History ThePowerOfRock / RealLife

** Vaclav Havel, playwright and leader of the Czechoslovak anti-communists and first post-communist President of Czechoslovakia, was drawn into active resistance because of the Czechoslovak government's suppression of a band called the Plastic People of the Universe. He was also such a huge Zappa fan that he offered him a Cabinet post--but the US government, which didn't like Zappa after his testimony to Congress regarding content warning labels on recordings, intervened to prevent it. Most importantly, the revolution Havel led was [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized the only completely non-violent one]].
*** Of course, it was not just Havel, but a whole group of people involved in culture, some of whom were so old they probably never listened to rock in their life: but they all agreed that persecuting someone just because they liked a specific genre of music was the last straw after which [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_77 they could not remain silent]].
*** The awesomest part of the story: Plastic People of the Universe was a cover band; which band? The Music/VelvetUnderground - inspired by the first two albums which Havel had brought back from New York before the Soviet invasion. And what was the name of Havel's revolution in late '80s? The Velvet Revolution. Yeah.
*** Followed by the Velvet Divorce, which ''peacefully'' split the country into Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

* Scottish clans used to use the eerie sound of bagpipes to demoralize their enemies, especially the non-Gaelic ones who didn't know what the hell that sound was.
* During the Battle of the Bulge, the Nazis would broadcast propaganda on loudspeakers aimed at American troops. A young private by the name of Mel Brooks fired back with the music of Jewish singer Al Jolson.

** Even more awesome because the GenreSavvy band knew how the system worked and entered the contest primarily to increase their name recognition in Finland- now they have fans world-wide.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh3hj9-J76Y The Power Of Rock]]--or rather, the power of rock fans--was enough to win Finland the 2006 [[Series/EurovisionSongContest Eurovision]] contest. Traditionally the voting is mostly done around political boundaries regardless of actual music quality, but the year Finnish rock/metal band Lordi{{Lordi}} entered, Finland not only won their first victory but got a record 292 points.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh3hj9-J76Y The Power Of Rock]]--or rather, the power of rock fans--was enough to win Finland the 2006 [[Series/EurovisionSongContest Eurovision]] contest. Traditionally the voting is mostly done around political boundaries regardless of actual music quality, but the year Finnish rock/metal band {{Lordi}} entered, Finland not only won their first victory but got a record 292 points.

* During the Battle of the Bulge, the Nazis would broadcast propaganda on loudspeakers aimed at American troops. A young private by the name of [[Creator/MelBrooks]] fired back with the music of Jewish singer Al Jolson.

** Guantanamo Bay, which uses rock and Barney songs as part of their "[[ColdBloodedTorture enhanced interrogation techniques]]".

** Guantanamo Bay, which uses rock and Barney songs as part of their "enhanced interrogation techniques".
** At the battle of Gaixia (202BCE), Han forces outnumbered and surrounded Chu forces, but still couldn't break their defensive perimeter. Han forces began singing homesickness-inducing Chu folk songs, and the Chu army fell apart via desertion. The Han went on to rule China for over 400 years.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh3hj9-J76Y The Power Of Rock]]--or rather, the power of rock fans--was enough to win Finland the 2006 [[EurovisionSongContest Eurovision]] contest. Traditionally the voting is mostly done around political boundaries regardless of actual music quality, but the year Finnish rock/metal band {{Lordi}} entered, Finland not only won their first victory but got a record 292 points.

** During the US military's invasion of Panama to oust Manuel Noriega, psychological warfare specialists blasted rock music at the building he was holed up in, which ran counter to Noriega's personal taste for opera. One of the songs played was Music/TheClash's "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?", the irony being the band ''opposed'' U.S. military interventions in Central America. Noriega eventually surrendered.

* Music has been used surprisingly often as an instrument of siege warfare:

** During the US military's invasion of Panama to oust Manuel Noriega, psychological warfare specialists blasted rock music at the building he was holed up in, which ran counter to Noriega's personal taste for opera. One of the songs played was TheClash's "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?", the irony being the band ''opposed'' U.S. military interventions in Central America. Noriega eventually surrendered.

*** You left out the most awesome part of the story: Plastic People of the Universe was a cover band; which band? The Music/VelvetUnderground - inspired by the first two albums which Havel had brought back from New York before the Soviet invasion. And what was the name of Havel's revolution in late '80s? The Velvet Revolution. Yeah.

** Not just Communism -- many people regarded [[Music/TheBeatles John Lennon]] and Jimi Hendrix as anti-capitalist, anti-establishment revolutionaries.

* According to Andras Simonyi, Hungarian ambassador to the United States and former dissident leader, the music of Music/TheBeatles, JimiHendrix, and Cream, helped give Eastern European youth the resolve to stand up to their oppressive governments. Said Simonyi, "By keeping in touch with the music scene in the West, it kind of kept me sane and with the feeling I was part of the free world." That's right, boys and girls. Rock n' Roll defeated Communism.
** Not just Communism -- many people regarded [[Music/TheBeatles John Lennon]] and JimiHendrix as anti-capitalist, anti-establishment revolutionaries.

* The leading singers of Brazil's psych/prog-rock movement, ''{{Tropicalia}}'', were inspired by the Beatles and other classic rock, but were censored and banned with threat of jail time by Brazil's then-oppressive government which declared the whole genre subversive because it inspired Brazil's youth. They also took inspiration, naturally, from their own native music.

* The leading singers of Brazil's progressive rock movement, ''{{Tropicalia}}'', were inspired by the Beatles and other classic rock, but were censored and banned with threat of jail time by Brazil's then-oppressive government which declared the whole genre subversive because it inspired Brazil's youth.

*** You left out the most awesome part of the story: Plastic People of the Universe was a cover band; which band? The VelvetUnderground - inspired by the first two albums which Havel had brought back from New York before the Soviet invasion. And what was the name of Havel's revolution in late '80s? The Velvet Revolution. Yeah.

Scottish clans used to use the eerie sound of bagpipes to demoralize their enemies, especially the non-Gaelic ones who didn't know whatthehell that sound was.

** After the Battle of the Bulge, Nazis set up loudspeakers to pump out propaganda. One US corporal, who was Jewish, took it upon himself to set up his own loudspeakers to play the music of Jewish singer Al Jolson. That corporal was Melvin Kaminsky, who would later leave the Army to become an [[MelBrooks actor/producer/director]] of many films.

* In Times Square, protestors counter an anti-Islamic speech by pastor Terry Jones by singing the Beatles' All You Need Is Love.

** After the Battle of the Bulge, Nazis set up loudspeakers to pump out propaganda. One US corporal, who was Jewish, took it upon himself to set up his own loudspeakers to play the music of Jewish singer Al Jolson. That corporal was Melvin Kamimsky, who would later leave the Army to become an [[MelBrooks actor/producer/director]] of many films.