1968: The Beatles, Frank Zappa, the Soft Machine, Pink Floyd: Establishing the Dialogue between Experimentation and Tradition in Rock Music

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to frame the Beatles’ White Album by linking it to other significant albums released in 1968 (by Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, and the Soft Machine). These works contribute to two main trends for the development of rock music in subsequent decades: on the one hand, the desire to establish itself as an artistic expression in its own right, thanks to the inclusion of stylistic elements and creative approaches unrelated to its own tradition; on the other hand, reference to the roots of rock itself.