The Influence Of Elvis Presley’s Songs Upon America

Women across the nation were drawn to his good looks, and males strived to replicate his tough personality. Young people may have also started following him in part because he was such a drastic departure from popular crooners like Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and Frank Sinatra. He and his work were, to the youth of that time, a rebuke of the older segment of the populace and their stodgy ways.

The vast majority of the younger generation of listeners was entranced by Elvis and his music, and there was no turning back. His music and that of peers like Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and Chuck Berry would transform the entire landscape from that point forward. Instruments, although certainly detectable in pop, were of secondary importance to vocals; guitar, bass, and drums were now making their presence more felt in the overall sound. Elvis and other singers were also experimenting with different vocal tones and meters than those before them had attempted. With all the vocal wildness and instrumental energy, rock music was unbelievably exciting for youth to take in.

Popular music was turned upside down by the sounds of Elvis and others, which utilized many more genres than just vocal pop. The pop style, as well as the popular big band sound, had been principally linked with white culture and rooted predominately in major municipalities in the Northeast part of the country. Styles like R&B, blues, and gospel that had developed in black communities, though, came to be major building blocks of rock. The areal association for these styles was also less pronounced; they were popular both within and in regions besides the Northeast, in areas both urban and rural. The rural white societies of the South and West had nourished country, which was another element in the music of Elvis and some other rock musicians. Elvis himself was the consummate Southerner, having been born in Mississippi and experiencing his teen years in Memphis, which contributed to his being a perfect vehicle for these stylistic leanings. In the grand scheme, with Elvis’ music and that of other rock musicians, a wide sampling of national sub-cultures was being given weight, creating what could be considered a truly “American” kind of art form.

Even in Elvis’ later years, he had a wide following, mainly comprised of the same individuals who had grown up with him in the 1950’s; his hold on them was lasting. True fans almost always have vinyl records of his, and the individuals who do not usually seek them out. For one of America’s musical trailblazers, the honors and acclaim will never be adequate, and continue through today.