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Popular music in the 1960's era was the most incredibly exciting, innovative, inventive, vibrant, influential decade of the 20th century. From American Surf, Rhythm & Blues, Rock 'N' Roll, Brill Building Pop, British Beat, Folk Protest, Latin, Atlantic and Stax Soul, Slick Motown, Psychedelic Pop, Acid Rock and all the genders and offshoots of popular music which were created, advanced or made better and improved in the sixties.
The Sixties Revolution
The sixties was an incredibly exciting, inventive and vibrant time. We marched into the 1960’s with more enthusiasm, hope and self belief than in any other decade. The sixties teenagers were the first wave of baby boomers.
We’d moved out of the fifties bringing with it Doo Wop, Rhythm & Blues, rock n’ roll, Jiving and the start of the Twist craze. The Twist was written and first released in 1959 by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters. In 1960 it was covered by Chubby Checker and became a big hit and a huge dance craze which people still practice today.
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Moving From 50’s to the Decadent 60’s.
In the early fifties Alan Freed landed a job as a disc jockey on WXEL-TV in Cleveland and began playing R&B records and the popular hits of the day. He changed the name of the show to “Moondogs Rock 'n' roll house party” and the show gathered a huge young following. Freed wasn't the first one to mention "rock and roll music”, but he was the first one to label it as such and the name stuck. The music got its roots from a mixture of Gospel, Rockabilly, Country & Western, Boogie Woogie and Rhythm and Blues, which when essentially blended together became Rock N’ Roll.
Elvis released his first record on the Sun label "That's All Right (Mama)" In 1954.
Bill Haley & the Comets (earlier the Saddlemen ) had been recording from 1950, and in 1955 released “Rock around the clock'” which featured in the movie “Blackboard Jungle” a film about youthful exuberance, and rebellion. The teenagers bought the record and this opened the door to other artists like Hank Ballard and The Midnighters, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and many others. Soon rock and roll was a major force in music and single recordings sales grew to record levels. The person who had the greatest commercial success was Elvis Presley.
Sixties Music (Page 1)
