Account for the rise of a new kind of popular music aimed specifically at the young in America in the 1950s.Discuss at least 2 songs with reference to form, text, melody and harmony.

In the 1950s a new combination of African American, blues, pop, country and gospel music emerged. It created controversy as it had a large influence on social and economic aspects within society. Socially, people began to worry it would be too large an impact on the culture and it would unsettle the way people lived alongside one another. Economically, the sales of music records and merchandise such as posters and collectables boomed. The new genre became popular almost instantly and virtually reshaped America. They called it Rock ‘n’ Roll (Michael K. Hall, 2014).

As many genres of music are created, a mixture of people from America and the black families from the former slave trade era made for closer proximity of living than ever before. This way of living meant that music from a variety of cultures were shared between the people and new ones were created. Each different style would influence the others and thus formed new ones. Not only did Rock and Roll change within the roots but technology also had a large impact on it (V. Bogdanov, 2002). For example, the earliest styles were in the late 40s to early 50s and the piano or saxophone would usually be the main instrument. However as technology progressed and we were introduced to the electric guitar they were slowly replaced. It became the standard that more often than not, a guitar would be the main event (Mitchell K. Hall, 2014). Shortly after the electric guitar the amplifier and microphone were introduced. This was the birth of concert style performances and the fans could go and watch the performer live which was very exciting and independent for the younger generation. As well as live performances the radio played the music repeatedly so the popularity grew. It became a distinct characteristic of teenagers in the 1950s and relatively affluent ones at that (V. Bogdanov, 2002).

The new wave of subculture did not only include music but also extended to hair, films, clothing, and motorbikes and had an influence on language use as well. Many people believed that the music created a sense of belonging for the teenagers that listened to it even if they were constantly alone. Once the Rock ‘n’ Roll era had truly emerged it began helping young Americans to construct their personal identities. The music not only moved people by the use of lyrics but the use of body language by the performers and the rhythmic character of the music. The new genre was a celebration of leisure, romance, and sex. It offered them new perspectives in life. However, although it was seen as uplifting it was particularly unwelcome due to the effects of the ‘dream era’ that followed the Great Depressions and World War ||. The dream era was a time in which anxiety was particularly prominent due to monetary difficulties and trying to rebuild lives after the chaos in the earlier years (Glenn. C, 2003).

Shortly after the new genre of music became increasingly popular, the ‘baby boomer’ generation was to forever be associated with it. The new culture was of huge concern to the older sector of the population as the music was about sex and relationships, which had not before been sung or spoken about. They believe that this was the reason for the ‘baby boom’. The music was sexual and was seen as encouragement to the youth. Thus meaning more babies were born out of matrimony and had underage single mothers. The older generations began to see a divide in the society with an increase in juvenile delinquency and social rebellion. They began to worry about this as they thought it could get out of hand and damage the image of their society (M. Coleman, 2007). Many of the older people could not seem to understand why it appealed to the youth of America so much. They just saw it as trash. There was much debate over whether or not it had an impact on the behavior of the listeners. On one side of the arguments, Judge Hilda Schwartz claimed that there are certain types of people that go looking for fights, riots and to commit crime and they find it. Regardless of the music they are listening to, the way they look or who they spend their time with. On the other side of the argument was the media. They portrayed the newly formed subculture to be damaging and evil. They made bold claims such as the groups of young people “bore a resemblance to Hitler’s mass meetings”. This was a very strong statement, which lead people into hysteria as they were frightened of the youth (Glenn. C, 2003).

With regards to the actual music the lyricism played a huge part in the controversy. Sexuality and intercourse were not usually spoken about due to the subject being seen as taboo. With the rise of popular music, many artists used sex and relationships to provoke excitement and reactions. These things were risky and private so many metaphors were used to cover up the meaning slightly. However they did not go unnoticed.

In Elvis Presleys Jailhouse Rock, there have been many gender studies that believe the song has reference to homosexuality (Philip Brett, 2006). The lyrics have caused a stir due to its homoerotic implications and imagery of prisoners behind bars. The lyrics “Number 47 said to Number 3/You’re the cutest jailbird I ever did see” suggest a romance between two cellmates. On hearing the word ‘jailbird’ one assumes the person is female but the video that came out with the song was a cellblock of men only. Many people did not understand the homosexual references so they listened to the music anyway. There were many people that were enraged by the implication of gay romance as it caused so much disarray (Gary Mulholland, 2010). Presley also names characters in the lyrics that are real people. Shifty Henry was in fact not a criminal and was well known for his music in Los Angeles. The Purple Gang were a real mob from the 1920s and was made up of predominantly Jewish men. Sad Sack was the name given to someone is they were a loser. This came from the U.S Army as they nicknamed this to those who were seen as weak or cowardly in World War ||. The nickname later changed into a comic strip character in the 1940s (Mauri96, 2013).

