Music: 1950’s vs. Today Music’s evolution and expansion in the United States http://www.flickr.com/ photos/filenzi/
Dec 30, 2015
Music: 1950’s vs. Today
Music’s evolution and expansion in the United States
http://www.flickr.com/photos/filenzi/
Back in the dinosaur days…
Okay, maybe not that far back, but the 50’s were a different time than what we are used to. Here’s what I mean:
TVs were NOT in color (programs were in black & white)
Your beloved cell phone, was not even close to production
No iPods, iPads, iTimewasters, etc.
Playing outside was a desirable activity
The music industry was just starting to bloom
The BIG Answer:Today’s music industry is nothing like it was 60 years ago;
technological innovation and enhanced resources have allowed today’s music to speak to almost any audience and to
publicize many different beliefs and ideas.
First things first…
Let’s go over what music means to America, contemporary or otherwise.
Music has long provided an outlet for people from everyday life
Different types of music have been used to present different images of the nation
i.e. Country = Patriotic; Rap = Urban; etc.
Music almost always reflects the time period during which it was created/written/composed.
The Emergence of a Culture
The King: Elvis Presley
He was IT. Elvis was the Bieber/Timberlake/ultimate-teenage-heartthrob-all-the-girls (and some guys) obsessed over
The King didn’t give Rock ‘n’ Roll the best image to begin with, however…
More on The King…
Elvis’ style and swagger didn’t sit very well with the parents of the 1950s.
Elvis often expressed an underlying sexual appetite with his sensual dance moves
“With a sound and style… he ushered in a whole new era of American music and popular culture.” (elvis.com)
Regardless, he IS the King.
The Teenage Demographic
Then
Teenagers were just starting to gain their independence [not in the revolutionary sense]
Buying Rock albums was considered rebellious
Professional expectations much higher/stricter
Now
We buy whatever music albums we find entertaining
We, as the Teenagers of the 50’s pioneered, are explicitly told to pursue our desires and creativity
High professional expectations; less military emphasis
Rock ‘n’ Roll Today
Somehow, Rock ‘n’ Roll in today’s world isn’t even
American anymore. Talking specifically about the Rock genre, the teenage world is draw to the likes of Zeppelin and Metallica, staying true to the classics. New bands don’t seem to be able to draw the
same appeal as those of earlier days. And, of course, the
Beatles will forever live on with teenagers, no matter the
generation.
Televised Music
The Ed Sullivan Show was the place to get recognized
Do names like Elvis and Barbara Streisand ring a bell?
Both were on the Ed Sullivan Show, and both are still regarded the among the best in their professions, even after Elvis’ death.
This variety show was where you wanted to appear if you wanted to make it big
Televised Music cont’d…
And then there was American Bandstand, hosted by Dick Clark
Debuting in 1956, American Bandstand helped transfer the focus from the radio to the television
Much like the well known Soul Train and the maybe not so known 360 (2004-2005), people would go on the show and dance, while the records of rising stars were played by a DJ
The MTV Empire
And then came what we know today as MTV
Today, you can almost throw the Grammys out the door
MTV’s Video Music Awards is the new highest award in music
MTV symbolizes all that is new and good in the music worldThe Coveted Moon Man Award from the VMAs
More on MTV
How It Compares
MTV promotes new and upcoming artists just as much, if not more, as American Bandstand and Ed Sullivan did
To appear on Ed Sullivan or Bandstand was considered an honor; if you are on MTV, you know you’ve done something right
One of MTV’s early slogans.
The Art of the ComebackSinatra had a famous comeback during the 50s. He didn’t regain the same prowess he had from the time of his debut, but he is to this day regarded one of the best entertainers America has seen, both musically and theatrically.
http://www.time.com/time/time100/artists/profile/sinatra.html
All In All…The music industry has an overbearing effect on society today. Artists send messages through their music that signal teenagers and adults alike to go about their lives with different attitudes and outlooks. So, YES, the music industry still has as much of an effect today as it did back in the olden days.
Additional questions:1. Did American Bandstand or the Ed Sullivan Show have a
larger effect on the music industry?2. Can MTV continue to be the pedestal of music for future
generations?3. What artist had the biggest effect on the 1950s’ music
industry?4. Was music influenced, during the 50’s, by the end of the 2nd
World War?
Answers to those questions:
1. I would say the Ed Sullivan show had a bigger effect, considering he featured live music acts, rather than the recorded albums.
2. If MTV goes back to its roots of being purely music, it would definitely overwhelm any competition. But it is still capable of
being the music pedestal, even with the reality shows it features today.
3. Elvis Presley was easily the biggest music star of the 50’s.4. Music wasn’t really influenced by the war, it was solely meant as
entertainment, rather than to reflect the war effort.
Sources!
http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=americanband
http://www.time.com/time/time100/artists/profile/sinatra.html
http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=edsullivans
http://www.elvis.com/about-the-king/biography_.aspx
Sources!
http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=musictelevis
http://www.loti.com/fifties_history/Teenage_Life_in_the_1950s.htm
Lisa Gomez [My mom; grew up watching American Bandstand and Ed Sullivan Show]
Myself [My own experiences]