Ten years after the start of the rock era, it seems it’s here to stay. Time magazine reports on the resurgence of rock with the cover story: “Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Sound of the Sixties.”
By Carlos Passage with Music History Calendar
Rock had a promising start in the mid-1950s, with figures like Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Little Richard leading the way, but it faltered toward the end of the decade when artists like Paul Anka, Pat Boone, and Perry Como took over the chart positions previously held by figures like Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino. Those who considered it a passing fad seemed to be right in their predictions, but then Detroit became the capital of American rock, while British groups like The Who, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles conquered the United States.
A major difference with this new wave of rock is that it appeals to an adult audience. “A surprisingly large segment of young people between the ages of 20 and 40 are opening up to music and, what’s more, enjoying it,” the magazine reports.
Furthermore, music is influencing this generation’s culture, with dance clubs—known as “discos”—proliferating across the country, where they can dance to the music. All this dancing has suddenly become acceptable. Harvard psychiatrist Philip Solomon states: “These dances are an outlet for restlessness, for repressed and sublimated sexual desires. This is quite healthy.”
This represents a radical shift in mentality, as rock is now considered sophisticated, and its critics, hopelessly old-fashioned. “In the most select circles, anyone who criticizes rock and roll is branded not only old-fashioned but also uncultured,” Time reports.
The cover features The Beach Boys, Petula Clark, Herman’s Hermits, The Righteous Brothers, and, notably, The Supremes, marking a rare appearance of Black faces on the cover of a major magazine.
Rock and roll was here to stay. By the end of the decade, its influence and enduring appeal were undeniable.
