Listening to a Revolution: How the Plastic People Impacted Czechoslovakian History

Music and politics are two things that aren\u27t always interconnected, but in the case of Czechoslovakia and the communist party\u27s rule, they most assuredly were. The power of the arts was no secret to the Communist Party, which explains why they restricted them during their rule. The Velvet Revolution, which took place in 1989, ended the communist regime in Czechoslovakia and was facilitated by the protest music played by the Plastic People of the Universe (PPU). While many rebellious protest bands formed during the Communist party\u27s rule, none had the impact of the PPU because the PPU had the power which was needed to mobilize people in such a restrictive time. A communist seal of approval helped the band start their journey to inspiring Czechoslovaks to take control of their government and stop being passive toward injustice. As part of my research, I listened to many songs by the PPU and analyzed 3 specific songs that stood out to me more in depth. I focused on the rhythmic patterns, pitch, harmony, and overall sound of each song. I found that the songs represented different perspectives (such as the Communist elites vs. the common Czechoslovaks) on Czechoslovakia during the communist era but most often the perspective of the Czechoslovaks. The PPU are one of the most influential bands in Czechoslovakian history and their story is important for people worldwide to know, because it truly speaks to the power of music and art in general which is necessary to be reminded of in a time where art is so underappreciated