By the early 1960s, much contemporary folk music had gained a foothold as music of political and social dissent.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It lacked political content
• D. It was purely entertainment

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that folk music in the early 1960s was known for its social and political voice. The folk revival brought songs that commented on civil rights, antiwar sentiment, and other pressing issues of the day, performed in intimate venues like coffeehouses and campus clubs. Artists such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez popularized lyrics that linked music to activism, turning folk into a vehicle for dissent as much as for entertainment. This wasn’t about mere background music; the songs were used to rally, persuade, and reflect on social change, which is why the statement is true. Saying it had no political content or was purely entertainment doesn’t fit the historical reality of the era’s folk scene.