Feature of the Month
ROCKING THE CULTURE .... by Travis Hutchison
Written on 11.15.11

This is the twenty fourth edition of the Feature of the Month for the South Dakota Rock & Roll Music Association. We are rock and roll fans, and looking to write a feature each month, that will not only bring back wonderful memories, but will also remind us all of the history that was made in our great state of South Dakota. We are hoping to write a feature each month selecting one of the many talented Bands, DJ's, Radio Stations, and Dance Halls throughout SD.


It came bursting out like an exploding volcano! It changed the sound, scenery, atmosphere, and the way a new generation of teenagers thought and acted. It was a whole new CULTURE called ROCK AND ROLL. Significant accounts have been written about the history, the musicians, and songs of original rock and roll.

 

Here are some of the affects it had on us.  

Attitudes: Freedom, originality, break with tradition, trying new things.

Relationships: Parents thought Elvis's gyrations were vulgar, the music was too loud, and it will be a passing phase. Teens thought it was the greatest!

Thinking: Creativity, energy, vitality, and exploration.

Economics: Lots of money spent on records and musical instruments.

Race relations: It brought black and white kids together.

Fashion: Remember white bucks, blue suede shoes, pony tails, duck tail hair.

Car designs: After 1955 cars styles changed with multi colors, fins, muscle cars, corvettes, and the T Bird.

Language: A new vocabulary appeared with expressions and words like "daddy-o", "cool cat", "lets bop", "doing the hand jive", "hot lick", and the "45" records.

Radio and TV: The disc jockey was a celebrity, American Bandstand was the best, and who can forget Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Dancing: The sock hop and dancing the jitter-bug

After World War II "Happy Days" reappeared and led into the "Fabulous Fifties" and "Sensational Sixties". Rock and Roll came along with it and the old 78 records were soon replaced by the 45rpm. Big bands were no longer popular. Elvis recorded "That's All Right Mama" in 54 and "Rock Around the Clock" hit the big screen in 55. Frenzied fans caused near riots at rock concerts. There was a great landscape change with rock and roll blasting out of radios, juke boxes, and soon on television.

Early rock and roll was very simplistic and innocent yet full of energy, vitality, and expectations. Those were wonderful years and Elvis was "king". Kids were celebrating life and music, going together to the dance, swooning over love songs, being infatuated with a boy or girl, and enjoying the excitement of the age as they were caught up in the beat of rock and roll.

And a good time was had by all , and we all lived happily ever after!