History: (Evaluation at the bottom)

The 1950s, despite the development between relationships of White-American and African-American communities there had been an abundant turmoil in racial diversity and socio-political views, opinions, media...however Rock and Roll had been a cornerstone for racial harmony and diminishing segregating beliefs, views and experiences between cultures, almost as it's own movement. This is predominantly true for the youth and future generation, whereby young White-Americans had danced, sung along with and befriended African-Americans and artists who produced the music, eventually performing so or alongside with these individuals. This is a defining example of not only the culture of music but the love it can bring, it made a breathtaking impact alongside the civil rights movement of America for racial harmony and development into the future, with many black artists using their music as a voice for change and meaning, lyrics illustrating themes of prejudice, race, isolation, as a result of the treatment of black people throughout modern history in America.

Early 1950's America - American Popular Music Charts are dominated still by remnants of the 'big band era' deriving from the older generation, artists such as Doris Day, Frankie Lane, Frank Sinatra etc. The R&B Charts had featured African-American artists playing to a predominately African-American audience, typically in the South whereby racial segregation and discrimination had been associated. Now in radio Disc Jockey Alan Freed from Cleveland, Ohio introduces his "Moondog Show" spinning an up-tempo combination of R&B hits, western swing and upbeat jazz combos, with a wide audience of both white and black young people starting to listen. Alan Freed eventually names this merge of musical styles and influences "Rock and Roll", this is the birth of Rock and Roll. 

In 1953, Bill Haley and His Comets, previously a former western swing combo - switch to a R&B sound , being the first to hit the pop charts with a rock and roll song, taking their hit single "Crazy Man Crazy" to number 12 on the charts. Other Black R&B artists such as the Orioles also achieve genre crossover success in 1953 when their number 1 R&B hit "Crying In The Chapel" hits number 11 on the Pop Charts also. As time passed on, more cross-over hits from black R&B artists began to hit the charts such as the likes of Fats Domino and The Platters.

Although the major record labels were slow to move onto the trend, independent record labels such as Sun (Memphis), Ace (Jackson, MS), Specialty Records (Los Angeles), Atlantic (New York) and other labels... pick up on the opportunity, releasing  Rock & Roll records from newly signed artists and groups. Then in 1955, rock and roll has its first nationwide number one selling hit with Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock" topping the Pop Charts not only in the US but UK also...Black R&B artists Little Richard and Chuck Berry go on to achieve significant US Pop hits in 1955 onward. The major record label RCA, then buy out the contract of Memphis singer Elvis Presley from regional label Sun Records, thus the rise of Elvis Presley starts to dominate the Rock and Roll scene. 

As alluded to, in April 1956 Elvis Presley dominates the Pop Charts with his first RCA single release "Heartbreak Hotel". By the end of the year, Elvis Presley would be the FIRST artist ever to have nine singles in the top 100 at one time. This success on the Pop Charts only allows for more development in both black and white rock & roll artists emerging into the scene and by 1957 rock and roll appears regularly on the pop music charts. 

Finally Rock's influence dominates all media and culture: radio, movies, fashion, TV, attitudes and language internationally. Rock music proves its' encompassing power with teen culture driving the music industry, from record/jukebox sales, to radio airplay across nations. As the decade comes to an end, rock music is now the dominant musical style, the standard almost, with 43% of all records sold belonging to the genre.

Artists: (The top 30 of the 1950s)

 1: Elvis Presley                                    11. Doris Day                                   21. Tony Bennett

 2: Frank Sinatra                                   12. Pat Boone                                  22. The Kingston Trio

 3: Nat King Cole                                  13. Fats Domino                               23. Four Aces

 4: Miles Davis                                      14. Eddie Fisher                               24. Little Richard

 5: Perry Como                                     15. Ella Fitzgerald                             25. Chuck Berry

 6: Harry Belafonte                               16. Patti Page                                   26. Sonny Rollins

 7: Bill Haley & his Comets                   17. Louis Armstrong                         27. Art Blakey

 8: Johnny Mathis                                 18. The Platters                                28. Johnnie Ray

 9: Thelonious Monk                             19. Dean Martin                                29. Duke Ellington

10: Frankie Laine                                  20. Dave Brubeck                             30. Sarah Vaughan

Analysis, technologies and production.

(Compositional Techniques and song writing): 

• the fundamental 50's song structure is supported by a 12 bars blue chord progression, simply, it is predominantly based on the I, IV, and V chords of the key of the song, it is the structure that blues is built upon providing the framework. 

• This structure is layered upon a walking bass line with the notes moving on every beat - not repeating the same note twice, the 'walking' line being melodically expressed as illustrating the chord tones instead of a single note - moving, 'walking' into the next chord driving the song forward. 

• Song structures had predominantly encompassed itself as 'simple' such as by being ABAB or AAA (Strophic) being easily memorable and cyclical in listening, performing and dancing to.

• The scale in which melodies were encompassed had been set in a blues scale, being a 6 note (hexatonic) scale that derives from either the major or minor scale; the major scale being compromised of  1 – 2 – ♭3 – ♮3 – 5 – 6, the minor scale being compromised of 1 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – 5 – ♭7 - the major scale being the major pentatonic with a blue note, the b3 of the key.

(Technological developments):

• The rise of popularity in usage of electric guitars, (presumably initiated by Les Paul), defining the newly found sound of the 50s.

• Les Paul develops multitrack recording technologies (1953) – custom-built 8-track recorder from Ampex developed by 1954.

• Sound engineer 'Tom Dowd' became the first to implement multitrack recording for general pop production at Atlantic Records

• Magnetic tape technology developed alongside higher quality condenser microphones for higher quality and clarity in recording and attention to detail.

• 4-track recording technology was slowly put into place towards the end of the decade.

(Production techniques):

• Multitrack recording technologies implemented itself into commercial recordings of the 50s.

• Equalisers had surged in popularity around the time period allowing for further manipulation of sound sources in production.

• The development of music technology had allowed for more innovation and nuance in the creation of the iconic '50s sound'.

• There was minimalism in the process of sound recording which helped define the sound, close miking had being used with limitations on mic counts - instrumentalists sharing the mic creating that raw live sound to certain iconic recordings.

Evaluation: