THE CULTURAL IMPACT OF ELVIS PRESLEY

THE CULTURAL IMPACT OF ELVIS PRESLEY

Since the beginning of his career, singer Elvis Presley has had a huge cultural impact.

According to Rolling Stone, “…it was Elvis who made Rock’n’Roll the international language of Pop.”

The Rolling Stone Encyclopaedia of Rock’n’Roll describes Presley as “…a giant of 20th-century American music who single-handedly changed the course of music and culture in the mid-1950s. “.

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His recordings, dance moves, attitude, and clothing came to be seen as embodiments of Rock’n’Roll.

His music was heavily influenced by African-American Blues, Christian Gospel, and Southern Country.

In a list of the best singers in English, compiled by Q magazine, Presley was ranked first, and second on BBC Radio’s list of the best singers of the 20th century.

Some people claim that Presley created a whole new style of music: “…it wasn’t black, it wasn’t white, it wasn’t Pop, it wasn’t Country, it was different.”

He gave teenagers music to grow up and listen to, as most singers of his time created music for adults.

Presley sang hard-driving Rock’n’Roll and Rock-A-Billy ballads and songs, laying a commercial foundation on which other Rock musicians would build their careers.

African-American entertainers such as Big Joe Turner, Wynonie Harris, and Fats Domino rose to national fame after Presley’s acceptance among mass audiences of white American adults.

Singers like Jerry Lee Lewis, the Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and others immediately followed in his wake.

John Lennon later commented: “…before Elvis, there was nothing.”

Presley caused a high demand for his records from teenagers nearing their teens and teens ten years and older.

Along with Presley’s “dovetail” haircut, the demand for black slacks and loose-fitting open-collared shirts resulted in new clothing lines for teenagers, while a girl might get a pink 45-rpm portable turntable for her bedroom.

Meanwhile, American teenagers began buying newly available portable transistor radios and listening to Rock’n’Roll on them (helping propel that fledgling industry from an estimated 100,000 units sold in 1955 to 5,000,000 units a year!) end of 1958!).

Presley’s impact on the American youth consumer market was noted on the cover of The Wall Street Journal on December 31, 1956, when journalist Louis M. Kohlmeier wrote: “…Elvis Presley today is a business,” and reported on the singer’s record and merchandise sales.

Half a century later, historian Ian Brailsford (University of Auckland, New Zealand) commented: “…Elvis Presley’s phenomenal success in 1956 convinced many skeptics of the financial opportunities that exist in the youth market.”

Source: Elvis Movie (2022) Fan Group

Information provided by Elvis Shop Argentina

https://www.facebook.com/elvis.shop.argentina/

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