Social Impact Of Rock N Roll

Rock ‘n’ roll, the genre of music that swept a nation by storm in its inception. What was first used as a medium to rebel against parents for teenagers in a ultra-strict conservative era, glorifying sexual undertones and provocative themes eventually evolved into a tool used by rebellious youth and oppressed people, giving them a voice. Rock ‘n’ rolls social impact can be felt across multiple decades. During the 1950’s in Cleveland, Ohio, broadcasted through a radio show, rock ‘n’ roll was introduced to a nation. It was took elements of every contemporary genre at the time and combined it to form the exhilarating sounds of rock ‘n’ roll, it was a “fusion of country-western, pop, gospel, and rhythm and blues” (Slade and Lee 2004). This new style music brought forth and set into motion many social changes. America in the 1950’s was still heavily segregated. Racism was the norm, everything was based off the color of one’s skin. The thought of sharing the same water fountain with colored people was unfathomable. Many would assume that the likes of Elvis Presley was the founding father of rock ‘n’ roll, but its roots trace back to African Americans as the founding musicians of the genre. Imagine that, in a …show more content…
Rock ‘n’ roll would bring together races that society had deemed to be segregated. “The rock ‘n’ roll era nevertheless was one in which black and white audiences listened to the same music at a time when segregation was beginning to weaken” (Slade and Lee 2004). Even though rock ‘n’ roll was appropriated by whites, many of them still listened to African Americans musicians as well as the Caucasian performers. It was not a rare thing to see mixed races at rock concerts, granted it was taboo for African Americans to go to a Caucasian performer’s concert but there would be Caucasians attending African American performer’s