American History Of Rock and Roll: African American Culture

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Today Americans need to understand the impact or the significance music had during the 1950s. The influences that children have are reflected from people in the public eye, whether that is the music you listen to or looking at the way celebrities treat someone, rock and roll could have an influence on teenage behavior and the way they act out. The way teenagers act out is because they are easy influence by others and allowing them to act out a certain way or say whatever they say that they know shouldn’t be said to anyone. Parents around this time might not have seen it like that with all the other issues going on in society. Some Americans assume that rock and roll had the biggest influence or impact on society on American music in the 1950s. However, in the book Taking Sides they said that “rhythm and blues” were the first white rock and roll. Blues had an influence on music during this time. African Americans had appeared as early as 1922 in blues songs which were used by black singers in the 1950s. Rhythm and blues and jazz music were the greatest music genres during this time that African Americans made. However, rock and roll dominated because the music was so popular during the 1950s and 1960s that it quickly spread across the world. “Rock and roll was a fashion of rhythm and blues, black gospel, and country-western music” (Madaras 233). Rock and roll greatest influences were jazz, gospel, country, and folk. They tried to turn rock and roll into and a mixture of a genre that was popular during this time. Rock and roll affected American society by family lifestyles, teenage behaviors, and the civil rights movement. The author is trying to argue if rock and roll are responsible for dismantling traditions family, sexual, and any form of racial customs.

In the book Taking Sides, Jody Pennington believes that rock and roll created new forms of inner conflict and rebellious forces for teenagers to act out and rebel against there parents. Yet, a person named Ronald Oakley argued against that statement about the lifestyles of the youth of their parents but their attitudes are developed through their age. I believe with Jody Pennington that music can have an influence on teenage behavior because if they listen to this type of music then learn to develop that they word of the mentality that those people have they end up developing it. One of the main roles of rock and roll is to break down racial barriers with their music. Elvis Presley was one of the first stars to take advantage of the teenage market. “It was the beginning of youth culture, the breakdown of sexual inhibition, and the end of racial segregation” (Wallace). His music was a huge influence because he had goals with his music to make a change. Mr. Presley was the king of rock and roll and remained popular with sales of recorders. Elvis Presley had heavily influenced by black rhythm and blues. He opened songs for African Americans helped the industry and attention on blues and r&b music. “ became a symbol of teenage rebellion and was condemned because of it” (Wallace). He was a huge influence on teenagers during this time. Presley was a huge icon that was in the public eye who was a sex symbol and a hit artist.

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Years down the road rock ‘n’ roll developed into great music that is better listened to in the car. “Rock & roll’s takeover of the pop-music marketplace in the mid-Fifties was as threatening to the entrenched old-line music and entertainment business as it was to professional authority figures everywhere” (Palmer and Palmer). In an article written by Rolling Stone, they mentioned that rock ‘n’ roll was different in the 1960s versus 1950s rock in roll. Madaras expresses that when rock ‘n’ roll hit the world like a bomb. The reason for that being is because the music hit the world and to teenagers like it the music is relatable to their life. The book states that teenagers that began to start dressing like greasers (Elvis Presley gave this vibe to the public) and teenage girls began to become impulsive shoppers. Everyone started to accessorize because rock ‘n’ roll artist wants to show the public a different sense of style. “Elvis Presley was sinful and wicked. He set a bad example” (Madaras 238). He proved to parents and high school principals during this era that he was on radar because he influenced many teenagers to act out because his music tells them to do so. The book argued that his blatant sexuality, aggressiveness, bumping and grinding started to adults, because if he is such a powerful influencer with some much “power” they didn’t know what he could be capable of showing these young adults this kind of behavior. People loved him such much and idolized him to produce and make more music and that is exactly what he did. His goal was to give the people what they need to hear whether that meant it was bad behavior or good as long as he was able to get his point across in his music. The poverty was apart of the postwar in the south, helped developed rock ‘n’ roll. When r&b became a thing rock ‘n’ roll became a racial thing between the whites and the African Americans. They told African Americans that they were white but have black behavior that listened to r&b was really “rock ‘n’ roll” because they made their songs sound the same to r&b. Racial segregation around this time was on high alert, especially with the Rosa Parks incident withstanding her ground too. Any form of an artist who created rock ‘n’ roll that wasn’t and white-faced any racial slurs or segregation no matter what. Rock ‘n’ roll did not help end the racial problems people were facing, in fact, it made African Americans look like their genre of music was trying to copy them and mocking them. I believe they did this because they were jealous of the fact an African American man named chuck Berry was able to create good rock ‘n’ roll music during the same time. He was able to put his own twist on rock ‘n’ roll which made many people interested in his music because it had that jazz and blues feel to it. They were mad at the fact that he was getting record sales just like Elvis Presley did with his records. In the book Taking Sides, it mentioned racial barriers where are dissolved buy slaves and the sons of pilgrims that broke sonic barriers to create some type of rebellion and delivery for rock ‘n’ roll. The people never realize that rock and roll had an impact on the cultural and social expression of society.