The basis of 12 bar blues is usually the lyrics, which tell deep emotive stories, and feelings that the audience and listeners can relate to. Although sometimes this does not happen. Shake, rattle and Roll however does not do this. Turner sings of a woman being in bed who should be in the kitchen making noise from the cooking. The first verse says the words “Get outta that bed/Wash your face and hands/Well you get in that kitchen/Make some noise with the pots and pans.” This is extremely sexist and shows very little to no emotion towards his ‘lover’. In this genre this attitude seems an unlikely mix between the soul of the music and the chauvinistic views of the man.

The main form to this particular style of music is 12 bar blues. The exact origin of where this music came from can never be certain as it worked its way through so many genres and lost its originality slightly. It is often though that the blues originated with African roots as the workers would sing about their hardships to try and boost the moral of those around them. This was the creating of the call and response ad the lead singer would sing and the others would either repeat it or carry on the phrase in an answer like fashion. For this music the lyrics were the most important because they were what the music was based on. They also told the story or feelings of the people singing. The music then transformed from group chant to solo songs with deep emotional content (Mich Gold, 2012). Each section is comprised of four bars so the three separate sections leads us to the 12 bar structure. In ever piece the chord progressions are always the same, regardless of whether the pitch was higher or lower, or the key signature different (Andrew S. Coxon, Unknown). The most common form of the 12 bar blues is structured as follows. The first four bars use a |, |, |, | progression. The second four bars change slightly with the addition of chord |V; played twice then followed by another two root chords. Finally the verse or chorus ends with a chord progression of V, |V, I, V (Kelly Guiney, 2003). The song Jailhouse Rock is completely based on this structure, which also falls in the category of strophic form. This means that the music for the verse and chorus is virtually the same. Thus giving it an overall AAAAA form (Andrew S. Coxon, Unknown).

With regards to the structure of Shake, rattle and roll it is very similar to that of Presley’s Jailhouse Rock. The use of 12 bar blues was very common due to the ease and popularity of the style. Apart from the intro, every verse and chorus has the same chord progression. The first chorus includes a saxophone solo, which adds more variety to the structure and harmony. The rest of the song has no more solos and just sticks to the original form. With six different verses and three choruses the piece technically has an AAAAAAAAA form. This is excessive and would never be written out like this but it is not necessarily the form that is there to define the piece but more the lyrics (John Covach, 1996).

In Rock ‘n’ Roll, the melody lines can be weak and often do not contain enough melodic material to hold together without a band underneath it. Most

of the time, the instruments will play short melodies such as improvisation or solos to keep the piece moving and add interest. However, Jailhouse Rock has a stronger melody and is very well known without the band. The melody Presley sings is very repetitious but that suits the style of the 12 bar blues’ simple yet effective harmonic structure. Shake, rattle and Roll is very similar to Jailhouse Rock because the melody is simple and follows the harmony of the band. The chord progressions define the melodies and create an overall strong, memorable melody line (Michael Campbell, 2007).

Overall, the rise of new popular music in America in the 1950s had a substantial impact on the younger generations as well as the older. Jailhouse Rock and Shake, rattle and Roll are famous for their catchy rhythms, walking bass and uplifting the spirits of those who need it.

Andrew S. Coxon. (2013). ROCK YOUR GCSE MUSIC. Available: www.musicroom.com/images/fhcampaigns/uk/pages/rhinegold/Rock_Your_GCSE_Music_Sample_Booklet.pdf. Last accessed 10th April 2014.

Garry Mulholland (2010). Popcorn: Fifty Years of Rock 'n' Roll Movies. Orion Books.

Glenn C. (2003). All Shook Up: How Rock 'n' Roll Changed America. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pg8

John Covach. (1996). Form in Rock Music: A Primer. Available: www.personal.kent.edu/~sbirch/Theory/21341%20CMT/Form%20in%20Rock%20Music.pdf. Last accessed 10th April 2014.

Kelly Guiney. (2003). Understanding the 12-Bar Blues. Available: www.pbs.org/theblues/classroom/essays12bar.html. Last accessed 8th April 2014.

M. Coleman, L.H Ganong and K. Warzinik (2007). Family life in Twentienth Century America. Greenwood. pg 216-217.

Mauri96. (2013). Jailhouse Rock (song). Available: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jailhouse_Rock(song). Last accessed 10th April 2014.

Mich Gold. (1012). Origins of the Blues. Available: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_the_blues. Last accessed 10th April 2014.Michael Campbell and James Broody (2007). Rock and Roll: An Introduction. pg76

Mitchell K Hall (2014). The Emergence of Rock and Roll. Routeledge.

Philip Brett, Elizabeth Wood and Gary Thomas (2006). Queering the Pitch: The New Gay and Lesbian Musicology. Routeledge. pg363.

V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra and S. Erlewine (2002). All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul. Backbeat Books. p1303.