The Rock And RollMovement, And The Civil Rights Movement

In the 1950’s and 1960’s, Rock N’ Roll made a steady influential climb into the blossoming generations’ norm. Elvis Presley, The King of Rock, debuted his first number one hit song “Heartbreak Hotel” and it climbed steadily to the top of the charts as the number one song in February of 1956. When Elvis’ popularity first grew, it sparked outrage through the previous generations in fears that his music would intertwine cultures. In the 1950s and 1960s, Rock N’ Roll was classified as “African American” music and those listeners who do not fit that class, would be frowned upon. Mr. Presley was a Nashville native, who sang hard driving rockabilly, Rock N’ Roll dance songs and ballads, and laid a foundation for other rock musicians to follow.

I watched a video from the 50th anniversary presentations. The video I watched was about Rock and Roll, Segregation, and The British Invasion of 1964. It was lectured by Dr. Christy Talbott, and she first talked about the pre rock and roll period. The term Rock and Roll came from a song from the year 1938, that stated “My baby rock and rolls me all night.” Rock and Roll or also known as American Rock, was changed completely after the British Invasion came in 1964. The invasion turned Rock and Roll into what is known today as Rock, it made a change for the good. Musicians in the pre Rock and Roll era, sang about current events similar as we do today. The events they sang about was Segregation, North Vs. South inferiority and the wars that were happening at the time World War 2, Korean War and Vietnam War. THe artists of this time consisted of The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ritchie Valens and the most famous of them all Elvis Presley. Elvis Presley’s music was called “White man with an African American feel.” In 1959 Motown records in Detroit, Michigan hired an all black group called “The Temptations.” Their song “My Girl” hit number one on the billboards in 1964. The man that hired them was Berry Gordy Jr. Berry Gordy Jr also hired all black women groups as well, but unlike the all black male groups he dressed the women groups as white folk.

One of the social changes in the 1950s was rock-n-roll music which led to teens rebelling against the social norms and being able to freely express themselves. In fact, much of the older generation looked down upon rock-n-roll because they considered it tasteless and music from the devil. While in the 1960s, music was considered a way to really express yourself and tell the world about how you really felt about the current situation. Much of the 60’s music was used to protest the Vietnam War and show the government that they did not want to go off to war to fight. The 1950s was a decade filled with change and prosperity while the 1960s were the years of rebellion and

When the majority of the population thinks of rock 'n ' roll, most tend to correlate the beginnings of the rock genre with Elvis Presley or The Beatles. However, the greater part of the start of rock 'n ' roll must be attributed to the influence of African American culture and music. The African American culture initiated and impacted so many of the first genres in music that stemmed off into be many of the genres we still listen to today. Due to racism and discrimination many “race” artists were not recognized for their artistic abilities. Most African American musicians have become discredited due to white musicians covering African American songs and making it more popular. Rock ‘n’ roll was a collective effort of white and black culture and musicians but little credit has gone to the African American side of the genre. To truly understand how “race” artists were the people to help mold rock ‘n’ roll, you must go back to the very beginning of the start of the music business.

This class will detail the effects of rock ‘n’ roll on the American society during the 1960s and how it shattered the 1950s “Good Ole Days” stereotype. This class will also address adolescents of the 1950s, how they set the stage for rock ‘n’ roll to make its appearance, and what made the people of the

When a diversity of communities come together to demand social or political change it is evident that something is wrong with the judicial system. Throughout American History, millions of people worldwide have gathered to support each other by gathering and protesting for what they believe is right. Social movements such as The Abolition Movement, The American Revolution, Women 's Rights Movement, and The Civil Rights Movement are examples of the significant impact they have made to American History. Two rising controversial movements that seem to be rising are the “Black Lives Matter” and the “Blue Lives Matter” movements where in some cases the outcomes seemed righteous as to others, actions were unjustifiable which have caused

Introduction The 1950s rock ‘n’ roll movement was rooted from a style of music created by black people and their descendants (Scaruffi, 2005). The lives of Americans were changed, as the older generation looked down upon this genre and life style, while the young generation fell in love with it (“America,” 2008). Artist of the 1950s played a huge roll in the ideas that influenced every aspect of it such as legends Buddy Holly and Little Richard. From moral changes to political changes rock ‘n’ roll arrived to America ready to make an everlasting impact (Stewart, 2008).

