Pop Music in the Aftermath of September 11, 2001

As a direct consequence of the inhumane attacks performed on September 11^th, 2001 by a group of anti-American Muslim extremists, an overwhelming mass of American citizens collectively expressed patriotism publically. Having committed an agglomeration of troops to the Middle East shortly after the catastrophic occurrence, America’s sustainment of presence was inevitable. Appropriately, the American natives accepted the concept of war while striving to maintain positive spirits. Subconsciously, everyone was somewhat cognizant that publicly asserting their disapproval for President Bush and the war was a low blow for the entire country. So many people believed this that one of the founding principles of the United States of America was temporarily weakened. Freedom of speech took on a new definition in the aftermath of the terrorist attack. People could say anything they wanted as long as it was in accordance with “American” politics. The Dixie Chicks’ own Natalie Maines fell victim to this when she predicated her disapproval of the war and the president while on an international tour. The Dixie Chicks were the most decorated country group of all time up until the fatal comment made on tour in Great Britain. Natalie’s comment, “…ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas”, stirred up quite the controversy among many Americans who were infatuated with patriotic collectivism. A nation wide boycott forced nearly all radio stations to suspend the playing of the Dixie Chicks as a whole. As it was exemplified in this situation, public dissent was an unwritten crime for popular music groups. Speaking out was seen as “un-patriotic” and it resulted in chastisement.  Popular music played a pivotal role in politics immediately following the acts of terror as it calls forth more of an emotional response rather than an analytical response. Political messages in music are often perceived as natural, real, and unquestionable; and with repetition generate an indexical political consensus.  During the war, popular music persuaded people’s opinions on politics by getting similar groups of people to think together. Certain genres of music, such as country, shared extremely patriotic messages through their songs. Considering the Dixie Chicks were perhaps the most well known country singers throughout the United States, it was a shock that their personal feelings conflicted with the overall understanding of country music so grossly. Ultimately, the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 seriously limited musical creativity by diluting the true meaning of freedom of speech, strongly influenced political debates by providing subliminal messages to audiences, and provided financial assistance to victims of misfortune.

Albeit Natalie Maines’ comment is arguably what killed the Dixie Chicks otherwise quite successful career, it did have one positive consequence: the Dixie Chicks were freed to write whatever they wanted in their music. Historically, the only songs that the Dixie Chicks wrote occurred after the political mishap. Being that they were multi millionaires, money was not their first priority; their first priority was sticking to their roots and being true to themselves through song choice. This incapability to speak freely was something that the entire pop music industry in general suffered from. Every popular group in the United States witnessed what happened to the Dixie Chicks first hand and in no way wanted to jeopardize their career, so they refrained from saying anything that was potentially controversial.  Immediately after the planes bombarded the World Trade Center, people were quite sensitive to American criticism, which altered the pop music culture. As time progressed into modern society, the world’s persistent disapproval of the war had desensitized the mass of people. Pop music has since developed a much more diverse culture.

Music can definitely define people in varying ways. In the 2008 presidential election between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barrack Obama, each of the candidates used similar approaches musically. John McCain, who was seen as old, played very contemporary country music to appeal to the public as an individual who was vivacious and more into things than he actually seemed. Barrack Obama, who was seen as young, chose older country music to appeal to the public as an individual who was older, wiser, and smarter than he seemed. In these heated debates, both political parties used music quite strategically. The anti-war movement that was sparked by the Dixie Chicks eventually allowed Barrack Obama to lead a campaign that was intently focused on bringing our troops home and ending the war. It was this foundation that eventually helped Obama triumph as the President of the United States of America. The very thing that began a treasonous “un-American” comment by Natalie Maines eventually became the basis for the “neo-American” way of thinking.  As unlikely as it seems, music does factor into many things that can sway political opinions.

From a personal perspective, I noticed how helpful music was in time of crisis. Shortly after the towers collapses, a group of “superhero” artists banded together to compile a track known as “The Concert for New York City”. Although there were many, some of the more popular artists included the Backstreet Boys, Elton John, Paul McCartney, and John Mellencamp. Within weeks of releasing the song, over $170 million was raised for those who were directly affected by the incident. It is truly inspirational that music can be such a force in helping so many people in time of need. Similar measures were taken in natural disaster relief for the Haiti victims in 2010 through “We Are the World”. Not only did this track help the victims out, it also helped the rest of the world out. When masses of people are killed in a specific region, it makes everyone realize how precious life is. “We Are the World,” preaches that everyone is human and that we all need to pitch in and help each other out no matter our ethnicities, nationalities, or personal ideals. This song personally changed my outlook on life. It’s truly remarkable how critical music can be in society.

Whether people see it or not, popular music is truly an essential part of everyday life. Politically, Socially, and economically, music’s power is often overlooked. After September 11^th, 2001, its role was temporarily altered due to public sensitivity on the issue and it was used to help financially during these sensitive times. Its subliminal messages presented throughout presidential campaigns proved to be fundamentally necessary. Put simply, music helped the United States triumph the unfortunate situation put into place by the very few maniacal members of al-Qaeda.