1.
How did they consume music?
Radio, television, record albums, tape, live professional
performances and direct music making were the main
methods of listening to music in the 50s.
The release of the vinyl LP (Long Playing) record in the
early 1950s made it possible for people to play
continuous music for much longer than before
By the end of the 1950s, new, convenient portable
transistor radios made it possible for people to take
their radios outdoors. Some cars even had radios
installed.
2.
Which artists/genres were popular?
Rock and roll dominated the 1950s with
popular artists such as Elvis Presley, Chuck
Berry and Pat Boone.
Jazz also became popular with artists such as
Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday
Another genre was country music with artists
such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and Bill
Monroe
4.
Social/Historical Context- how did these
trends link to events of the time?
The new music differed from previous styles in that it
was primarily targeted at the teenager market, which
became a distinct entity for the first time in the 1950s as
growing prosperity meant that young people did not
have to grow up as quickly or be expected to support a
family. Rock-and-roll proved to be a difficult
phenomenon for older Americans to accept and there
were widespread accusations of it being a communistorchestrated scheme to corrupt the youth.
