1966

Much discussion has taken place regarding last week's Mad Men episode, when Don Draper disregarded the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows."  He earlier wondered, "When did music become so important?" as he navigated the era's changing times.  Psychedelic rock may not have hit the fan just yet, but Don wouldn't have been ready, anyway.

That question of "When did music become so important?" resonates today.  Every movie, every commercial has its own soundtrack, and music (pop, rap, R&B, indie, etc.) is always in the background.  Music responds to the cultural shifts.  And no, I don't agree at all with this assessment of the episode. Don is a 1930s man "who grew up happy to have indoor plumbing."  He's married to a younger woman, and he's intimidated by the change, though he's also trying to cope with it. The music was representing that cultural shift he was not so comfortable with.  And yeah, that it was the Beatles was important.