think of are propaganda soundtracks, the bombastic military pieces that precede speeches by heads of state to bolster the morale of their troops prior to an attack. the music does have an indirect influence on the world as being a reflection of the culture of one side of the conflict.


as for the idea of a song like 'a wonderful world' or any other pop tune influencing the global population to stop and smell the roses or stop fighting... well, that's just a hippie technicolour dream.

Food Not Bombs is fairly successful.