The music of the past generation had been polished and bland, as was the mood of the period, but rock and roll brought about a revolution in music which simultaneously reflected the changes going on in the lives of the younger generation.  The music of the early forties and fifties was slow and sentimental reflecting the hard times of the war. Artists like Tony Bennett, Eddie Fisher and Peggy Lee were the popular musicians of the time, who targeted an older audience.  In 1951 the number one record in the country was the Tennessee Waltz, by Patti Page.  Record sales were dropping, however, and television, the new form of entertainment, was becoming more popular. A major change was needed to get music back on its feet, rock and roll.
       Rock and Roll was a new form of music that combined country-western, pop, jazz, and rhythm and blues, therefore appealing to audiences from all cultures.  This new beat was named after an old blues song which sang, My baby rocks me with a steady roll.  Rock and Roll almost instantly became a huge hit among teenagers.  As the singers became teenage idols, the music industry began to target the younger more influential generation. In 1955 record sales skyrocketed from the arrival of rock and roll.  Dick Clark, a television DJ, made a large profit from rock and roll because of his television show American Bandstand where singers came and performed.  Anything that was on his show was guaranteed to sell well. Outraged adults viewed rock and roll singers as rebels without a cause.They were seen as talentless kids with ugly haircuts who yelled out meaningless lyrics. To the teenagers of America rock and roll was a revolution, breaking away from the conformity of the world of their parents was exactly what they wanted, and this was the way to do it.
     Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, and Chuck Berry were the creators of the Rock and Roll legend. They began the music that changed mood of the world. Elvis Presley was known as the king of Rock and Roll, and so he was.  The 21 year old truck driver from Memphis, Tennessee began at a small concert down in Florida where he immediately attracted a huge fan.  His music involved not only the words themselves, but the feeling that went into them.  He was sexually appealing, unlike any singers before him, and he showed open emotion. Elvis Presley had several great hits, some of which were Love Me Tender, Heartbreak Hotel, and Hound Dog.  (sound clips)  On the Ed Sullivan show, Elvis was only allowed to be filmed above the waist because of his hip movements which were labeled unsuitable for the family audience, hence his nickname, The Pelvis.

    Bill Haley was another hit of the rock and roll era.  He began his career as a western singer, but he dropped it and started a  rock and roll band in the early fifties after hearing the song Rocket 88. This convinced Haley that music with energy would be really popular because people could dance and clap to it and it was a change from their parents music.  This change from dull to energetic proved to be a great idea, and Bill Haley and His Comets wrote a song called "Crazy Man Crazy" in 1953 which was the first rock and roll song ever to make the Billboard charts. The band then performed the song "Rock Around the Clock". The first time it was released in 1954, it wasn't a big hit, but when it was re-released in 1955 after they had performed Joe Turners Shake, Rattle, and Roll it became the number one song all around the world. It was also used as the theme song for a movie called The Blackboard Jungle about juvenile delinquents, reflecting on how rock and roll was seen.
     Chuck Berry was another founder of rock and roll, but because of the color of his skin, he could never be proud of his accomplishments.  In 1952 Berry joined a band, and in 1953 he recorded "Maybellene" which made it into the top five on the R & B charts. In the copyright, however, Berry used Alan Freed's name to ensure that his music would sell among both whites and blacks.  Other musicians aspired to Berry, and their music showed it.  During the 50s, Chuck Berry had other hits such as "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Sweet Little Sixteen."  The later musician John Lennon once stated, "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry'" (Pegg).
     Rock and roll had a powerful effect on society, especially the younger generation, because teenagers wanted to rebel so that they could break away from conformity. The children had never seen America in times of depression and need, and it was the first time that America was economically stable since the twenties. Previous generations were always working as children, barely living off the little bit of money they had, and so when such prosperous times arouse, they treasured it because they didn't want to imbalance perfection. Rock and roll became so important because young people wanted ...anything to puncture the sweet suburban mood of their parents which to many adolescents hangs in the air like a family lie" (Century). The simplicity surrounding them caused teenagers to question  authority and their lives, and it could only be the younger ones to realize that life wasn't perfect because they hadn't planned out their lives and they didn't yet know who they aspired to be. Since teenagers were still impressionable, they hadn't had the same outlook on life that everyone else did, that is what made the Fifties a turning point.