Music
The 1950's were a time of changes and the music of the decade both reflected the cultural changes that were happening while still holding on to the societal norms of the past. In the First World, rock and roll, pop, swing, rhythm and blues, blues, country and rockabilly dominated and defined the decade's music. (Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South.)
Rock and Roll was known to be the most popular type of music in the 1950s. It is a form of music that evolved in the United States originating from the mixing together of many African-American music genres of the time. Some of those said music genres included rhythm and blues and gospel music; with country, western, and Pop.
Racial tensions were being strained with the beginning of the civil rights movement and music reflected many of those tensions. African-American musicians rose to prominence and some enjoyed success. However, many others were forgotten or denied access to audiences through segregation. A lot of people believe that during the fifties many white artists stole music from African-Americans and capitalized on it for their own benefit. One example of this happening is when Pat Boone recorded a cover of Little Richard's song "Tutti Frutti" and Boone's version topped higher on the charts. Though still considered by many to be the inferior version of the song.
Rock and Roll brought forth many new dance crazes such as the bop, the swing, and the hand jive. By the end of the 50s, Rock and Roll was making news all over America, and dance was changing. Partners no longer danced together, but gyrated to the powerful beat on their own. Swing and The Bop gave way to 60s dance crazes like the Twist, the Mashed Potato, and the Hully Gully.
The 1950's were a time of changes and the music of the decade both reflected the cultural changes that were happening while still holding on to the societal norms of the past. In the First World, rock and roll, pop, swing, rhythm and blues, blues, country and rockabilly dominated and defined the decade's music. (Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South.)
Rock and Roll was known to be the most popular type of music in the 1950s. It is a form of music that evolved in the United States originating from the mixing together of many African-American music genres of the time. Some of those said music genres included rhythm and blues and gospel music; with country, western, and Pop.
Racial tensions were being strained with the beginning of the civil rights movement and music reflected many of those tensions. African-American musicians rose to prominence and some enjoyed success. However, many others were forgotten or denied access to audiences through segregation. A lot of people believe that during the fifties many white artists stole music from African-Americans and capitalized on it for their own benefit. One example of this happening is when Pat Boone recorded a cover of Little Richard's song "Tutti Frutti" and Boone's version topped higher on the charts. Though still considered by many to be the inferior version of the song.
Rock and Roll brought forth many new dance crazes such as the bop, the swing, and the hand jive. By the end of the 50s, Rock and Roll was making news all over America, and dance was changing. Partners no longer danced together, but gyrated to the powerful beat on their own. Swing and The Bop gave way to 60s dance crazes like the Twist, the Mashed Potato, and the Hully Gully.
Literature
Literature was very important in the 1950s. It reflected the conflict with self satisfaction with the 50s happy days and self doubt on a cultural level about conformity and the true worth of American values. Science fiction was also a favorite of the 1950s Two important authors of the 1950s were Norman Vincent Peale -author of books such as The Power of Positive Thinking, You Can if You Think You Can, and 365 Ways to Change the World- and Bishop Fulton J. Sheen who wrote God and Intelligence In Modern Philosophy, Communism and Conscience of the West, and Way to Inner Peace. They have people hope to have control over how their own lives would end up. Conformity was a very popular topic of the 1950s and this was reflected in books sun as, The Lonely Crowd, The Affluent Society, The Organization Man, and Atlas Shrugged. |