America was a much different place during the 1960s. The eternal struggle for African American’s rights was still a very big part of our culture. It was because of the struggles of many civil rights activist that they ended the hatred and prejudices aimed at their race. There were many different ways to protest, and speak up for your rights. People like Martin Luther King, Jr and Rosa Parks were some of the famous people who stood up for a change and fought back against the hatred. Another way to fight back was through music. Music was a big part of the 1960s and has many influences on the way culture was changed at this time. Many artist at this time like Bob Dylan and The Beatles were putting out song of protests about many things. Maybe

Most historians trace rock and roll back to the 1950’s, more specifically 1954. When this new type of music appeared it changed the world, especially among young people. Rock and roll did not develop immediately, it was regularly denounced throughout the 50’s because it was believed it had a negative impact on the nation’s youth. American Bandstand countered this and made it acceptable. Major artists who played

The 1950’s was a very important decade in the development of music as it saw the birth of rock n’ roll. Artists such as Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry took the style of playing already established in genres such as blues and country music and completely renovated it. They took the idea of a 12 bar blues pattern and sped it up and added rhythmic, catchy hooks to make the music easy to dance to. The lyrics of songs about the genre itself as well as teenage love and sex, although the latter was only referred to through slang terminology, appealed greatly to teenagers of the time due to their rebellious nature.

The 1960’s remains one of the most controversial decades of the 20th century and is a time of change that shaped the United States into what it is today. During this era, America was facing many issues including, Civil Rights, the Vietnam War, Nuclear Arms, and Non-Conformity. Unhappy with current political and social standards, young Americans began to question the beliefs held by their parents and felt that traditional values were not sufficient during this difficult time. One of the strongest expressions of their dissatisfaction was music. Rock and roll became very popular in the US and was used by many people to voice their protests. These bands also helped encourage racial equality because their members were evaluated based on talent, not skin color. In 1965 musician Stephan Conn stated “Our bands were nearly always integrated, since selection of the best sax man, guitarist or vocalist and not color always governed our choices” (Fonor, 1155). This made equality in society seem attainable, which is why many groups became more vocal in their demands for a more equal and diverse American society.

Rock 'n' Roll helped the civil rights movement move forward. The civil rights movement gained power as coalitions were created between Christian churches, and secular organizations. This joining actually helped create "Rock 'n' Roll." As this movement matured from gaining legal rights in the south, through a period of seeking a colour-blinded society then into black power, Rock 'n' Roll was a social weather-glass to the movement. Rock 'n' Roll pretty much only had a positive impact on The Civil Rights Movement. The 1950's had a certain type of music that affected family lives, teenage behaviour, and the civil rights movement. Rock 'n' Roll was a popularized genre of music that influenced society and helped create the ways we listen and react to the music that we hear on the radio in our society

In the 1950’s a new type of music emerged in the United States. Rock and Roll was here to stay. “Rock musicians not only addressed contemporary events, they pushed the conventional musical boundaries.” Rock and Roll had a significant impact on politics, the music industry, and pop culture in the United States during the 1960 's.

The genre had rhythm, appeal, it was fun, and most importantly, it sounded good. Before Rock n’ Roll, we had R&B. R&B, or rhythm and blues, is an African American genre that, at its roots, used the same chords that any Blues listener had been familiar with, but also “played with an insistent backbeat” (allmusic.com). The sound was intriguing to many, and by result, someone ended up exposing it for some sort of personal gain. The person most accredited to do so is Elvis Presley. Elvis Presley may be one of the most infamous American musicians of all time, and that’s easily understood! Elvis changed music and brought forth a progressive era of music. However, though credited as the “King of Rock n’ Roll”, can we really call him that, if he actually stole the style and music from African Americans? Many argue that without Elvis, that style of music would have never been popular and there wouldn’t have ever been another trailblazer capable of what Elvis did. Contrary to that, Helen Kolawole says, “But the reality is, black music never stays underground. White people always seek it out, dilute it and eventually claim it as their own.” Many people oppose Elvis as the King, because all he did was repeat what Christopher Columbus had done hundreds of years prior; he discovered something, claimed it as his own, and exposed it for profit. It led many people to resent the man and the rock genre as a whole. Elvis’ robbery of rock from african americans impacted the culture a lot more negatively than positively. It essentially set the culture back further, because it gave them even less credibility, as a people, to contribute to society in such a major way. To put into a little bit closer of a perspective, think of how much further along we’d be, in terms of civil rights, as a nation, if a Michael Jackson had come along as opposed to an Elvis Presley. Sadly,

The twentieth century was one of the most active periods of social movements, along with the Civil Rights campaigns of the 1960s was the Antiwar Movement, where most Americans were in opposition with the government on the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war. Domestically, social and economic conditions gave voice to the people to embark on a revolution for change. For African Americans the struggle for equality had been going on for decades. But the movement went to a new level after the death of Emmitt Till in August 1955, a 14-year-old black boy murdered and disfigured by white men in Mississippi for allegedly flirting with a white woman, and the arrest of Rosa Parks December 1955, who refused to give up her seat in the colored section of the bus to a white passenger. The beginning of the Feminist Movement in 1963 women began to fight for respect and equality socially and economically. The Black Arts Movement which was the cultural wing of the Black Power Movement began to play out on college campuses. The 1970s remained tied to the social experiments and struggles of the 1960s. African Americans were still fighting for education equality around the country. But signs emerged of another change. January 23, 1973 President Richard Nixon announces the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war. The Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Movement accomplished many of their goals. The U.S. suffered an economic recession, interest rates and inflation were high. Music