Rock and
Roll
The Innocent 50's
| The 1950's | Elvis and Others | Rock Changes Course |
| Rock Around the Clock | Technology | The 1960's |
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The United States was divided by racial problems during the 1950's, but many people sensed a spirit of equality in Rock and Roll. With the rise of Rock and Roll's new popularity, black artists were becoming more popular with audiences of all colors.
In the early days of Rock and Roll "race records" were sold mainly to black customers. This practice started to change as Rock and Roll became more popular with young people. Chuck Berry was one of the first black Rock and Roll performers to appeal to black and white audiences by combining the popular black Rhythm-and-Blues sound with Rock and Roll. His powerful guitar playing and energetic dancing thrilled audiences.
When Bill Haley's Rock Around the Clock appeared in 1955, America started to swing to a whole new sound. Rock Around the Clock was used in a popular movie named Blackboard Jungle. This movie gave Rock and Roll a huge audience and made Bill Haley and the Comets famous overnight.
Elvis Presley had the greatest impact on early Rock and Roll. He was good looking, had a unique sound, and delivered an electric performance that made teens swoon and parents shudder.
Little Richard was another inventor of Rock and Roll. His wild performances, rebellious music, and over-the-top appearance made him popular with teenagers of all colors. He helped define early Rock and Roll and greatly influenced other groups who followed, including the Beatles and Rolling Stones.
Buddy Holly's popularity rivaled Elvis Presley's. Holly was a singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. He wrote and performed many of the hit songs of the 1950's. Sadly, his incredible career was cut short by a plane crash in 1959. His life story was made into a famous movie called The Buddy Holly Story (1978).
Advancements in technology also helped spread Rock and Roll around the world. Television launched the careers of many Rock and Roll legends. Electric guitars could play the music louder so more people could hear it. Recording studios used the latest technology to improve spread this new sound. Radios and record players were everywhere.
American Bandstand was a daily afternoon TV program that launched the careers of most of Rock's early stars. Among them: Bill Haley and the Comets, Buddy Holly, Connie Francis, Bobby Darin, Fabian and Ritchie Valens. Dick Clark was the host of this program.
Rock and Roll Begins to Change
Toward the end of the 1950's Rock and Roll lost many of its great artists. Elvis Presley was drafted into the Army; Little Richard quit Rock and Roll; Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, and the Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash. Rock and Roll lost its edge and became bland and safe.
Rock and Roll gave American teenagers their own special identity and voice during the 1950's. It was now about to undergo some incredible changes. To learn what those changes were, click here.
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