Music endures being a significant role in history since the beginning of times. The appearance of rock and roll between 1945 and 1965, became one of the most shifting points in American culture. The development of rock and roll shattered a firestorm of argument across America. The impact that this genre of music brought to America remained evident till to date and had a great influence on people lives. During the 1950s, this music genre faced a lot of cultural skirmishes across America. The novel ‘All Shook Up: How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America’, written by Glenn C. Altschuler, brings to light the impact that music genre has made across the American culture. The book examines how the emergence of rock and roll culture was able to incorporate and later conflict with the previous culture. Those changes are shown vividly in the chapter regarding race and sexuality and generational conflict which changed the youth and their attitudes in society. According to Altschuler, the rise of rock and roll become more controversial amongst parents and educators who considerably went against its rapid growth. The rise of this genre in America brought both negative and positive negative impacts.
Glenn C. Altschuler is the author of several books on American history including ‘Changing Channels: America in TV Guide’. He has written over one thousand scholarly essays for works and publishers. He is recognized for his work on the history of American popular culture. He wrote his book, ‘All Shook Up: How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America’ in a narrative style and used primary sources such as magazines and Newspaper articles of the period, along with books as evidence to argue his points. Altschuler organized his book by topics, and it works well with the narrative style as he presents the cultural changes between the times of 1945 and 1965.
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In chapter one of the book, Altschuler quotes the headline on the New York Times, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Fight Hospitalizes Youth’, that expression had explained the impacted of rock and roll in the country. During that time this genre was seen as ‘communicable disease’ due to its influence in the society. Altschuler is essentially reflecting on the impacts of rock and roll in the American society, more so regarding in race, sex, and youth and their attitudes. In the 1950s America was trying to stabilize after traumatizing the effects of World War II and the start of the Cold War, which had brought great destruction to the American society. Altschuler references historian James Gilbert to point out that rock and roll had unsettled a nation that had been living in an ‘age of anxiety’ since 1945. The nation was also being confronted with the demands by the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s, to the commitment to equal rights for African Americans. Harry S. Truman integrated the Armed Forces, the Supreme Court ruled on Brown v Board of Education, the Bus Boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, and the incident in Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, which resulted in the use of federal troops escorting black students into the all-white school. Emmet Till murder also happened in Mississippi, and the nation the African American community was outraged. The NAACP had been involved in the Harvey Clark case, in Cicero, Illinois, but they would press forward. However, in 1947, Jackie Robinson had already put the nation on notice for what was to come, integration was inevitable, and ‘music’ was going to play a role in it.
Music had brought great conflict amongst parents and the youths who had been carried by the waves of this genre, and it was unwelcomed especially by those who were confused by the age of anxiety, and the expectations of learning to live fifty percent better than they have before. The national wealth rose. However, the youth started getting married younger, and the ‘baby boomers’ era was born. There was much chaos that was observed after rock shows, therefore, leading to its ban. “The city council of San Antonio, Texas eliminated rock ‘n’ roll music from the jukeboxes at municipal swimming pools because the primitive beta attracted ‘undesirable elements’ who practice their ‘spastic gyrations’ in abbreviated bathing suits” (‘All Shook Up: How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America’, p.4). The music business was not going to solve the problem of segregation and racism in the nation, but because of the influence of black writers, and performers, the Civil Rights Movement and the NAACP would advocate the record producers and radio station owners to promote integration.
In the same chapter, according to Altschuler, by 1955, two-thirds of American households had TV sets, and the programming and commercials had a positive message. It was presented as if everyone could afford what was being sold, and everybody was living a perfect and happy life. The other America did not exist. The psychologist Joseph Adelson would call it ‘the spirit of the times’, and said that it was the Zeitgeist. After World War II, R&B changed the rhythms of ‘race records’, for a more ‘good time music’ with emphatic dance rhythm. According to Arnold Shaw, “Body music rather than head or heart music, appealing to the flesh more than the spirit, rhythm and blues embodied the fervor of gospel music, the throbbing vigor of boogie woogie, the jump beta of swing, and the gutsiness and sexuality of life in the black ghetto” (‘All Shook Up: How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America’, p.11). R&B music movement took place at the same time as the Great Migration of African Americans massive migration from the South to the North. Whites refused and fought integration, as they opposed to black renters; the situation in the North was volatile with race riots taking place in many different cities. In this chapter, Altschuler tells the story of how rock and roll got its name from Alan Freed, after losing the lawsuit to Harding; but he explains that it was just an imitation and white adaptation of ‘negro rhythms’. He also references to how whites, but mostly white youths, started listening to ‘race music’, but had difficulty gaining access to buying it, but they were resourceful, and businessmen were paying attention. In this chapter, he narrates how Elvis Presley came to the scene from Tupelo, Mississippi, and how he developed his rhythms and style from, and once again Altschuler insists that comes from the influence of Gospel and R&B of negro rhythms.
The next two chapters of this book vividly explore the effects of rock and roll on race and sexuality. During this time when the genre of rock and roll was evolving in the scene, there were great changes amongst African American who were trying to fight for their civil rights and end racial discrimination. Given that this music brought integration amongst American communities it was heavily criticized (Shi, et al., pg.56). The book highlights some of the major events that took place at this time, including Martin Luther King’s speech. This chapter shines a light on how the black artists who performed this kind of music were greatly criticized for not supporting the cause for their race. This period witnessed increased racial discrimination by color. All minorities in the society were discriminated against, and their rights violated, and there was a call against this action and for equality for all races across America. Nat King Cole and Antoine ‘Fat’ Dominoes, who much criticized the increased racial discrimination, decline performing in segregated places where African Americans were not allowed to mix with whites. According to Altschuler, Nat King Cole’s lyrics brought great rift amongst parents because they contained a message on sexuality. Altschuler says, at this time children were taught through the religion not to have sex until they were married and were warned by their parents and through popular magazines the rules for dating. The rise of this music increased parent's fury which made them decide to ban all songs that had sexual lyrics. These records posed a significant threat to destroy the status and conceivably livelihood of the original rhythm and blues. Altschuler narrates, in no particular order, the many black artists of the era, including Larry Williams, Lavern Baker, Bill Haley, Carl Perkins, Little Richards, the great Ray Charles, and Chuck Berry.
In chapter four of this book, the author brings to light the generational conflict that existed by the continued rise and development of rock and roll. Altschuler says, implied that during this time parents and the elderly in the society could not understand the youths and why they were always listening to this kind of music. The society was drastically divided by the presence of these songs with its effects being seeing in the youth's behavior. Parents had a strong belief that this music had brought the rift that had been witnessed amongst parents and their kids. Altschuler says, “Parents believed that rock and roll reinforced the most worrisome aspects of the youth culture, antagonism to adult authority and expectations, conformity to peer-group norms and a temporary, erratic emotional intensity. This book examines the influence that rock and roll had brought into the community because this music was believed to encourage the youth to defy their parents. Across the United States, the waves of this genre had carried many youths. Even though this genre had brought a significant impact in the community, many youths were lost, and this saw increased cases of immorality. Sexual information was kept away from teenagers by 1950s, now, this music brought increased moral decay in the society, as children could engage in the sexual actions because of the influence of rock and roll. Parents believed that much social deviance which was witnessed was a result of this genre and efforts were needed to ban it totality before its influence could ruin their children.
The next chapter shines the light on the emergence of ‘pop culture wars’ on rock and roll music which brought stillness in the production of this genre. The growth of rock and roll in the music industry led to a great rift in the industry because it replaced all other genres due to its high impact on the youths. The years between 1945 and 1959 saw a large growth in the sale of records. Altschuler says,“This move angered members of the American Federation of Musicians because they were not allowed to appear on radio or television or allow disc jockeys to use tapes or transcriptions of them without compensation”. These obstacles brought conflict on rock and roll music artists; many questions transpired as to why rock and roll music manipulated the media to play only their songs. The rise of this fight on rock and roll increased pressure on the artist consequently leading to lack of confidence and brought a great negative impact on the genre-leading to its decline. Altschuler shows how the hostility between other artists and rock and roll artists hurt its growth. Throughout his story, Altschuler shines lights on the impact of rock and roll and its integral part in changing American culture during the years the 1950s and 1960s. These songs brought national reforms and became instigators to mass media acceptance of sexual and erotic emotional intensity. It also contributed largely to introducing the youths in the new culture of American society, and it demonstrated how the rise of this genre was major as a result of culture. Many artists were infuriated by the massive growth of rock and roll in the market which had significantly hindered the growth of their music, making them take stun measures which brought negative impact to this genre. Rock and roll came into the market by storm but was shut down by its critics whose music was already forgotten and discarded.
In conclusion, the novel ‘All Shook Up: How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America’, written by Glenn C. Altschuler, brings to light the impact that rock and roll had brought to the American culture. Even though it experienced much antagonism in society, its impact remains up to date across America. The author reveals how this genre evolved over two decades making its influence great. Even though the white were largely against this genre, its artists tried to fight for the rights of black and the minority in society. The rise of this genre brought significant impact across American society, shaping its culture which for a long time had been doomed. Many evil things that happened before the rise of rock and roll were heavily criticized by these artists who saw the need for creating unity amongst all Americans despite their skin color or race.
Work Cited
- Altschuler, G. C. (2004). All Shook Up: How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America. New York: Oxford University Press.
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