Rock and Roll Music in the 1950s
Rock And Roll Music in the 1950’s
Stark State College of Technology
Rock And Roll Music in the 1950’s
Many think of the 1960s as a turning point. It was an era when everything changed. Children grew up and learned the realities of war, and death. As Bob Dylan sang, the times were changing. And rock and roll would be something to accompany the changes. In some way, one can think of rock as a catalyst as music does turn a nation into zombies of sorts. Indeed, if rock were not so powerful, Ozzy Osbourne would not have been charged with putting ideas in a teen 's head that purportedly caused his suicide. Ozzy 's song Suicide Solution, he claims, is not about suicide at all. Also, when the Columbine incident occurred, some analysts blamed it all on rock music. Rock is something of a dividing line between generations still, it was a trend that started in the 1950s. The year 1951 was when the term "rock and roll" was coined (Goode 8). It was a new type of music and little did those jamming on drums and electric guitars know that it would be a trend that would continue for decades. A half century later, there are a variety of rock genres but it is still all rock and roll, or at least it emanated from the old fashioned variety. There is a bit of a discrepancy in how it came about, something important to understanding the cultural changes it brought. The 1960s was a decade defined by race relations. Thus, it is interesting to note that some contend rock came from African American culture. Chappell claims: "The music of the Black Church and the music of the blues are the bedrock of what became known as rock 'n ' roll” (145). Many people however associate the origins of rock with white boys, who would by the 1960s grow their hair long, much to the dismay of the older generation. While the debate continues in respect to rock being a black or white phenomenon, some see it as mixed. Welch explains that the 1950s "blended black and white musical
Stark State College of Technology
Rock And Roll Music in the 1950’s
Many think of the 1960s as a turning point. It was an era when everything changed. Children grew up and learned the realities of war, and death. As Bob Dylan sang, the times were changing. And rock and roll would be something to accompany the changes. In some way, one can think of rock as a catalyst as music does turn a nation into zombies of sorts. Indeed, if rock were not so powerful, Ozzy Osbourne would not have been charged with putting ideas in a teen 's head that purportedly caused his suicide. Ozzy 's song Suicide Solution, he claims, is not about suicide at all. Also, when the Columbine incident occurred, some analysts blamed it all on rock music. Rock is something of a dividing line between generations still, it was a trend that started in the 1950s. The year 1951 was when the term "rock and roll" was coined (Goode 8). It was a new type of music and little did those jamming on drums and electric guitars know that it would be a trend that would continue for decades. A half century later, there are a variety of rock genres but it is still all rock and roll, or at least it emanated from the old fashioned variety. There is a bit of a discrepancy in how it came about, something important to understanding the cultural changes it brought. The 1960s was a decade defined by race relations. Thus, it is interesting to note that some contend rock came from African American culture. Chappell claims: "The music of the Black Church and the music of the blues are the bedrock of what became known as rock 'n ' roll” (145). Many people however associate the origins of rock with white boys, who would by the 1960s grow their hair long, much to the dismay of the older generation. While the debate continues in respect to rock being a black or white phenomenon, some see it as mixed. Welch explains that the 1950s "blended black and white musical
References: Chappell, Kevin. "How Blacks Invented Rock and Roll. " Ebony Jul, 2001: 145-146. Goode, Stephen. "The Fifties: Hotbed Of New Vocabulary. " Insight on the News 18 Feb 2003: 8. Katz, Jon. "The media 's war on kids." Rolling Stone 25 Nov 1993: 47-50. Lornell, Kip and Moreland, Kim. "Book notes: Popular culture." American Studies International 31(2) (1993): 115 - 116. Welch, R. "Rock 'n ' roll and social change." History Today 40 (2) (1990): 32-39.