The rock n' roll era basically starts depending on your definition between 1954 and 1956, sometime in that two year span.

Does anyone view the time beforehand - even the early 1950s, say - as being this far off, 'quaint', sort of almost pre-modern time in some ways, as such?

The rock n' roll era basically starts depending on your definition between 1954 and 1956, sometime in that two year span.

Does anyone view the time beforehand - even the early 1950s, say - as being this far off, 'quaint', sort of almost pre-modern time in some ways, as such?


Yes - but for me, as I was born in 1960, some of my early experiences seem 'quaint' compared to today.  A for instance: when my baby sibling was born, it was just a given then to use old fashioned cloth diapers and all that entails.  (Modern diapers were possibly available then but cost prohibitive for the masses.)  Old fashioned cloth diapers are a lot of work, very 'quaint' by today's standards.  Plus some of the first cars we had (which were usually not new) didn't have seat belts.  And 'normal' TV sets were black and white, no remote.  Stuff like that I remember.  The early 50's, on the other hand, was the timeframe of my mother's youth (she graduated HS in '51) certainly contributing to the 'quaintness' of that era to me.

Of course as we were going through it, we always thought of the era we were living through as modern.  Without exception.

I don't know if its because of my age but I split the modern-times and pre-modern times with the arrival of the Beatles. Anything pre-Beatles is pre-modern, anything post-Beatles is post modern.  It was also around that time (1965-1967) where TV shows were no longer in black and white, but in colour. Because I experienced this as it happened, it feels like a TV show is old if it was in B&W, but its new if it started in colour.

In answer to your question, yeah the start of the rock and roll era does have a pre-modern feeling to it, I understand what you are trying to convey.

It’s easy to forget that Buddy Holly et al were not the center of the musical universe even in 1959. You only have to listen to airchecks of music stations from the late 1950s or look at the lists of best selling music. The Boomers promoted a myth that Top 40 meant rock but these stations actually played EVERYTHING that was a hit.

It's hard to say how modernizing rock n roll was prior to the counterculture. Rock was seen as revolutionary at the time, but I'm not sure society changed in response to it prior to around 1964.

Pop music, otoh hand seems very split between pre-rock and post-rock

It's hard to say how modernizing rock n roll was prior to the counterculture. Rock was seen as revolutionary at the time, but I'm not sure society changed in response to it prior to around 1964.

Pop music, otoh hand seems very split between pre-rock and post-rock


You forgot about Elvis Presley.

You forgot about Elvis Presley.


But how much of an impact did he have on day to day life? On one hand, he represented a paradigm shift in how teens wanted to be. On the other hand, how most kids dressed and acted in day to day life was still very conservative.

But how much of an impact did he have on day to day life? On one hand, he represented a paradigm shift in how teens wanted to be. On the other hand, how most kids dressed and acted in day to day life was still very conservative.


Man, a lot of time has gone by for people to now be so removed that they are re-writing history and questioning Elvis's influence on "day to day life". His impact was ENORMOUS. Young people felt liberated. You may be correct that not everybody was ALLOWED (operative word there) to show it, but it was there. ENORMOUS. And like the pebble in the water the reverberations went on and on. ENORMOUS.

Man, a lot of time has gone by for people to now be so removed that they are re-writing history and questioning Elvis's influence on "day to day life". His impact was ENORMOUS. Young people felt liberated. You may be correct that not everybody was ALLOWED (operative word there) to show it, but it was there. ENORMOUS. And like the pebble in the water the reverberations went on and on. ENORMOUS.


I guess your right. Maybe I've been listening to too many sheltered people

BBC Radio once ran a music special on the UNSwinging Sixties which looked as some of the actual best selling artists of the decade that Boomers always erase. like Humperdinck, and Ken Dodd.

But how much of an impact did he have on day to day life? On one hand, he represented a paradigm shift in how teens wanted to be. On the other hand, how most kids dressed and acted in day to day life was still very conservative.


He had the coolness factor to him in the 1950 and early 60's era.