page_title: Rock music and the fall of communism
section_title: 1970s
hierarchical_section_title: Rock music and the fall of communism / History and background / 1970s
caption_attribution_description: 1976 год. Гастроли по стадионам с медной и струнной группой. Слева направо:А.Микоян, Ю.Фокин, С.Намин, А.Слизунов, В.Сахаров, К.Никольский.
context_page_description: Rock music played a role in subverting the political order of the Soviet Union and its satellites. The attraction of the unique form of music served to undermine Soviet authority by humanizing the West, helped alienate a generation from the political system, and sparked a youth revolution. This contribution was achieved not only through the use of words or images, but through the structure of the music itself. Furthermore, the music was spread as part of a broad public diplomacy effort, commercial ventures, and through the efforts of the populace in the Eastern Bloc.
  In the 1960s, The Beatles sparked the love of rock in the Soviet youth and its popularity spread. In May 1979, Elton John became the first Western rock act to play behind the Iron Curtain, playing eight concerts in the Soviet Union; four dates in Leningrad and four in Moscow. Throughout the 1980s a number of Western acts performed behind the Iron Curtain, including Queen, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Ozzy Osbourne.
context_section_description: The major development for rock behind the Iron Curtain in the 1970s was original songs written in the authors' native language. Bands like Illés in Hungary, the Plastic People of the Universe in Czechoslovakia, and Time Machine in the Soviet Union adapted their native languages to rock. They managed to enjoy a steady following, unlike similar attempts by other bands in the 1960s, although they were mostly underground. The mainstream was dominated by VIAs (vocal instrument ensembles) which were officially sanctioned rock and pop groups whose lyrics were vetted and whose music was considerably tamer than the underground groups.  The East German government even established a bureau for rock, indicating their desire to gain control of the movement.
  Although the Seventies were mainly a doldrums for Soviet rock fans, resistance to official policy would still erupt from time to time elsewhere in the bloc, particularly East Germany. Even in places where rock's suppression did not produce violent reactions, like Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union itself, the underground continued to flourish, creating a "second culture", which would have dramatic effects in the future.
caption: A typical 70s Soviet VIA, Tsvety
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