The music style itself was a combination of African- American blues, boogie-woogie, jump blues, jazz, and gospel music with Western swing and country music. The emergence of rock music had large impacts on race relations and youth culture. Rock and roll often involved white audiences to black musicians or white musicians appropriating black forms of music. This shared experience of music often received backlash from conservatives who condemned this shift from traditional views reinforcing segregation. Rock music fostered a sense of cooperation between white Americans and black Americans, but also largely shaped the way youth of each group viewed themselves.
Rock and Roll arguable defined youth culture during the 50s. It challenged notions of sex and other subjects that were considered taboo at the time. Rock and roll was not simply a form of music for youth, it was a distinct subculture. Rock and roll culture extended to films, clothing and hair trends, and even language use. It also represented a rift between previous generations and youth during the 50s. Many members of older generations expressed their dismay and fear of social rebellion, typically towards changing attitudes of race and social structures.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_roll#Cultural_impact
http://www.britannica.com/art/rock-music/Crucial-rock-musicians#toc93484
How does rock and roll compare to pop music today? The pop music that we listen to today is vastly different than the music our parents listened to, but does pop music define our culture as much as rock did for the youth in 1950? What is the single most defining factor of youth culture today? Has pop music become so integrated into our culture that its seen as a sign of teenage rebellion instead of the cause of it?
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you highlighted the societal implications of rock and roll music in terms of race relations. I think its really important to understand how cultural aspects of life, like music, art, and writing, can have a profound impact on the way we as humans interact and think about one another. In fact, it did contribute to the civil rights movement, since both white teens and African Americans enjoyed it. The music of the time helped serve as a "unifying thread", as stated in the below source.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_roll
Great post! This is a concise and focused post about Rock and Roll. How do you think the 50's rock and roll impacted music today? Are there any differences or is it just as similar?
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