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The Impact Of Rock 'N' Roll On American Culture

Decent Essays

The Music that Rocked America

Rock ‘n’ roll has made an extreme impact on the American culture for individuals and their growth in society. Plato, a famous philosopher, says, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything” (“A Quote”). Rock 'n' roll is a form of music that has made many opportunities possible for the American people. This category of music has also opened doors for future generations and America's evolution. Rock ‘n’ roll in American culture has been beneficial in the progression of life styles because it has advanced the relationship between music and technology, created distinct social changes in cultures and adolescents, and formed new inspirational music genres. …show more content…

The broadcast of rock 'n' roll through technology has made it viable for future genres to be recognized on larger stages. Starting in 1967, large concerts, that centered rock as the main event, became noticeable and one of these concerts was called Woodstock and it was located in Bethel, New York, in August of 1969 (“The Late 1960s”). The concert, Woodstock, is known as the largest, peaceful rock concert to this day (“The Late 1960s”). Besides the incredible success on stage that rock 'n' roll has made, the technology progressed even more in the 1980s and 1990s through recorded videos. Music videos became a frenzy during these decades. The videos became a main source of entertainment and advertisement, but when bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam entered the scene, music videos became not only a source of entertainment but as personal and political views on society and individuals (“The Late 1970s”). Rock 'n' roll and its mass communication have made many open paths for music categories and the individuals who followed the aid of technology towards their benefits. Relations with technology made rock 'n' roll probable in the lives of young …show more content…

Rock ‘n’ roll was an outlet that put aside the separation and began to include all ethnicities because of similar feelings and ideas that everyone experienced through the music. This category of music included subcategories that molded into what it became known as today. The origins of rock ‘n’ roll come from African-American musical styles such as blues, jazz, and gospel and traditional white musical styles like country and western swing (Howitt). These combinations of music provided a new social change and an acceptance of other cultures. In this photo to the left and above, Chubby Checker, an American singer-songwriter, is dancing the twist which was a popularized dance style that went beyond the normal, modest moves during this time (Hammond). The photo shows the environment of integrated ethnicities that enjoy the same music, dance, and life style. Rock ‘n’ roll helped this generation realize the importance of working similar minds together without the difference of race. New life styles emerged because of the rock ‘n’ roll scene like the creation of this music genre and the rebellious dancing that came with it in attempt to show the conservative figures that everyone should express themselves no matter what

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