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Blues
Blues had a huge influence on mainstream American popular music in the 1950s with the enthusiastic playing styles of popular musicians like Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry, they expanded the aspects of their music and adapted to the "new and hip music". This has been influenced into today's music because of the adaptability to today's youth. -
Swing Music
Band/swing music placed the primary emphasis on the orchestration, post-war in the 1950s and then the Pop focused on the song’s story of the emotion side being expressed. By the early 1950s, emotional delivery had reached its climax with artist Johnnie Ray. Known as "The Cry Guy" and "The Prince of Wails", Ray's on-stage emotion with "breakdowns" provided a place for teenagers to release their caged up emotions. -
Country
Country music started making head way in the early 1950s including artists like Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Bill Monroe, Eddy Arnold, and much more. The classic honky-tonk style dominated country music, with songs of heartbreak, loneliness, alcoholism and despair the overriding themes which has inspired today country artists to sing about the same topics and much more about girls, trucks, etc. -
Europe Influence
During the 1950s European popular music gave way to the influence of American forms of music including jazz, swing and traditional pop, through film and records. The significant change of the mid-1950s was the impact of American rock and roll, which provided a new model for performance and recording, based on a youth market. Initially this was dominated by American acts, or re-creations of American forms of music, but soon European artists began to produce local Rock and roll music. -
Radio Stations
First radio station was released in 1920. But the ones that were popular in the 50's were KOMO, KDKA and much more. And that has influenced today's radio stations by continuing the legacy with playing music. -
R&B
In 1951, Little Richard Penniman was one of the first african american singers to began recording for RCA Records. However, it wasn't until he prepared a demo in 1954, that caught the attention of Specialty Records, that the world would start to hear his new, funky rhythm and blues that would catapult him to fame in 1955 and help define the sound of rock and roll. This has played a role in today R&B with the funky side of it. -
Elvis
Not only did Elvis Presley's wild dance moves and unique style and voice influence and wake up the teenagers of the 50's, but he also influenced many celebrities that played a part in 1950s pop culture. He influenced people such as The Beatles, Cliff Richard, Billy Fury and so on. -
Frank Sinatra
The "Wee Small Hours" is the ninth studio album by Frank Sinatra. It was released in April 1955 by Capitol. All the songs on the album deal with themes such as loneliness, introspection, lost love, failed relationships, depression and nightlife. This type of sad music has deferintly played a role into today's pop songs with topics similar to Sinatras. -
Rolling Stone Magizine
The Rolling Stone magazine has had a huge influence on today's Rock N Roll because it was one of the first magazines to realize details about songs and music. It has inspired many to create music and get their name and music in this magazine. -
Woodstock
Woodstock the definition of a place with hippies being "peaceful", some catchy music and a whole lot of pot. Their blend of R&B, Folk and Country-Rock didn't fail to impress the audience. But ended up turning into a disaster of a music festival but it set the stage for many many festivals to come. And they are still around to this day, just much more organized, and not as much pot.
