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Sixties

The sixties start off with (Indo) rock going main stream. The Blue Diamonds score a international hit with Ramona and the first true Dutch rock record 'Kom van dat dak af' ('Get of that roof') is made by Peter Koelewijn (and his Rockets).

It is also the time that radio starts broadcasting programs aimed at teenagers. Thanks to programs like Time for teenagers and between 10+ and 20 artists like Rob de Nijs, Anneke Grönloh, Ria Valk and Willeke Alberti grow out to stars.

The second wave of the late sixties inspires Dutch songwriters and singers to write about the framework and assumptions of traditional courtship roles. They subscribed to the idea that there should be equality of the sexes, not just legally, but socially and sexually. Artists like Teddy Scholten, Corry Brokken and Conny Vandenbos use these themes in their songs.

Mid sixties sees the upcoming of pirate radio with Radio Veronica and Radio Noordzee. These stations started broadcasting aimed especially for the teenagers and pushed the development of Nederbeat or Dutch beat. The demand was bigger then the British market could deliver so Dutch initiatives were encouraged. Nederbeat (also: Nederbiet) is Netherland's reaction to the early 1960s Beat groups led by the Beatles. Part of this movement were groups like the Golden Earring , The Motions , Q65 , de RO-D-YS, The Outsiders (foto), The Shoes , Les Baroques en The Hunters. Epic centre of the Nederbeat was The Hague and neighbouring coastal town Scheveningen. The clubs on its boulevard, from where Veronica's pirate ship was constantly visible, proved instrumental as a breeding place for Dutch talent. Opposite to the teenage stars mentioned earlier the beatgroups sing in English and copy the Anglo Saxon pop sound into detail. Which proved an commercially tactful move since the pirate radio stations broadcasted two ways of the North sea. This might explain why Nederbeat is still very popular in England but has, in our opinion, little to do with original Dutch music. There are some beatgroups who sing in Dutch like Het, Armand and Karin Kent, but they form a minority.

French chanson is also very popular in the sixties in Holland and singer songwriters like Joop Visser and Boudewijn de Groot mix that tradition with more local folk influences. This French influence was even more evident with French born singer and actor Ramses Shaffy. In 1964, Shaffy founded the theatre group Shaffy Chantant, which led to collaborations with Dutch singer Liesbeth List and jazz pianist Louis van Dijk. Finally the cabaret tradition in the sixties was held high by artists like Toon Hermans and Wim Sonneveld. The Levenslied also get’s a revival in 1969 when songwriter Pierre Kartner writes 'Huilen is voor jou te laat' ('It’s to late for you to cry') for singer Corry Konings and her Rekels. It stayed in the charts well into the seventies.