Rock And Roll
Throughout history major social transformations have taken place that has changed how people perceive themselves and the world around them. With each social reformation, cultural forms and institutions also change as well as their meanings. For Example, "The development of recording and electronic communication within United States capitalism spurred the unique coming together of disparate music traditions in twentieth century United States society."(Gilmore 61) The development of these technologies allowed music to reach beyond regional boundaries. The most influential form of music spread across the nation is rock and roll. Rock is defined as "a genre of popular music originating in the 1950s; a blend of Black rhythm-and-blues with White country-and-western; "rock is a generic term for the range of styles that evolved out of rock'n'roll."(Webster) Rock and roll is the fusion of several distinct types of music. Rock and roll's unique sound is a blend of the blues, country, folk and pop.
The Beatles' Rock 'n' Roll Music, Vol. 2, from 198...
English: The Beatles wave to fans after arriving a...
English: Photograph of The Beatles as they arrive ...Music has always been a popular means of likeminded people to express their ideas, but never before had rock music been able to influence society in such numerous ways.
The merged black and white musical traditions of the early white rock and rollers, most especially Presley, introduced the entire nation to elements of black music. While Elvis was not the first artist to play what became known as rock and roll, he was able to popularize it. Unlike his predecessors, Elvis had the charisma, voice and good looks needed to accomplish the task; more importantly though, he was white. He became the perfect tool for rock music to begin to reach white and black people across America. Rock and roll transported black culture out of the confines of black communities and into white homes and vice versa. It represented white America's first love...