As the years moved on the music industry became more matured and the styles of music have become more different. For example, Music went from country to soft to glitter and glam; however, rock and roll wanted to stay the same but develop new ideas for the market. Children are still trying to find themselves and what music genre they were interested in while looking through new sounds throughout the industry new styles that could fit their lifestyle during this era. Rock ‘n’ roll developed and grew in Americans music and emerged multiple theme songs for the youth rebellion and had a major molding that reflected on their values. There are still signs of change occurring in the youth having a rise in juvenile delinquency.

In 1948 and 1953 the number of juveniles that were brought to court that were charged with crimes increased by 45% and some juveniles who have never been caught doing the crime. In the 50 straight games became larger and more violent then it has ever been. I believe that this had happened because the influences on rock and roll have influenced these activities to increase. Their parents of juvenile delinquents begin to question themselves on what they were doing wrong with parenting their child. Parents begin to Soul search and find out if this was coming from schools from any other criminal Behavior or what could be their source that they were acting out for whatever reason. The New York Times published a story in the mid-fifties about juvenile kids who began to adopt clothing, ducktail haircuts, or any language of games then you would know what was their influence on because they were a few juvenile kids they were using any sort of illegal substance. This means that these children had influences from other people like the internet for celebrities yet even music influencers. In the book Taking Sides to mention that teenagers are more attracted to the celebration of sexuality, more explicit lyrics, the movement of rock and roll performers, new dances high school dances and private parties. They were New sexual sensations that have driven impulses on the new generation that their music had rooted. This means rock and roll gave young people a sense of unity through their music because it was written for them and only them that most of the world couldn’t understand or adults. They claim that by the mid-1950s there were over a million teenagers that went to secondary school while the other went off to universities and were employed in the workplace. For this reason, being is because rock ‘n’ roll influenced these children to stop caring about what’s really important for them. Parents began to worry so much about there child because children were now focused more on popularity, first kisses, dates, money, love, and most importantly sex. The rock ‘n’ roll idea was not just in music but it is now showcased on television and movies of this sort of behavior. Teenagers or younger children were the main people watching this which made them focus on things that were not that important. Religious groups were now turning down families if there child was some sort of delinquent with outrageous behavior.

With everything that is going on with teenagers and the behavioral problems, this began to affect their families. Most families were not able to continue their normal traditions because people could deny them constitutionally right do not serve them if they have a criminal background we’re going to be legal problems. They didn’t want to have to face the fact that if they let a teenager who was he delinquent or who is a juvenile how would that make them look. They wanted to make sure that their business would not be going to be affected by behavioral antics.

Throughout the years in American History rock ‘n’ roll has caused teenage behavior, family tradition, sexual, and racial discrimination a huge problem. The iconic artists that presented rock ‘n’ roll to the public influenced many people who listened to there music to cause many problems. There were so many disagreements that affected the society that caused an impact on music. The generation is trying to adapt or change into this person that their “suppose” to be. People need to understand that music and people with a higher platform that are the reason why teenagers want to act the way they want to act because they said it was fine for them to act out in this way. Now rock ‘n’ roll music was an important era of music during the 1950s and 1960s but rock ‘n’ roll did have its downfall with influencing the wrong age group to reflect on racial discrimination against the African American race. So now whFRen you listen to music and your children listen to music that is not a good influence, do not blame yourself you have to look for outside influences.

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