Music in the 50's

In class we watched a presentation about music in the 50's. This is what I learnt from the presentation:

An example of music in the 50's is a song called Bobby Rydell - Kissin Time.

I created this poster to show the popular Artists and Genre's of the 50's (click on each artist to find out more and if in the poster there is any big spaces or problems with the video, links are provided below).
 

Links:

Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode (Live 1958)

Elvis Presley -  Jailhouse Rock

The Drifters - Save the last dance for me

Aretha Franklin - Never Grow Old

World War 2 caused great distress as music started to reflect this feeling from big bands such as Crooners. They came from jazz in the 20's, Michael Buble would be seen as today's modern version of this.

Originally white people were scared to listen to black people singing. Young white people started in the 50's dared to go to a black part of town and listen to black music.

Boy bands now follow original boy bands of the 50's. A boy band famous in the 1950's were The Platters.

Chuck Berry established Rock and Roll music by his showmanship, guitar solos, and multi-racial audiences.

Sammy Davis, Jr who was black, joined Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin on stage, which helped black and white singers sing together.

 

Elvis Presley

• He was seen as a culture icon.
• Brought sound of African-American to the mainstream.
• Looked up to Chuck Berry.
• Elvis was a style icon, this was seen from his hair and clothes.
• He has showmanship and performance skills.
• Parents at the time were angered by his swaying and movement of his hips - controversial -dancing sexually. Parents wanted it censored. They did not allow bottom half of his body to be shown. Sent girls into a sex crazes frenzy.
• Elvis became a brand - 1st pop-star for this to happen to.
• Elvis was seen as a sex symbol, narcisstic identification - presence Elvis had.

Demo vinyl
People would hear an artists work and if they liked it, it would be put on radio creative platform. In the 50's a record label 'sun records' was originally a country and western label. Sun Records became well known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis their first recording contracts and thus launching their career.