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Chapter 3
The Establishment Strikes Back (1954-1960)
Outline
I. Perceived subversive elements of rock and roll
a. Rock versus pop music
i. Rhythmic narcosis
ii. The dance craze versus crooners
iii. Underground music of the lower class
b. Films with themes of rebellion and rock music
i. Blackboard Jungle
ii. Sexually charged lyrics; “Rock Around the Clock” rhythm and beat
iii. Coincident with the rise of Elvis Presley
II. Scandals
a. ASCAP vs. BMI in court
i. Alleged monopoly
ii. Corruption of teens
b. Payola
i. Congressional hearings
ii. Alan Freed
iii. Dick Clark
c. Radio station accountability
i. Sexual references
III. A&R Men on the offensive
a. Mitch Miller, Columbia Records
i. Advanced MOR music to eliminate rock and roll
ii. Novelty records for young listeners
iii. Dick Clark’s MOR brand of rock and roll
IV. Fear of Communism
a. Sen. Joseph McCarthy
i. Post-war paranoia
ii. Rock and roll as a communist plot
iii. Brainwashing youth
V. The Death of Rock and Roll
a. Attempts to clean up rock
b. Suppression of small record labels
c. Elvis Presley
i. TV appearances
ii. Joins the Army
iii. Turns career focus to movies
d. Jerry Lee Lewis scandal
e. Buddy Holly plane crash tragedy
f. Chuck Berry convicted and jailed
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VI. Technology
a. Jukebox
i. 100 selection-capability
ii. Provided a focal point for gatherings in public establishments
Suggested Activities and Discussion Topics
1. Examine the lyrics of “Rock Around the Clock.”
Questions:
• Is there any suggestive meaning?
• Are there any instances of double entendre?
• Was it the lyrics of the song that disturbed adults, or was it the overall idea of teen
rebellion that was so troubling?
2. Payola. Discuss whether payola is substantially different than modern marketing
techniques, which allow, for example, grocery managers to accept financial consideration
for shelf placement of food products. Critics of rock and roll believed that bribes were
the sole reason behind rock and roll records getting airplay.
3. How might a song containing sexual references affect a radio station that depended on
advertising for income and profits? Just the fear of losing advertising customers made
station managers exclude records that might be deemed risqué by a small number of
listeners.
4. Discuss how Senator McCarthy created a society-wide atmosphere of paranoia, and
how that fueled the notion of brain washing American youth with rock and roll music.
The pounding, insistent, repetitive beat was suspect; the association with black
Americans made adults, especially southerners, suspicious; and the notion of teen
rebellion alone was enough to put many off the idea of rock and roll music.
5. The assertion, that by 1959 rock and roll was dead, provides an excellent classroom
attention-getter. Presley, Lewis, Holly, and Chuck Berry, for a variety of reasons, were,
for all intents and purposes, out of the rock and roll business. Other styles marked time
until the British Invasion.
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Chapter 3 – Suggested Listening
Artist
Song / iTunes Preview
Representative Style
Bill Haley and His Comets
“Rock Around the Clock”
Added to the soundtrack of
the film Blackboard Jungle
Chuck Berry
“Carol”
Teens targeted; strong
backbeat
Mitch Miller
“Be Kind to Your Web–
Footed Friend”
Columbia A&R man Miller
hated rock and roll, instead
promoted MOR
David Seville/Alvin and the
Chipmunks
“The Chipmunk Song”
Acceptable music for young
people—novelty records
Elvis Presley
“Hound Dog”
The RCA years; his TV
performance of the song
caused an uproar among
conservative adults.