The Emergence of Rock n Roll free essay sample

For them, it was just a more artistic version of saying sex. This term stayed in the lyrics of early blues music until the mid-asss when a disc jockey by the name of Allen Freed matched and popularized this term with a specific type of music. This type of music combined black rhythm and blues music with southern white country music. We can all agree that it has been madly popular, so why did it take so long to come into existence? Technological advancements in society helped rock n roll music reach a broader audience, and connecting and rebelling with the music helped teenagers release a lot of built up stress from higher authorities. The invention of the 45 RPM record helped the music become more accessible. Many record companies competed with each other on record sizes and speeds before finally coming to the agreement that they would sell the seven inch 45 RPM record. The RPM stands for revolutions per minute, which is the amount of times the record will rotate per minute while playing. The companies also decided that these records would be vinyl instead of shellac, because vinyl held the music better than the older shellac material did. Before records came in the 45, there were only the big ass.These were bigger ND more flimsy, so companies were forced to take extra time and care when these were shipped. Doing this would cost money. This was extra money that smaller record companies did not have, so they couldnt ship them to the radio stations. The 45 RPM records were created because they were cheap, small, and more durable. After they were created, many of the smaller record companies were able to have them and disperse these records to all the local radio stations. This also helped with the promotion of new songs.Teenagers would hear these new songs that they liked, and then they would go to record tortes and buy a record of their own (Peterson 100). These records were also able to be shipped at a higher quantity, because the records themselves were smaller, and the amount of space needed to keep them safe was cut down significantly. Another invention that helped get the music into the audiences ears was the transistor radio. Before this invention, radios were big, expensive, power consuming, heat producing, and had big vacuum tubes.Families usually only had one radio in their households because of this, and people rarely had portable radios. People did not have these portable radios because they were regale and heavy from the large batteries that they used. When families have only one radio, it is most likely going to be in the living room and controlled by the parents who do not like rock n roll music. The transistor radio came out in the mid-sass. These radios were shipped in from Japan and were cheap, small, and used smaller lightweight batteries.This meant that every teenager was able to have their own and listen to whatever radio station they chose. They were small enough for the teenagers to bring to the beach, school, to parties, or work. In other words, they could listen to rock n roll whenever that wanted to (Peterson 102). As these radios were gaining more and more popularity, a music director of an independent radio station in Omaha, Nebraska had the great idea to develop the top 40 format for radio stations (Peterson 1 12). This meant he would take the top 40 hits at the time and play them on loop all day.If a rock n roll artist like Elvis Presley gained enough popularity from his performances in concerts or on television to make it into the top 40, he would have his songs played on the air all day for those teenagers who brought their radios to the beach and work. These managers basically decided what their top 40 favorite songs were, and they got to listen to them whenever they wanted. If they liked what they heard, then they would go to a record store and buy the record. This helped get a plethora of new music out to fresh ears, and this in turn made the rock n roll industry blossom.Television was another invention that had a big influence on rock n roll. Many people argue that television actually had the biggest influence on rock n roll emerging. The television started to become popular in 1949. By 1955, 65 percent of households had a television and many thought it would laminate the radio from our lives. Many wondered why anyone would just sit and listen to something when they instead could listen and watch a moving picture. Television shows that featured new popular music started to arise (Peterson 102). On a program called Your Hit Parade, the top ten selling hits every week were played.Instead of playing the original music from the record like a radio station, the studio band would play the hit song (Peterson 103). Two other popular variety shows at the time were The Milton Berne Show and The De Sullivan Show. Popular musical artists and bands were often invited on the show to perform. The extremely popular Elvis Presley was invited to Milton Beryls show twice, and De Sullivan three times. These performances helped artists like Elvis explode on the charts. On Elvis second appearance on the show, he performed his hit song Hound Dog. While performing, he did a dancing in which he swung and gyrated his hips.The young teenage girls ate this up and went crazy. Many