by A.J. Knight
Today, teens turn up their mp3 players or blast their iPod to the sounds of a new generation. Music today varies in similarities and differences from the type of music heard in the 1950’s. If we were to go back in time, what would we hear? Back then, jukeboxes and radios would be on to hear the rockin’ melody of Elvis Presley. Music sounded a completely different way than of what we hear now. Music from the 1950’s helped shape the music we hear nowadays. People were influenced by types of music in the 1950’s, popular songs, and famous artists.
In the 1950’s there was a multiple amount of music genres that interested the people. The music varied from Jazz and Bebop to Country to Rhythm and Blues and to, of coarse, Rock and Roll. Jazz and Bebop relate to Jazz but is interpreted into a fast-paced dance style. This style of music was found more popular in the African American communities. Country music dominated in the South and was often called Rockabilly music. Around the mid 1950’s country music turned into a multi-million dollar industry. Today, country music still lives on and is very popular. Rhythm and Blues is the next popular genre. It was named the blues because “its songs focused on bad luck, hard times, and personal and financial trouble.” (Lindop 105) Rhythm and Blues started out in the early 1900’s but found a new popularity in the 1950’s. After Rhythm and Blues found new life, a different sound rocked the ears of many teenagers. The Fifties was said the be “the birth of Rock and Roll.” (Rich) It was a combination of Rhythm and Blues and Country music. “The feel-good innocence of a lot of the Fifties music reflects on the post World War II optimism in America.” says Michael Rich. Teenagers were not as aware of the war then their older generation so, they wanted something new and exciting to spark up their lives and Rock and Roll did just that. In the early 1950’s a Cleveland DJ named Alan Freed was the first to start playing Black R&B tunes of the radio. He started to add in live performances and called this new sound of his “Rock ‘N’ Roll”. He is now known as the first Rock DJ and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. The Moondog Coronation Ball, which occurred on March 21st, 1952, was considered to be the birth date of Rock and Roll. This type of music made a huge step in history because Rock ad Roll is still very popular today and without the start of it in the early 1950’s, it wouldn’t still be alive. The different genre’s of music definitely affected the pop culture in history.
There is always that one tune every year that everyone knows and sparks up the charts. Popular songs in the 1950’s are now infamous songs today. Mainstream pop had two number one songs in the early 50’s, “Cry” (1951) and “How Much Is That Doggie In The Window” (1953) (Young) With Jazz and Bebop some of the popular songs were “Groovin’ High”, “The Duke”, and “Round Midnight”. Country music had a few popular songs in the fifties such as “I Walk the Line” and “Blue Suede Shoes”. For Rhythm and Blues the sad songs of “All Aboard” and “Bad Luck” hit the charts quickly. Rock and Roll came out with some fresh tracks like “Rock Around the Clock” and “Maybellene”. All of these songs were famous then and still are now. You have to hear them for yourself to understand what times were like back then. Lyrics are always written about times that we go through. If you listen to the lyrics of the fifties, you will hear them mostly talking about happiness and having fun with excitement. Now, songs are a little more darker and have different kinds of meaning behind a song. As far as music goes, the fifties seemed like a happier time.
What is a song without a famous artist with a great voice to back it up? Many artists that we see as “old but famous” were artists that began in the 1950’s. Frank Sinatra is one of the most widely known artists in America. He started out in the mid-40’s and brought the Swing era into the 50’s. He was famous for his jazz music and had a few famous songs such as “Summer Wind” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”. Sinatra and others like Bing Crosby became considered “old timers” when the fifties came about. Then suddenly, a new hot artist came onto the scene in the early 1950’s, Elvis Presley. Elvis took the Rock and Roll music by storm when his song “Hound Dog/Don’t Be Cruel” came out in 1956. He was then known as “The King” when Elvis was the best selling solo artist in U.S. history. He has charted more songs on the Billboards Hot 100 than any other artist and has the greatest number of consecutive #1 hits. Presley is number two in overall album sales (The Beatles being the first) and has the most multi-plaitnum albums.This goes to show that Elvis definitely deserved the title of “The King”. Other artists that made a impact in the fifties music were Eddie Fisher, Johnny Mathis, Patti Page, Doris Day, The Ames Brothers, and Fontaine Sisters. Each of these artists and groups were roaring up the Top 40 Chart and had many popular songs.(Young) The music in the fifties has allowed artists to show their own creative sides.
The genre’s, songs, and artists of the 1950’s has changed the way music is viewed. The beginning of rock and roll was brought to life and many people were “Rocking Around the Clock”. Elvis tore up the charts and became one of the most famous artists in history. Learning about what times were like back then when it comes to music is very interesting when you compare it to today. So, what will you be able to say about the music from your generation?
Work Cited
[1] Lindop, Edmund. America in the 1950s. Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century, 2010. Print.
[2] Young, William H., and Nancy K. Young. The 1950s. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2004. Print.
[3] Rich, Michael. Oldies Music/ 1950s and 1960s. Google, 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.