Rock and roll emerged in the postwar United States as a reflection of societal changes and tensions between youth and adults. The economic boom and rise of consumerism empowered teenagers as a demographic with disposable income. Rock music appealed to white teenagers through its blend of blues, country, and gospel influences as well as its overt sexuality. Though controversial for its perceived rebelliousness, rock and roll came to define youth culture of the 1950s and profoundly shaped popular music and fashion going forward.

1. The Impact of Rock and Roll in
the United States

2. Context
Music is and has always been a reflection of the
society and culture from which it originates. It
would be fair to say that while music has a huge
social influence and helps shapes society, society
in turn shapes and influences the music. Indeed,
they are reflections of one another.

3. Wars
Cold War:
-Korean War (1950-1953)
-Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

4. Economy
Capitalism and Consumerism
-Unemployment and Inflation
-Wages
-Middle-class
high
low

5. Post-war Booms
-Baby Boom
-Moving to the Suburbs
-Juvenile Delinquency
Society

6. Civil Rights Movement
-Brown v. Board of Education case (1954)
-Rosa Parks (1955)

7. Technology
-Television set
-Transistor Radios and Car Radios
-Phonographs

8. -Singles
-Jukebox
-Electric Guitar

9. Fashio
n

10.  1950s – Teenagers were the driving
force behind fashion
 Before 1950s – fashion houses catered to
the adult market
 Cinema, TV, Rock and Roll – ‘style of
the stars’
 Teenagers increased the buying power

11. Women’s fashion in the 1950s
 Full skirts in bright colours

12.  Skirts and pants

13.  Tightfitting
blouses

14.  Poodle skirts
 Accesories

15. Men’s fashion in the 1950s
 Leather
boots
 White
t-shirt
 Jeans

16. Winklepickers
 Teddy Boy style

17.  Slicked back
'duck tail'
hair style
 Long
sideburns

18. Dance
styles

19.  After WWII  from dance bands to
concerts in night clubs
 Teens – didn't want to dance like their
parents  they invented a wide range of
steps
 Elvis Presley – hip-swinging

20.  TV – local stations hired radio DJs
 Bandstand (1952) – new dances appear:
The Stroll, The Bop, The Hand Jive,
The Jitterbug.

21. Racial
Equality

22.  Segregation between blacks and whites –
a given in the US
 After WWII - Americans – more open to
change in response to the violence and
tension during the war
 Rock & Roll – music reflected the
environment of integration
 Elvis Presley
 Whiteification

23. “How better to understand what is
unknown to you than by appreciation for
the emotional experiences of other
people? And how better are these
emotions portrayed than by music?”
Bertrand, Michael T. Race, Rock, and Elvis.
University of Illinois Press (2000)

24. Freedom of expression
and sexuality

25. • R&R became one of the most influential and
popular forms of music in American history.
• Affected the youth’s actions and words.
• Rise of a rebellious youth culture.

26. Elvis
and his pelvis

27. • Sexuality openly expressed
• Public view of women
• Playboy Magazine

28. • Delinquency (Rebel
without a cause, 1955)
American youth situation

29. Significant singers

31. Adulthood vs. Youth
• Adults  Frank Sinatra, Perri Como
• Young people wanted something new
• R&R marked the difference between adults
and teens.
• Horrified adults and parents  noise that
had a negative influence teens. “Satanic”
• For the 1st time, adolescents had their own
music

32. Radio Stations
• “Black" radio stationsRhythm and Blues
(R&B), new for white teens
• To keep the white audience they needed to
broadcast and promote something like R&B

33. RESULT
simple, blues-based
structure, fast, sexy,
catchy and easily
danced and with
excitement

34. • Prosperity of the era gave
teens money to spend on
records and phonographs
• Radio in cars
• Different radio stations for
different audiences
• R&R defined the
difference between youth
and adulthood

35. Rock and roll is the most brutal, ugly, degenerate,
vicious form of expression — lewd, sly, in plain fact,
dirty — a rancid-smelling aphrodisiac and the
martial music of every side-burned delinquent on
the face of the earth.
– Frank Sinatra (1957)

36. Rock ‘n’ Roll was here to stay