Article analysis 4

History of Popular Music from 1950
"This history of pop music is tied up in the history of technology that delivers it"

Rhythn & Blues, Rock'n'Roll:
Rock'n'Roll began modern music in early 1950s, this style of music introduced an element sexual innuendo, those dancing to the songs got very dirty, it was mainly enjoyed by the black population of a still segregated America, and was frowned on by the white society.
Until Elvis Presely. One day Elvis dropped in to a local radio station to record a song for his mother's birthday, costing him $4. Sam Philips was recording the track and liked what he heard, 8 months later he asked Elvis to record a song at the studio and they soon developed a song called "That's All Right, Mama" and this became his first single. People liked Elvis because he was 'a white singer who sounded black'. In Elvis, Sam created an 'irresistible pop culture combination' and Elvis became a regional star going to make Hollywood deals.

Pop Music & Television:
TV was the next big technical innovation that impacted the way people consume music. TV made the world of music more action-packed. Elvis aged 21 revealed the 'full, scandalous, sexy possibilities' of himself and music on the Ed Sullivan show in 1955.
This performance took the world by shock giving Elvis international attention as he provided a flashpoint for fears about juvenile delinquency and moral decay in society. Critics slammed him saying he had 'no discernible singing ability'.
Here is the performance that started all the buzz:


Parents, Teenage Girls and Cops:
The main reason people criticised Elvis was because they were scared of integration, and Elvis supported and encouraged the idea of integration. Music, like all other areas in society, had segregation  with different ''race-records", the thought of whites and blacks enjoying the same music made most members of society furious. But Rock'n'Roll was an out and proud integrated type of music playing mostly to mixed crowds and slowly encouraging the idea of integration amongst society.

What I would consider when producing my own project is the idea of politics. Music is not political, but Elvis made is so with his success in encouraging integration, this is what made him so famous, he played a huge part in making a massive change in society. So I would consider the idea of making my artist represent more then just music, and touch on other serious elements in society which people want changed.