Elvis Presley's Contribution to Rock and Roll

Elvis Presley's Contribution to the Formation of Rock Music
By AK Bonnet

               The beginning of rock and roll cannot solely be attributed to rock teen idol, Elvis Presley, but he was and a huge force in the booming popularity of rock during the 1950's. New technology that gave kids increased access to radio stations allowed them to choose music that differed from the homogenous type they had always listened to in a home setting with their parents. The majority of white teens turned to rhythm and blues (R&B) because it was something new and entirely different than genre they had been accustomed to. The genre, "rock and roll" eventually formed from R&B, so Presley can not be credited with the invention of the music style, but he is responsible for the widespread popularity of the genre across America. During the 1950's, the economy could be considered somewhat prosperous, so teenagers had more money to spend on entertainment and appearance. Therefore, Presley's hairstyle, fashion and music became part of this emerging teenage culture. He was the first rock and roll artist of the time to combine southern, country western music with R&B, which was the favorite genre of African Americans at the time. By fusing these two different types of music, Presley began to dominate the radio and records interesting because his new genre attracted the teen majority of the time. Another reason why he became such an icon in the industry was because the way he entertained was controversial and unheard of during that time where conservative entertainment was the only kind in existence. Presley's highly provocative and raucous style of performing attracted the 1950 rebellios teenage majority and his breathy vocals and infamous hip movements made him the perfect celebrity idol for the teenage girls. He "was a mama's boy... and seen as a geek by classmates," which created a unique "vulnerability that became the pilot light of his magnetism on stage" (US News and World Report). Presley's first major album was "Heartbreak Hotel," which sold, 300,000 copies in the first week and eventually sold over one million copies" (Petersen). He followed this album was landing on the top of the charts for thirty six weeks straight and continued on to star in a movie, "Love Me Tender" and came out with more music. He will always be remembered as the "King of Rock and Roll," that title in itself showing his long lasting importance in the creation of the genre still popular with kids today.

Works Cited
Bing and the king. U.S. News & World Report [serial online]. June 1998;124(21):64. Available from: Military & Government Collection, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 14, 2012.

Petersen J. Elvis Presley. Elvis Presley [serial online]. September 2005;:1. Available from: MAS Ultra - School Edition, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 14, 2012.

For more information on Elvis Presley and videos of his performances, check out these links:

YouTube Video of his hit, Heartbreak Hotel:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU04anGwbvI
Elvis Presley Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj0Rz-uP4Mk
Link to clip of Love Me Tender: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZBUb0ElnNY

These are other links with research found in this blog:
http://www.history-of-rock.com/elvis_presley.htm
http://www.tysto.com/articles09/q2/20090530rockandroll.shtml
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/elvis-presleys-musical-influence-on-america.html

1 comment:

  1. Presley began to dominate the radio and records interesting because his new genre attracted the teen majority of the time. rock review

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