Don't sell 50's culture short. We focus on the 60's so we reduce 50's music to the precursors of the 60's. We focus on Chuck Berry and Elvis. But the big stars of the 50's were Sinatra, Patti Paige, Nat King Cole, Vic Damone, Nina Simone, Tony Bennett. The classic jazz of Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Coltrane, Brubeck, and Monk. All those great ballads. Music that more than stands up today (who remembers Herman's Hermits or the Dave Clark 5 ?). Norah Jones and Diana Krall are the musical daughters of Eartha Kitt and Peggy Lee.
As I argued in a subsequent post, the seemingly effortless security and prosperity of the 60's created a cultural feeling that struggle had been removed from human existence. There is no need for conflict or competition because there is plenty for everyone. We can all smoke dope and screw and play frisbee and drop out to find ourselves. The counterculture (i.e., the diffusion of bohemian values through college educated youth in the 60's and everyone else in the 70's) was the product of this.