When Poland was under Communism, Could you listen to what music you want?

Question

When Poland was under Communism, Could you listen to what music you want?

Answer 1

What a lot of bullshit has been written here...

Once, and for all: in Poland, at least, NOBODY has told me what music I have to listen to. Availability was something else - but as for the radio, Western music was played on Radio Three, Rozgłośnia Harcerska (Scouts Radio), Radio One (certain shows). And though not too often, we had the opportunity to see live and TV performances of such stars as the Rolling Stones, the Animals, Paul Anka, Cliff Richard, Helen Shapiro, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas (1960s), Rubettes, Budgie, Abba, Middle of the Road (1970s). I had an opportunity to serve as the secretary of the Official Beatles Fan Club from Liverpool. I wrote several features to a music paper writing mostly of Western groups and solo stars. Does that answer your question?

Answer 2

nope.

Answer 3

My husband was a teen in communist Hungary. i would think both Poland and Hungary had pretty much the same sort of rules.

He was not allowed by the state to listen to western rock and roll, he and his friends would get together and listen to radio free Europe to hear the new music of the 60's. they were always weary that one of the neighbors would hear the radio and turn them in.

Answer 4

Communism lasted for 4 decades... It was not the same all the time.

During short period of Stalinist regime (1948-1956) one could actually be expelled from university if s/he expressed his/her interest in Western music.

Later, the policies weren't so strict. There was no "forbidden" music, just unavailable - you couldn't go into a record shop and buy what you liked as in the West. There were only staterun recording companies and music shops, with very limited stock.

Original recordings were hardly available - only from people coming from behind the Iron Curtain or through the radio. But the Communists didn't persecute anybody for such trifling matter as music - nothing of the sort.

So the answer is: yes, for most of the time you could listen to what you wanted, as long as you could get the recordings.

Answer 5

Under communism, the government decides what goods are to be produced. Because communism stands for the "greater good" consumer goods were never a priority.

"Consumer Goods" meaning anything that the people wanted to make life easier, like appliances, designed clothes, and even music.

Although the "music" was probably never banned, it would have been very difficult to attain a consumer good, and would be out of the budget of the average citizen.

Answer 6

Just wondering about your expections of starting the same questions over and over again.

The good thing on a radio is that it cannot be limited just to the broadcasts of the government controlled radio stations. Just by switching to another frequency, you are able to get the type of music you want, especially on long wave.

The broadcasts of AFN or RIAS Berlin were noticeable to most of the people in former communist Poland.