The Day Rock and Roll Overtook Folk
By J. Blue Spicer

By the early 1960s—amidst political turmoil and civil unrest eerily reflected in modern society—folk music was the preferred genre of music over rock and roll. Folk acted in the role the internet plays today, lending a voice to people's concerns about how government functioned. The music style was played with acoustic instruments, with political and social lyrics that spoke to the issues and concerns of the era. Rock and roll was still viewed as a teenaged sound. Songs contained electric instruments and percussion. Lyrics discussed youthful romance, cars, and dance crazes.
Folk gained its biggest following in New York City neighborhoods like Greenwich Village, where politically active musicians often gathered and performed. Folk focused on quiet introspection, but it was more popular than the purposely loud and fun-loving rock music. Folk icons such as Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, and Buffy Ste. Marie acted as a voice for those angered by a social and political system they felt was unjust.

Folk music's biggest event was the Newport Folk Festival. The genre's biggest acts and newest stars took center stage to showcase folk at its best. However, at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, rock music began to infringe on folk's territory. Bob Dylan, who was the champion of folk for many years, had just released an album featuring electric instrumentation. He was also moving away from politically-charged ideas in favor of more personalized lyrics. Dylan brought an electric backing band to the festival and was largely booed by the folk faithful. This was against the spirit of folk. But this served as the beginning of folk's public demise and rock's rise as the new voice for youth counterculture.

While many of folk's stalwarts remained loyal to the genre and its message, the appeal of rock music to add entertainment to social messages lured many away from the traditional genre. Many believed their message of peace and protest was better served with a louder approach. The difference between the genres was to yell at a massive crowd to get a point across rather than to whisper at an intimate audience. The discord of the 1960s would come to a head at the end of the decade, but it came with the combative sounds of rock rather than the reserved melodies of folk.

In what way does the author's comparison of folk music to the early forms of rock and roll help the reader better understand music fans?
A.
Folk was for politically involved music fans, whereas rock and roll was for fans who preferred music about fun and romance.
B.
Folk was for people who didn't see themselves as music fans, whereas rock and roll was for people who loved all kinds of music.
C.
Folk was for music fans who preferred music about fun and romance, whereas rock and roll was for politically involved music fans.
D.
Folk was for music fans who loved to dance, whereas rock and roll was for music fans who preferred sitting down and listening.