older adults were appalled by this, and it started a big controversy. All of the drama swirling around led to Elvis being filmed from only from his chest up on his third and final appearance on the show (Welch). These two performances were two of he most famous and still talked about moments on the very famous De Sullivan show. Not only were these types of moments great for the shows ratings, but they were also good for these musicians. Whether it was the teenagers loving it or the adults hating it, they were getting their music out there either way. School was one major source of stress to the teenagers. These are young adults that are capable of taking on the responsibilities of normal adults, but they are kept inside all day under the supervision of teachers. Teenagers would love to say and do what they want, but they are forced to be quiet and o homework. This seems like an eruption waiting to happen. When the movie Blackboard Jungle was released, it was an instant hit among the teenage crowd. The movie featured teenagers acting out in the classroom which let the audience fulfill their fantasy of rebelling in the classroom.They really connected with it and dreamt that they possibly someday could rebel like that. In the opening credits of the movie, the song, Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley and The Comets, blasted its party-like sound (Hayden). The lyrics, Putout glad rags on and join me hon., / Well have some fun when the clock strikes one. Were goanna rock around the clock tonight clearly talked about partying, and that is what teenagers started to do. Teachers and parents alike felt that rock n roll music and partying had a negative effect on the teenagers education. A survey was conducted to test this theory.It showed that the average grade of an Elvis Presley fan was a C, and only one out of every ten tried to get the best grade that they could possible. On the other hand, fans of Pat Boone, a Christian and country singer, got an average grade of a B, and one out of every three tried to get the best possible grade. Needless to say, parents were starting to get worried, and they were also infuriated with the rock n roll industry. Parents were the other large provider of stress to teenagers. As stated above, teenagers were capable of adult responsibilities, but they were under the supervision of teachers at school.When they were not at school, a lot of times they were at home where they lived under the rules of their parents. They were looking for any opportunity to have fun and act out that they could. Take out the papers and the trash, / Or you dont get no spending cash; / If you dont scrub that kitchen floor, / You anti goanna rock n roll no ore. / Yakked yak, dont talk back .. (Yakked Yak by The Coasters). These lyrics are an example of how parents tried to control these teenagers, and it did not work. A boy named Ethan imitated his hero, Elvis Presley, in the mirror by doing his hair like him and singing and dancing.His father did not like these shenanigans, so his father had him get his hair buzzed off in hopes it would end it all. It did not take Ethan very long to realize that he did not need the hair to do his impression (Hayden). The majority of the parents at this time hated rock n roll with a passion. They felt that the music was too odd, sexual, and black (Welch). This shows how no matter how hard parents tried to stop their kids, the teenagers had their mind set on listening to this music and rebelling. These teenagers felt that they needed to act out and rebel in some way.A lot of the acting out that these teenagers did related to race in one way or another. At this point in history, there was still a lot of hostility between white and black people. This type of music was viewed as inappropriate, and a lot of times viewed as black music. It was tough to get your hands on a rock n roll record while this music Was still working on becoming mainstream media. Many of the white teenagers had to sneak over to the black part of town and buy it in one of the record stores without their parents knowing.It eventually became somewhat acceptable for white people to go and see black musicians like Chuck Berry perform, because it was like he was performing for you as your personal entertainer. At first there would be a specific white show, then there would be a black show, or vice versa. Eventually, they would combine the shows and put a rope down the middle segregating the crowd. At one specific show, a security guard remembers both of the crowds beginning to once, and then these teens knocked down the ropes and they all danced together (Hayden). This type of thing was unheard of. This blew up in the media and infuriated the rock n roll haters even more. Even though this upset many people, there was nothing that could derail this train. Rock n roll just kept expanding. As great as Evolve is, could argue that rock n roll is more enjoyable and has had a greater impact on our society as a whole. There were a lot of specific, yet different things that had to happen to make rock n roll erupt virtually overnight like it did. After reading this paper, hopefully you have developed a rater understanding of the technological advancements of the sasss, and the relationship teenagers had with the music.