Explain the importance of popular music in the 1950s and 1960s?

[Jessica]

I wanted to know the importance of popular music in the 1950s and 1960s in America. Including people like Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. Also about the Woodstock Festival at the time.

As much information as possible please
This has got to do with History
I only want bullet points , i'm very interested in history and i want to know more about music at the time

[Gem]

try looking up bbking

[Jonnie Comet]

I know you are young; but at first I really wanted to say 'You have got to be kidding me.'

Short version (I'll try)-- things that the 1955-1970 period has begotten:

- Whole business of record-pressing, production, promoting. The making of 'the recording industry'.
- Total revamping of music-publishing industry. Now songwriters get paid (even more than performers do).
- Completely new idea of the same act or artiste writing, arranging, performing and recording his/her own material. This was not done before Buddy Holly.
- Whole idea of massively-popular 'pop idol', thanks to The Beatles. Now, pop stars are our role models (for better or for worse).
- Whole idea of pop star as social commentator. Bob Dylan started making political statements in songs; but John Lennon became a media superstar by making political statements in public-- so much that the FBI had him on their hit list.
- Major innovations in studios and sound reinforcement. Before The Beatles played Shea Stadium no-one knew how to broadcast a live concert to people sitting in a sports area. Now playing at sports arenas is commonplace.
- Major musical innovations-- feedback, phase shifting, the flanger (funny story about how John Lennon named that), digital delay, use of multiple mics and multiple tracks, improvements in guitar and instrument technology (whole books have been written on this alone).
- Major innovations in recording technology, improved equipment, new methods, digital recording.
- The artistic music video. Unheard-of till 'Paperback Writer' and 'Rain' in 1966. ('We sort of invented MTV.' --George Harrison.)
- Whole idea of rock concert/festival becoming major media event. Did you know there were tickets sold for Woodstock? (I have four of them.) Promoters realised it was better press to have it for free and so they were refunded. Thus, all those people showed up to mooch off each other.
- Idea of using pop music as soundtracks in motion pictures (begun by George Lucas with 'American Grafitti', a movie about 1962) done almost constantly today.
- Idea of the 'rock musical', thanks to Rice and Lloyd Webber with 'Jesus Christ, Superstar' (actually their 2nd), a show which is all rock music rather than predominantly dialogue (and has cool costumes).
- The cordless microphone, conceived by 15-year-old Donny Osmond in 1972 and developed for his family TV programme by Electro-Voice; now standard on just about all stages.
- Reintroduction of cool antique fashions-- 1300s pageboy haircuts (Beatles), Renaissance and Romantic clothing, Native-American accessories, Indian clothing, stuff like that.
- Alarming concept of deifying dead pop stars who take their own lives either deliberately or through their own avoidable mistakes, from James Dean and Bobby Darin to Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. These people aren't heroes, but we seem to consider them as such.
- The acoustic guitar, long hair, weird clothes, and using illegal narcotics as symbols of coolness intended to irritate older generations.
- Use of the word 'cool'.
- The electric bass guitar. (Okay, I am a bass player.)

What else do you need?

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[Luke]

beatles!