At that time the pop music market was dominated by Western recordings or by superficial Mandarin bubble-gum music. Yang's appeal on behalf of "modern folk music" touched a deep chord with young intellectuals, and inspired many like-minded young people to create their own works. The style spread rapidly from campuses to restaurants, television, and every nook and cranny of society.
當時唱片市場，不是西洋流行音樂就是淺俗的國語歌曲，楊弦「現代民歌」的號召得到知識青年的共鳴，也鼓勵了許多志同道合的年輕人開始創作﹘﹘「唱自己的歌」，風氣迅速的蔓延開來，從校園、餐廳、電視、到社會許許多多角落。