Elvis Presleys Influence On Pop Culture

While music began to change and appeal to the new generation, so did television.
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV show on CBS that aired from Sunday June 20, 1948, to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by Ed Sullivan. All sorts of guest were asked to perform on the show. These guest included popular artists, ballet dancers, songwriters, opera singers, comedians, dramatic actors, and circus acts were regular performers.25 On September 9, 1956, Elvis Presley made his first appearance on the show. According to biographer Michael David Harris, "Sullivan signed Presley when the host was having an intense Sunday-night rivalry with Steve Allen. Allen had the singer on July 1st and trounced Sullivan in the ratings. When asked to comment, the CBS star said that
Elvis was on camera for more than a quarter of the time that all acts had to perform.29 The show was viewed by a record 60 million people. This was 82.6 percent of the television audience, and was the largest single audience in television history. "In the New York Times", however, "Jack Gould began his review indignantly: Elvis Presley had 'injected movements of his tongue and indulged in wordless singing that were singularly distasteful.' Over stimulating the physical impulses of the teenagers was 'a gross national disservice.”30 The Doors also made quite the appearance on the show. They starred on September 17, 1967 and performed their single “Light my Fire”. CBS network censors demanded that lead singer Jim Morrison change the lyrics to their song by changing the line, "Girl, we couldn't get much higher". However, Morrison sang the original line, and on live television with no delay. There was nothing CBS could do to stop it. They were then banned from the show. According to Ray Manzarek, a member of the band, the band was told, "Mr. Sullivan liked you boys. He wanted you on six more times. ... You'll never do the Sullivan