How have drugs influenced music?
Sources:
Drugs have profoundly influenced various music genres and artistic expressions over the decades. Here are some perspectives from musicians and experts on this topic:
-
Moby discussed maintaining a "sacred space" for his music by avoiding drugs and alcohol during performance and creation, though he acknowledged trying once to create music drunk, which resulted in "garbage bad" output. His strict boundary between music and substance use highlights the potential negative impact on creative quality 1.
-
Neil Young shared how THC helps him focus intensely on music by removing distractions, allowing full immersion during sessions. However, he noted the shift in music quality with different drug influences over the decades, citing hallucinogens' positive impact on earlier music compared to later drugs like meth and cocaine, which he found less conducive to creativity 2.
-
Johnny Cash's biographer, Marshall Terrill, described how Cash’s drug addiction severely impacted his personality, health, and performance, turning him into a "slave to the drug" and straining his family relationships. This illustrates the destructive side of drug use on both personal life and professional capabilities 3.
-
Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland explored the acceptance and impact of cocaine in the 1970s rock and disco scenes. The rise of cocaine, deemed "cost-free" at the time, intertwined with disco to enhance the ecstatic experiences both sought to create. This signifies a symbiotic relationship between the drug culture and the music it influenced 4.
-
Joe Rogan and Jim Breuer highlighted the stark difference between 1950s and 1960s rock, attributing a significant part of this shift to the psychedelic culture. They noted that many iconic bands like The Beatles, Hendrix, and The Doors were heavily influenced by LSD, which opened new realms of creativity and redefined the era's music landscape 5.
-
The Mind Pump Podcast hosts discussed how different economic conditions influence drug trends and, consequently, music styles. Justin Andrews pointed out that the type of prevailing drugs changes music scenes, from the cocaine-fueled 80s to the current fentanyl impact, showing a direct correlation between society's drug use and musical evolution 6.
These insights illustrate the complex and often dual-faced role of drugs in shaping music, impacting creativity, performance quality, and the overall cultural ethos of different musical eras.
RELATED QUESTIONS-