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Music in the 1950s

$1.25

Vol XCIII, No. 311

February 28, 1952

The Birth of an Age

Rock 'n Roll

Civil Rights in Music

Racial Tensions

Rock 'n Roll Gains National Popularity

  • The first Rock 'n Roll track to gain national popularity was Bill Haley and the Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" in 1955
  • Haley, and other artists such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Ray Charles continued to create music that appealed to youthful audiences because of its strong beats and good vibes
  • Rock 'n Roll also "translated" black rhythm and blues music into music that younger audiences could enjoy, as R&B was considered to sexual, angry, and solely associated with blacks for white American teenagers
  • Parents still didn't approve of the rebellious attitude that they believed was given to their teenagers by Rock 'n Roll and R&B; blamed crime and other societal problems related to teenagers on the music they were listening to
  • With the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, racial tensions were very strained, and it was reflected in the music made and listened to in the 1950s
  • Rhythm and Blues and Rock music were popularized African American music genres
  • While there were many acclaimed African American artists, such as Little Richard, many were denied access to audiences because of segregation and couldn't get their music out there
  • Many people at the time believed that white artists stole work from African Americans and made money off of it in ways that original artists couldn't
  • An example of this would be Pat Boone making a cover of Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" and receiving much more praise, popularity, and money than Little Richard did

Music is the art of thinking with sounds

-Jules Combarieu

Juvenile Delinquency and Music

Technology and Music

Parents fear that music may be to blame for rebellious teenage attitudes

New Technology Changes How We Listen to and Create Music

  • This is a news article from 1956, talking about Elvis Presley and his widespread influence among teenagers, which relates back to how parents did not approve of the music their kids listened to and how artists like Elvis had too much influence on teenagers at the time
  • In the early 50s, new recording technologies such as the 45 RPM single and 45 RPM jukeboxes emerged
  • The solid body electric guitar and bass also were created during this time, influencing the creation of Rock 'n Roll music
  • These new technologies and adaptations completely changed to how people listened to and created music
  • Technology allowed for music to become more accessible and widespread
  • Juvenile delinquency was often associated with the types of music teenagers were listening to
  • Parents and adults feared that Rock 'n Roll and R&B music were too adult and risque for their teenagers to be listening to, and therefore blamed insubordinate behavior on the "trashy" music
  • Parents and adults decided to, in order to discourage gang and crime related behavior and to encourage "conformity and adherence to proper social roles," many schools across the country instituted dress codes for kids in school
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