Rock ‘N’ Roll

1954 –

A time when Rock ‘N’ Roll was  – and everybody rocked to the beat.

Rock ‘n’ Roll, the new beat and the ultimate mixture-back to the Blues, back to Country Western and Rhythm-and-Blues, back to the gospel shouters (listen to the Great Mahalia Jackson’s “He Said He Would” and the Soul music of Ray Charles’s “Bye Bye Love” and see how far apart they are). When R & B came clattering on the scene, accompanied by a riot or two as the kinds lost their heads, the purists put it down as another ridiculous musical fad which would consume the know-nothing young briefly and then disappear into limbo. This is being written fifteen years later- and the radio stations with the heftiest audiences play nothing but R & R and another generation is buying the records, while the Big Beat’s intently serious offspring, Folk Rock, also is thriving. Elvis Presley makes four single a year, and none of them sells less than a millions copies.

From the book Fads, Follies and Delusions of the American People by Paul Sann Great book, real fun, real cool.

1953
The Oldest Boomer is 7 years old.

Median Family Income: $4,200 Minimum Wage: 75cents/hr.
Gallon Gasoline: 29 cents Potatoes: 10 lbs./ 35 cents
New Car: Chevrolet Corvette: $3,498 Hudson Jet: $1,858
Unemployment Rate:
2.9%-2.5%-4.5% First-class Stamps 3 cents

Movies: “From Here to Eternity,” “ Shane,” “Roman Holiday,” “Julius Caesar,” “The Robe,” “Peter Pan,” “House of Wax” “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” “How to marry a Millionaire,” “Call Me Madam,,” “T Came from Outer Space,” “Niagara,” “Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation.” “Abbott and Costello Go to Mars” & “Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” “The moon is Blue,” was the first U.S. movie to use the words ”pregnant” and “virgin.” “Scared stiff,” starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis.
TV: “Make Room for Daddy,” The Danny Tomas Show. “Topper”/ Forty-four million viewers tune in to “I Love Lucy” for a baby’ birth. “Romper Room.” “Winky Dink and You.” “Robin Hood,” “The George Jessel show,” “Philip Morris Playhouse,”
MUSIC: “The Band Wagon,: Arthur Schwartz and Howard Deitz. Fats Domino, “Goin’ Home.” “Kitty Wells, “It Wasn’t God Who made Honky Tonk angels.” Patti Page, “The Doggie In The Window.” Tony Bennett, “Rags To Riches.” Perry Como, “Don’t Let The Stars get In Your Eyes.” Les Paul and Mary Ford, “ Bye Bye Blues.” Big Mama Thornton, “Hound Dog.” Dean Martin, “That’s Amore. Frank Sinatra, “Three Coins In The Fountain.” Your Cheatin’ Heart,” recorded by Hank Williams and also recorded by Joni James, and then by Frankie laine. Ray Charles, “Mess around.” Fats Domino, “Please don’t Leave Me.” Bill Haley & His Comets record their first rock hit, “Crazy Man Crazy

Broadway: “Kismet,” “Danny Kaye-revue,” “Jose Greco-revue,” “Can-Can,” “Comedy in Music,” Victor Borge.

From the book BOOMERS  How We Changed The World by Richard A. Jordan