Essay On How Rock And Roll Changed America

The reading I will focus on this week is an article written by the journalist Kays Gary for the Charlotte Observer in June 1956. In the reading, Gary recalls his time spent with Elvis Presley during an interview with the local press before an early performance in North Carolina. Although Elvis was evidently being very flirtatious and open with his young female fans on the afternoon of the interview, his attitude towards the media is notably more hostile, with the singer remarking that “them critics don’t like to see nobody win doing any kind of music they don’t know nothin’ about” (p. 19). This bitter response to the criticism faced by Presley after his appearance on the Milton Bearle Show appears to indicate that Elvis believed rock and roll to have a high cultural value that made it inaccessible and unintelligible to certain groups of people (in this specific instance, journalists). However, when asked why he does what he does, Presley retorts with the disappointingly honest line that he performs for the money and would be willing to abandon rock and roll should a new style become more lucrative (p. 20).

In Living for the City, Donna Murch argues that the Black Panther Party started with a study group in Oakland, California. She explains how a small city with a recent history of African American settlement produced such compelling and influential forms of Black Power politics. During the time of historical and political struggle in California 's system of public college, black southern traveling workers formed the BPP. In “Jim Crow’s Counterculture”, Lawson argues that the Great Migration and World War II changed the blues music from the thinking and behavior of younger people who want to be different from the rest of society to one that celebrated the work attitude and the war effort as ways to claim “American citizenship”.

Introduction: Chuck Berry, an iconic African American singer-songwriter, is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of rock and roll. With his innovative guitar riffs, energetic performances, and captivating storytelling, Berry's music not only defined the genre but also broke down racial barriers in the music industry. This essay explores the life, musical contributions, and lasting legacy of Chuck Berry, highlighting his impact on popular music and his enduring influence on generations of musicians. Early Life and Musical Influences: Charles Edward Anderson Berry, known as Chuck Berry, was born on October 18, 1926, in St. Louis, Missouri. Growing up in a racially segregated society, Berry was exposed to both African American

Not everyone fell under the two categories represented by Guitar and Milkman, in fact many were caught in between this power struggle. Morrison’s depiction of what Guitar and Milkman stand for is an accurate representation of what many polarized African-Americans were feeling in the midst of events regarding racial

After WWII, African-Americans refused to conform to the rules drafted in favor of the white society. The negroes of America used race music as a weapon to demonstrate non-conformity and performed music only to the African-American society. A famous race music in the 1960s was ‘Hound Dog’ performed by an African American blues singer, Big Mama Thornton. Elvis Presley, a white singer who sings like the blacks, would perform the same ‘Hound Dog’ to the white audiences because Big Mama wouldn’t perform for the white society [Rock & Roll, 1950s PDF]. Another instance that shows non-conformity of African-Americans is the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56).

Rock and Roll was a very popular cultural aspect of the 50s. It originated from African American culture then the whites interpreted it. One of the first singers to do this was the very king of rock and roll himself, Elvis Presley. Many adults hated this new music and wanted to ban it. A huge part of it was censored, for example on the Ed Sullivan show, Elvis had to wear a tuxedo and wasn’t allowed to dance because his moves were “sexually inappropriate”.

Radio and Television The music of the 1960s and 1970s definitely had an impact on culture and society in the United States. Protest music, specifically, brought ideas, as well as problems, to the attention of many Americans. Radio stations across the nation were a big part of the spread of protest music. Radio experienced a boom after World War II.

In a time of economic prosperity, a rise in the standard of living and rock and roll, also known as the “happy days”, the 1950s were a time looked back on with nostalgia. On the other hand, the 1950s were also met with many problems involving civil rights, the Cold War and McCarthyism. After the end of World War II, Americans came home to jobs available and a period of consensus. Consensus meaning there wasn’t much debate in politics. However tensions quickly rose throughout the nation when Joseph McCarthy made serious accusations about the State Department.

There was rock, folk music, and many more. But, in the late sixties Rock n Roll, commonly reckoned as the golden age of rock and roll when it attained a maturity unimaginable for the delinquent rebellion of the fifties, there are numerous references to the Vietnam War. The criticism of the war is submerged in or displaced by the politics of sexuality, lifestyle, and drugs. Rock music of that time period celebrated anti-materialism, spiritual awakening and social disengagement (James pg 133). Like the social movement it made possible, hippie music was ideologically and economically assimilable.

“Music has always been both a barometer measuring and responding to society's problems and possibilities, and the twentieth century was a period that witnessed the emergence of a diverse range of musical styles and genres, each seemingly in reaction to the dominant sociopolitical concerns of the day” (Morgan). Presley, Dylan, and Joplin had the greatest influence on American culture in the 1960’s. Elvis had a great influence on American culture through his influence on music, affect on American culture, and his legacy. Elvis also known as “the King” or “the King of Rock and Roll”was very popular in the 1960’s. Presley created new styles by gyrating his hips and dressing differently.

The genre of blues exploded into the blues craze during the 1920’s. During this time, white record producers saw the untapped goldmine that was blues music performed by people of color. Ma Rainey was one of them, and to some, one of the first, giving her the title, ‘The Mother of Blues’. The 1920’s was not only an era of continuing homophobia from the past (although that would change, briefly, into a mild form of acceptance until the more conservative 1930’s), but also of harsh racism. And yet, one singer, Ma Rainey’s, broke these restrictions.

Apart from the Afro-American culture, Herbie Hancock was also a pioneer in accepting contemporary cultural phenomena. In The Music of Herbie Hancock: Composition and Improvisation in the Blue Note Years (2010), Johannes argues that Hancock’s mega-hit song, Rockit (1983) was the first pop hit track to adapt the “scratching” recording method only used in emerging rap music at that time (Pond, 2000,

Cultural Impact of Rock and Roll Amidst the 1960’s Jimi Hendrix formerly stated, “Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.” A generation which was earnestly devoted to peace, protest, and revolution, the counterculture amongst the 1960’s yearned for change. Rock and roll was far beyond just a genre of music; it influenced lifestyles, protests, and attitudes, thus, kindling an awakening in the youth of American culture. The distinction between parental and youth culture was a persistent root of concern, considering that teens throughout the world found a sense of belonging in this style of music.

Over the course of human history, music has been an integral part of life. Music’s impact can be seen in every facet of the world today and it is a way to express feelings, tell a story, or prove a point. It can bring people together and can transcend communities, cultures, and ideologies. Although many do not realize it, music has had a profound impact on all human lives, and the lives of all others that have since died. Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come’ is a song that defined a generation while bringing the oppression and injustice that African Americans experienced, on a daily basis, to the forefront of society.

The music industry has played a large role in shaping the society in which people live in today. Music has the ability to not only impact an individual’s life but society as a whole. One genre/subgenre in particular that was able to cause dramatic change within the US itself was punk rock. Punk rock, which could be consider a subgenre of rock n roll or a genre of its own, came into the popular music scene in the 1960s and 70s and played a huge role in shaping the lives of many Americans especially those whose voices were not heard in the mainstream. Throughout history and still in today’s society many groups of people go unheard and are not respected as they should be under the constitution.