Elvis Changes Everything

Elvis performing live at the Mississippi-Alabama Fairgrounds in Tupelo, Mississippi, September 26, 1956

Over sixty years since Elvis Presley emerged on the music scene, it is easy to forget the impact he had, and how both his music and the cultural figure of “Elvis” influenced most major popular music styles as we now know them.

As we have noted throughout the course, no music emerges in a vaccuum. Although Elvis did not write his own music (though Tom Parker had his name put on songs he didn’t write), his incredible ability to synthesize the mostly African American music styles that preceeded him, in combination with his overt charisma and sexuality (and good looks), changed the direction of popular music forever. Pop music performance became intricately linked to appearance and sexuality, rock and roll embraced rebellion, and the marketing was quick to reflect that. Popular music fandom as we know it began – girls were screaming and fainting when they saw Elvis well before Beatlemania. And for the first time, the world was able to watch both the rise and the tragic downfall of a pop culture icon who was never quite able to manage his unprecedented fame.

Since his death, Elvis’s mythology has only grown. Visits to Graceland are still only second to visits to the White House in terms of numbers. Conspiracy theories abound suggesting he is still alive. Academics have studied his fandom as a type of religious practice. Every major anniversary of his birthday, and of his death, results in renewed interest in his life and music, and coverage by most major news outlets. In 2018, a three hour documentary on his music is expected from HBO. And how could we forget the estimated 85,000 Elvis impersonators in the world today?!

Below, we have included a few items to check out, to try and grasp his importance to both popular music and popular culture.

This brief video from Biography.com gives a good overview of his life and influence.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Elvis’s rise coincided with the rise of television. By 1955, half of the homes in North America had televisions. This Rolling Stone list charts Elvis’s rise and fall through brief analyses of his most memorable tv appearances. Check out the June 5, 1956 video in particular to get a sense of his sweet moves. Remember: up until that time, people just stood and sang, or maybe grooved a bit with their guitar. Many people were completely scandalized; others may have experienced their first sexual awakening.

This History.com article delves into the suggestion that Elvis’s popularity is waning, particularly with milennials and those born later.

And this very fun Elvisualization from Spotify shows Elvis’s influence on the world of popular music. This only takes into account musical influence, not cultural influence. Looking at this geneaology, you could make the argument that he is really the father of most popular music today.

Challenge Questions for blogging

If you have chosen to blog for your assignments, you may choose ONE of the following blog questions to blog on this week, for a total of 10% of your overall assignment grade. Note that there are blogging questions available for each module, and you need to complete up to two for the first deadline and up to two for the second deadline. Please see the Assignment Details and Blogging assignment pages for more information.

1. The Far-Reaching Influence of Elvis: Using the Elvisualization page on Spotify, follow one of the lines of influence from Elvis Presley, and describe the musical and visual lines of influence. “Visual influence” can draw on appearance (hair styles, fashion choices, etc), displays of sexuality, ways of presenting themselves, or all of the above. Example: John Lennon is said to have been influenced to wear his glasses on stage because Buddy Holly made it ok (and cool); Lennon’s glasses subsequently became an iconic image. Use solid research and proper citations. It may work better to start at the end of the line and work backwards – for example, Incubus – Mr. Bungle – Queen – Elvis – start with how Incubus was influenced musically and visually by Mr. Bungle; how Mr. Bungle was influenced by Queen; then how Queen was influenced by Elvis. Then summarize your findings, and see if you can connect the dots from Elvis to the end of your line. Can you prove his influence?
   #M6Q1
2. The Doo-Wop Progression: What is the “Doo-Wop Progression”, otherwise known as the “50’s Progression”? Explain it to your classmates in your blog, using properly cited research. If you are a musician, feel free to post a brief video of you explaining the progression rather than writing it out, if that works better. Then, find a track (not from the textbook) that utilizes the “Doo-Wop Progression”. Embed the track, and create a listening cue with reference to the progression. Try to point out exactly where to hear it in the track. The track can be by an artist or group in the textbook, but the track itself cannot be in the textbook. Again, properly cited research is your friend.
   #M6Q2
3. The Payola Scandal: Your textbook briefly discusses the Payola Scandal of 1959 (p. 184), but does not really say much. Using solid research and proper citations of sources, explain more clearly what was the Payola Scandal. Walk us through the history, events, and major players. What came of the government investigation? A much more sophisticated version of payola exists today – briefly explain today’s version of payola. How does it affect the music we are exposed to? In your opinion, is payola a bad thing? Why or why not?
   #M6Q3
4.  Live Concert Review:Attend a live concert and write a review detailing your experience. You may only complete one concert review for the whole course. If there are multiple groups on the bill, choose only one. The concert must take place during the course and reflect the knowledge you’ve gained from the course materials. It should be the same length as your other blog posts but must describe the following features:
   1. Performer: biographies, band history, current place in popular music. Assume the reader is unfamiliar with the group.
   2. Sound: specifics of the music – harmony, rhythm, instrumentation, lyrics (if applicable) etc. Focus on one or more songs and construct a thorough description.
   3. Venue and Audience: describe not only the practical details of the environment, but how the music might inform us of the social realities of the audience and vice versa.
   4. Reflection: how meaningful was this concert to you? Was it meaningful to a broader group of people? What contributed to this feeling, or what was lacking? Use your knowledge of the history of popular music to support these feelings.
   5. Organization, Spelling, References: cite what research you use, utilizing a recognized citation method (Chicago is preferred).
   6. Proof of Attendance: take pictures of the event for your blog post and/or a selfie.

   #M6Q4

Continue to Module 6: Music