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A look into the Impact of The Rise of Second Wave Feminism and Its Impact on Female Musicians
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Conclusion
Through an examination of the topics discussed in each song as well as the timing of the songs' releases, there is a clear correlation between the feminist movement and female musicians. Women had not received the same level of fame in popular music prior to the 1970s, and very few had reached number one on any chart. Because of the freedoms women fought for during the 1970s, their voices and experiences were allowed to enter mainstream media. The musicians examined, whether advertly feminist or not, did embrace Second Wave Feminism through their sound and their lyrics.
About
This project was completed on December 6, 2022 by Sarah Johnston. This project was completed over the semester through research done on the interconnectedness of music and social movements. Specifically, the project analyzed how the feminist movement in the 1970s influenced female musicians. The number of single, female musicians rose during this decade, and the topics sung about appeared to align with feminist ideology. The purpose of this research is to determine the connection, if any, to female musicians and feminism in the 1970s.
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The musicians were chosen through a variety of methods, including multiple valid website rankings, Top 40 chart rankings, Billboard rankings, and simply to provide a variety of genres including singer-songwriter, pop, country rock, disco, and soul. The songs chosen for each artist were decided on based on their rankings in the Top 40 charts as well as the topic of the lyrics. The chosen songs were analyzed based on the themes of Second Wave Feminism.
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