Elvis Presley Research Paper

Screaming girls, angry parents and jealous guys, all the makings of a king. Young and rebellious, handsome and scandalous, all the ways to gain popularity and money. It is not easy to become “The King,” but Elvis Presley did it. Stirring up emotions with his songs and sexual dancing, Elvis became the icon to a new generation of rebels. Elvis Presley revolutionized rock-and-roll, changing the style and the image of rock and becoming the most famous singer. Hitting number one on the charts for most singles getting on the top-40 list of all time, a record that has not been beaten, there is no doubt that Elvis is one of the most important rock-and-roll artists. Elvis Presley is important to the evolution and history of rock-and-roll for many reasons,
Elvis Presley started the movement to end segregation through his music; taking on the values “of blues, R&B, gospel, and country” and the dancing of gospel singers to a whole new population and generation (Friedlander 43). Creating this bridge of cultures, Elvis popularized African-American music, which of course caused more controversy, but non-the-less created a whole new outlook on the rights of all human races. Not only did Elvis help in the efforts of integrating blacks with whites, but he also changed the outlook on sexuality. Using his songs of love and his gyrating pelvic dancing, Elvis Presley, as Marcie Wallace states in “Elvis Presley: A Revolutionist,” “…[destroyed] sexual inhibition” (100). In short, not only did Elvis change the history of rock music, but he changed the history of segregation and
Through his rockabilly creation and his sensational dancing, Elvis remade rock and went all the way to the top. He renewed the idea of rock music, segregation and sexuality. Elvis Presley is “…one of the most important cultural forces in history, a hip-shaking symbol of liberation for the staid America of the 1950s” (Rolling Stone). Elvis was revolutionary as he re-defined music and challenged social and moral values. “Presley had a ‘sound and style that uniquely combined his diverse musical influence and challenged the social and racial barriers of the time; he ushered in a whole new era of American music and popular culture’” (Wallace 112). Elvis Presley is the most important man in rock