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ooc - kay's cultural context: rock music
Jan. 21st, 2011 05:27 pmOr, "this is why Kay hates your crazy modern music with its shouty singing and its loud guitars." (I'm not going to lie, this is only tangentially related to her, though it does address her tastes in music, is kind of relevant? IDK, theoretical reader (I am not convinced that anyone not me is ever going to read this, and that's probably okay), I just love writing up supplemental materials, and this is one of my favourite tricks in the world.)
When many Americans think of the music of the 1950s, songs like "Rock Around the Clock" come to mind. (Fun fact: While "Rock Around the Clock" is generally referred to as the first rock'n'roll song, "Rocket 88" by Ike Turner beats it to the punch by three years. Elvis Presley's "That's All Right" gets brought up on occasion, too, and quite a few other songs. Rock music: It is a fun, if murky, business.) Throw in some Elvis, some Little Richard, some doo wop, maybe a little Buddy Holly, and you can probably call it a day. That's the 50s in music.
(Did you know I love archive footage? Because I love archive footage. But that's a digression, lol. But seriously, if there's anyone reading this, do consider watching some of those youtube links, because there's such great value in seeing the actual performers around the time of recording.)
The way we talk about the 50s does a disservice to the decade, though. Talking rock'n'roll and rhythm'n'blues ignores what a huge swath of the public was listening to at the time. I'm not one to say "oh, but can't we think of the mainstream white adult audience some more?" in general, but to really understand the music of the 50s--and more importantly here, to understand Kay--I have to. So here, meet your new superstar:
( oh, you pretty thing )
When many Americans think of the music of the 1950s, songs like "Rock Around the Clock" come to mind. (Fun fact: While "Rock Around the Clock" is generally referred to as the first rock'n'roll song, "Rocket 88" by Ike Turner beats it to the punch by three years. Elvis Presley's "That's All Right" gets brought up on occasion, too, and quite a few other songs. Rock music: It is a fun, if murky, business.) Throw in some Elvis, some Little Richard, some doo wop, maybe a little Buddy Holly, and you can probably call it a day. That's the 50s in music.
(Did you know I love archive footage? Because I love archive footage. But that's a digression, lol. But seriously, if there's anyone reading this, do consider watching some of those youtube links, because there's such great value in seeing the actual performers around the time of recording.)
The way we talk about the 50s does a disservice to the decade, though. Talking rock'n'roll and rhythm'n'blues ignores what a huge swath of the public was listening to at the time. I'm not one to say "oh, but can't we think of the mainstream white adult audience some more?" in general, but to really understand the music of the 50s--and more importantly here, to understand Kay--I have to. So here, meet your new superstar:
( oh, you pretty thing )
