I was raised on legends of the punk and alternative scenes of the 1990’s, the anti-war and civil rights movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s, and the “flappers” and swing music of the 1920’s. Each of these eras was accompanied by social and musical revolution of varying degrees. Each revolution eventually gave rise to the next up to and including the social-justice struggles of today and the music that continues to inspire it. However, there’s a large gap in that timeline.
What happened in the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s?
Well, the 1930’s saw the Great Depression, so musical and social change were sidelined as Americans struggled to survive. The 1940’s saw an America worn out from fighting World War II. The 1950’s is when social and musical change started gaining momentum again: A revolution of sorts did take place, one that would push us toward the more significant social and musical change of the 1960’s.
Rock and roll was born, and a new generation of revolutionaries was inspired by it. We’ll explore rock and roll, doo-wop, soul and their offshoot genres every week on the Doo-Wop Bop, and I’ll do my best to show you the cultural and musical value of the songs we so commonly dismiss as “oldies.”