Rock and Roll and Youth Culture Flashcards

What is rock and roll?

A fast, energetic music style of the 1950s. It mixed rhythm and blues with country.

When did rock and roll become popular in the USA?

In the mid-1950s.

Name two early rock and roll stars.

Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry.

How did rock and roll help create a teenage identity?

It gave teenagers their own music, dances, and styles to share with friends.

Why did some adults fear rock and roll?

They thought it encouraged bad behaviour and challenged traditional values.

What did the film Blackboard Jungle (1955) do for rock and roll?

It used Rock Around the Clock and tied the music to teenage rebellion.

How was rock and roll spread to teenagers?

By radio DJs, 45 rpm singles, jukeboxes, and TV shows.

Who was Alan Freed and what did he do?

A radio DJ who promoted rhythm and blues and popularised the term rock and roll.

How did rock and roll reflect race relations in the 1950s?

It mixed black rhythm and blues with white country. Black and white teens heard the same songs.

Why were Elvis Presley’s TV performances in 1956-57 controversial?

His hip moves shocked viewers, so some shows filmed him only from the waist up.

What new fashions did teenagers copy from rock and roll stars?

Boys copied jeans, leather jackets, and slicked hair. Girls wore full skirts and ponytails.

What is meant by the generation gap in the 1950s?

A growing divide between teenagers and their parents over music, clothes, and behaviour.

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