The Birth of Rock 'n Roll in the 1950's: Elvis Presley in the 1950s by Emily Neid

Elvis Presley, also know as “The King of Rock and Roll” single handedly changed the course of music and culture in the mid 1950s. Presley was a white southerner who’s influences included the “pop ballads and country music of his day, the gospel music he heard in church and at the all-night gospel sings he frequently attended, and the black R&B he absorbed on Memphis’ historic Beale Street as a teenager” (Stanley). According to Rolling Stone Magazine, "it was Elvis who made rock 'n' roll the international language of pop” (Stanley).

Presley performed this music with a natural hip swiveling sexuality that made him a teen idol and a role model for generations of cool rebels. Presley was “repeatedly dismissed as vulgar, incompetent and a bad influence,” (Bartrand). However the force of his music and image signaled to the mainstream culture it was time for a change. His dance moves, music, attitude, and clothing came to be seen as embodiments of rock and roll. Elvis’ music was very heavily influences by Christian Gospel, African-American blues, and Southern country.

America was dazed by his singing, which didn’t quite fit with the era’s squeaky-clean bill of fare. Elvis wasn’t the first one to sing rock and roll style, so he can’t be credited with the invention of it. But, his version of this new music became extremely and widely popular during the 1950s. Because of Elvis, rock and roll spread across the country, making it popular to wide audiences, especially teenagers. Elvis really did have a strong influence on the youth culture. In the 1950s, teenagers had begun to think of themselves as being different from their parent’s generation. Because of the economic prosperity of this period, teenagers could enjoy a disposable income that they could spend on themselves instead of contributing toward their family’s survival. Because his career went through so many changes, he was popular with different types of people for different reasons. Even after his death, his popularity remains strong among a wide variety of people. This wide popularity, as well as his important role in American musical history, makes him a cultural icon.