Inconsequential Rock Sub-Genre Glam Rock Essay - 1846 Words

Glam rock is usually viewed as an inconsequential rock sub-genre. It is often forgotten in the abundance of genres that originated in the 1970s, and it is often neglected completely as a major genre at all in America. Critics slammed the new genre, calling it hype-driven and plastic. One argument held that glam rock was typically seen as insignificant because it did not have a long life, nor did it capture the attention of the world. Glam rock was popular in the UK, but even there, it was short-lived and only popular amongst teens who missed out on the pop culture and hippie ideology of the late 1960s. Glam rock, then, may seem a genre that is worth forgetting, except that glam rock laid the foundations of the modern popular music†¦show more content†¦He sang African American blues music and performed it to white audiences. His popularity was incomparable, it reached every continent, and expanded the influence and ideas of what popular music could be. Renamed from rockabilly , the rock and roll genre was born and Elvis was â€Å"The King†. Along with this new wave of rock and roll was an artist by the name of Little Richard. He was an exuberant figure who commanded the stage. He drew attention to himself by wearing flashy outfits, mascara, and eyeliner. His overall performance was considered obscene by most Americans—a man presenting himself with feminine appearances was taboo in the 1950s. It was a social stigma that Americans did not shake until the 1980s when hair metal became popular. Little Richard’s song â€Å"Tutti Frutti†, set the bar for other musicians, and broadened the scope and the future of rock and roll. The impact Little Richard had on glam rockers is often stated as one of the most pivotal reasons for their interest in rock music. David Bowie was quoted, â€Å"I fell in love with The Little Richard Band.† He continued to elaborate, â€Å"I never heard something that lived in such bright colors in the air, it really just painted the whole room for me.† Figures like El vis and Little Richard, captured the attention of millions, and spurred on a new sense of creativity and theatricality. The 1960s built off rock and roll music of the 1950s and boasted a growing international popularity.