BRIEF CONTEXT OF THE MUSIC IN 1950S

The music from 1950s was influenced by the end of the World War II. In a brief, there were
socioeconomic circumstances which gave rise to the development
of the postwar youth market, the discussion promptly proceeds to
identify several key technological innovations which
revolutionized the music industry in countries like Britain and the
USA. At the same time, youth ‘counter-culture’ movements,
especially in the 1960s, are similarly shown to have had a lasting
influence on the formation of certain styles of popular music.
During this time rock In' roll became a dividing and
uniting force. It pitted parents, the mass media, and the
government against teenagers, and at the same time helped erode
some of the prejudices felt towards African Americans. Parents
disliked the influence and message behind rock In' roll. They disliked the sexuality of the lyrics and
of the performers, they disliked the fact that the music came directly from African Americans
regardless of if it was a white performer who recorded the song, and they disliked the rebellious
nature that the music was accused of inspiring. One of these acts of rebellion was a changing
attitude toward African Americans, amongst teenagers, which at times happened blatantly, but often
times took place subconsciously. White teenagers listened to music not just inspired by, but often
performed by African Americans. By doing this they embraced a part of culture that seemed or in
many households actually was forbidden. They went to concerts where performers and parts of the
audience were black. They watched movies such as
Blackboard jungle (1955) that showcased
integration in schools and inspired youth to
question authority. In the 1950s, rock In' roll was
able to do what j azz couldn't when it created a
common culture amongst white and black
teenagers. This was made possible by the advent
of the radio, the availability of records, the
television, and the population movement and societal changes of the 1 950s. The common culture
of rock 'n' roll helped to erode long standing prejudices felt towards African Americans.
At the start of the 1950s, America was just a few years removed from the end of World War
I I. World War II had led to the end of the Great Depression and also helped create an economic
boom that lasted into the 1950s. This economic growth created an increase in the disposable income
of the average American household. One of the groups that received a good portion of this
disposable income was the American teenager. Just a generation ago the American teenager spent
their spare time laboring away on the family farm. Teenagers of the fifties had much more leisure
time due to the fact that most Americans had moved to the suburbs.1 Due to the increased spending
power of the American teenager, the market for teenage products grew exponentially. By the end of
the 19 50s consumers were spending more than $10 billion dollars a year on products that were
marketed specifically to teenagers.
During the 1950s, families were more likely to be
financially stable and as a result no longer needed to
supplement their income with the labor of their children.
When a teen did have a job, he or she was generally allowed
to spend their money on the things that they wanted. Some
teens did not even have to have a job to gain money as
parents increasingly gave their children allowances. A new
leisure-oriented teen culture developed that would stay in
place until the present day. The popularity that teenagers
helped rock-and-roll music gain made it possible for the music industry to sell more than $75
million dollars in recording each year. Other than school, teens in the 1950s had few
responsibilities. Teens now had the kind of purchasing power to buy all kinds of things. One thing
that millions of teenagers started to buy was rock-and-roll records.