1965: THE PIVOTAL YEAR

Anyone who was between 8 and 20 yrs. in 1965 and was cognizant of the world around them knows instinctively 1965 was a turning point. It set the stage for how the world be in the USA. Trying to convey this to those who were not around is difficult. For 1965 was when the new replaced the old. Some of the items were simple every day things, others were style and culture.

Music
Anyone who liked Elvis was old. Elvis by this time had become the "Frank Sinatra" of rock, meaning, he was old school (greasy hair slicked back, silly rock songs that appealed only to those 20 yr and older, he was a crooner).

Tweeners and Teenagers only rocked to these bands:
The Beatles (Help, I'm down, The Word, Rain, Paperback Writer)
The Rolling stones (Satisfaction)
The Kinks (You really got me, All the day, All the night)
The Dave Clark Five (Bits and Pieces, Glad All Over)
The Supremes (Stop, In the name of Love, Baby love)

TV and other Media
This medium was in a state of transition. Most homes only had black and white TV because most TV shows were in that mode. However, staring in this year, many more shows were in color and began the demand for color TV. This transition to color broadcasting was completed by 1967, when nearly all shows were now in color and many more homes now owned a color TV, which cost $500 or more (this was a substantial sum when you consider that a new Chevy rear engine Corvair cost $2200, as did the Ford Mustang). Going to a friend's house to watch Hullabaloo in color was an "event", especially when The Beatles were on it!

Most popular shows:

Mission Impossible (Spy, action)
I spy (Spy)
Wild, Wild West (Action)
Man from U.N.C.L.E (spy)
Bewitched (comedy)
I Dream of Jeanie (comedy)
Outer Limits (scary)
Twilight Zone (scary)
One Step Beyond (scary)
My Three sons (single dad with 3 sons comedy)
Secret Agent Man (spy)
Bonanza (western)
Gilligan's Island (comedy)
Gidget (teenage sitcom)
McHale's Navy (comedy)
Shindig (rock show of top bands)
Hullabaloo (rock show of top bands)
Where the Action is (rock show of top bands)
Batman

Many of the shows created the sitcom formula still used today and most still remain quite good.
In other media, from Japan, small transistor radios, small tape recorders, hand held hair dryers, clock radios (8 track tapes and Cassettes were still many years away).

Culture
Tight jeans or bell-bottoms
Beatle hair cuts (meaning, dry hair with bangs, shaggy but not long, no grease, no Elvis look)
New words in the vocabulary: bitchin, boss, far out = very cool
Skateboards
Stingray bikes butterfly handlebars and knobby tires
Surfer shirts (collarless shirts)
Wide 2-3" belts
Peace signs
Bright colors
Paisley
Housing subdivisions with new homes for 20K on big lots.
Vietnam War (where every night one could watch combat footage on the news)
Marijuana and joints, lids
The slogan, "Don't trust anyone under 30" (meaning, anyone older will not be cool)
The phrase, "You really turn me on" "turn me on"
The start of the youth movement, where the world was defined by youthful things, the "now generation" (those 25 and under)
The start of instant communication with satellites across the globe

Cars
The hottest were:
Chevy Corvair, Stingray, Malibu
Ford Mustang
Ponitac GTO, Le Mans, Bonneville
Plymouth Barracuda
VW
Dodge Charger
AMC Marlin