Joined: 11-06-2007
Comments:
Perth
Posted: ages ago
The decade of the Fifties gave birth to Rock ‘n' Roll. When Bill Haley's Rock around the clock became popular in 1955, the world had learned to swing to a whole new sound. But Rock wasn't the only music of the 50's, there was also the music of the crooners such as Pat Boone and Perry Como with classic musicals from Rogers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe and others. <p>The early 50's began with light melodies and sweet lyrics. The feel-good innocence of the music reflected on the post war optimism. The young people, the emerging force called teenagers, hadn't struggled through the war and were looking for excitement. They found it in Rock ‘n' Roll after some DJ's began playing Black R & B and White bands recorded popular cover versions of the same songs. Recording studios opened where anyone could be recorded and "discovered" such as Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. Various music styles such as country, blues and swing blended to become the new sound.</p><p>However, the music establishment, never comfortable with Black R & B, still promoted safer "Teen Idols" such as Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers. The decade ended much as it had begun - homogenized with no raw edges and this continued into the 1960's.</p>