Dawn of a Remarkable Music Era: 1960s Rock and Roll

Overview and Intro to 1960s Music

It was quite a time. As the decade began, Elvis Presley still held reign as the "king of rock and roll," but from the late 1950s to 1964, there were many princes competing for the throne. As this music form became successful and a HUGE financial powerhouse, record companies that had previously dismissed it began an earnest search for new singers,which brought forth the teen idols.

True vocal ability wasn't necessarily required to be a teen idol (Fabian Forte,for example). Being young, male, (there were a few female exceptions), Causasian, and good-looking were. This group made rock and roll acceptable and safe to many white households,who were initially appalled by it and horrified that their children were enjoying THAT music. But the teen idols ALSO brought a commercialized blandness to the form, though there were a few gems in the mix.

Help was on the way.

The "Girl Group Sound" has often been overlooked until recently. It deserves its full recognition and respect. Some of rock's most memorable songs and talent came from this phenomeon(The Shirelles, The Chantels, Darlene Love, Phil Spector, etc).

A go-getting Detroit entrepreneur, songwriter, and ex-boxer, Berry Gordy,was about to make major music history with the start of Motown Records in 1959. The roundup of future stars under one roof was astounding: The Marvelettes, Mary Wells, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Martha and The Vandellas, Barrett Strong, "Little" Stevie Wonder, The Contours, The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, among so many others. The songwriters, producers, and eventually the musicians, would also achieve legendary status: Holland-Dozier-Holland, Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield, Thomas "Beans" Bowles, Benny Benjamin, James Jamerson, Janie Bradford, Nick Ashfordand Valerie Simpson, etc.

Other songwriter/production teams blossomed and flourished: Bachrarach and David, King and Goffin, Sedaka and Greenfield, Greenwich and Barry, Weill and Mann, Curtis Mayfield, Gamble and Huff, Luther Dixon, among others.