Woodstock: Greatest Musical Event Ever? -- Chris Hansen
Ask anyone who was a teenager during the time of Woodstock about the festival, and chances are they will tell fond memories of listening to the artists that played there, albeit on the radio or record player, and wishing they could be experiencing the festival celebrating peace, love, and freedom. Just as Beatlemania had swept seemingly the entire youth population 6 years earlier, Woodstock was an event unlike any other in history, as it had almost unanimous support from an entire nation of disenfranchised, determined youth looking for an outlet to find themselves. Musicians had preached for years about freedom and sexuality and all sorts of "controversial" things. Woodstock offered a chance for them to really present their messages, and the artists delivered. The Woodstock Festival deserves to be considered the greatest musical event of the past 100 years or so, as it truly exemplifies all the emotions and ideas the artists were singing about. Unlike the fiasco 30 years later (Woodstock '99), violence and violent criminal behavior (as opposed to just criminal behavior, as quite a few laws regarding possession of illegal substances were infringed) was kept to a minimum, as everyone was there for the music, not for themselves. It was an experience to be envied by all who were not there, as the culmination of the music, the people, and the ideas created an atmosphere that will likely never be felt again.