Breaking the Law? Heavy Metal in 1980s Socialist East Germany

When In 1987 a cultural functionary of the "Central Working Group on Dance Music" described heavy metal as the "current magic formula in popu- lar music" of the 1980s socialist East Germany, the German Democratic Re- public (GDR), it may be surprising that cultural politics is at all concerned with this musical phenomenon. The official further stated that heavy metal is a "legitimate part of the socialist music culture". This positive attitude to- wards metal is in general rather surprising in the 1980s, since the debate about heavy metal in Western countries was dominated by the so-called moral pan- ics (NACHWEIS). Unquestionably, in socialist East Germany heavy metal was a popular youth culture in the 1980s. At the same time, however, as an originally Western youth culture it was quite problematic. The quoted ex- pression therefore reflects a general change of heart in the second half of the 1980s and the attempt to accept and integrate the popular youth culture with the aim to not lose the connection to youth completely. However, this did not mean that heavy metal and its fans could develop freely in the GDR.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

müzik, politika

Breaking the Law? Heavy Metal in 1980s Socialist East Germany

Keywords:

music, politics,

PDF

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