Elvis Presley's Impact on Twentieth Century Culture

Elvis Presley's Impact on Twentieth Century Culture

(1) Source A is an article from the “Billboard” U.S music

magazine on March 3rd 1956. At the time the ‘Billboard’ magazine was a

successful youth magazine paper which had mass readership; its main

target audience was teenagers. The magazine says that Elvis is, ‘…the

hottest artist on the RCA label’. The very fact that one of the most

popular youth papers in America describes Elvis as being, ‘the hottest

artist on the RCA label’ clearly shows that Elvis had a huge impact on

popular music. In 1956 RCA was an extremely well known label, so for

the ‘Billboard’ magazine to say that Elvis was ‘the hottest artist on

the RCA label’ demonstrates how popular Elvis was. The article states

that Elvis had ‘six hit singles in the company’s hit list of top-25

best sellers’. This shows me that not only was he supported by the

‘Billboard’ magazine; his music was very successful and liked by many

fans. (The ‘Billboard’ magazine is directly linked to the charts). The

article says, ‘…none other than the amazing country warbler, Elvis

Presley’. The quote reflects Elvis Presley’s routes and backgrounds

because Elvis was influenced by Country music as a young child when he

lived in Mississippi.

(2) Source B shows extracts from newspaper articles describing

Elvis Presley’s appearance on the Milton Berle show on NBC-TV on 5

June 1956. The New York Times says ‘Mr Presley has no signing

ability’. The fact that Elvis Presley made a no. 1 smash hit with

‘Heartbreak Hotel’ earlier that year discredits the comment. The

‘Daily News’ (a well established newspaper) says that, ‘Popular music

has reached it’s lowest depths in the grunt and groan antics of one

Elvis Presley. It shows that the newspaper thinks that Elvis’s

behavior is unacceptable. In contrast the ‘variety’ radio and TV

magazine from source C says, The Milton Berle show topped Phil

Silver’s sergeant Bilko in the ratings for the first time all season’.