Rockers: A Biker Subculture
In 1960, teens were obsessed with their own identities and fell into different groups according to those identities. One of those groups is the “rockers”. The rockers were the tough kids; clad in black leather, they greased their hair up into pompadours and took to the roads on motorcycles. The name “rocker” came from the rockers found in 4-stroke engines, as opposed to the two stroke engines used by scooters and ridden by mods. It was mainly centered on British café racer motorcycles and rock 'n' roll.
Rockers are members of a biker subculture that originated in the United Kingdom during the 1950s. This subculture started due to many factors. The factors involve the end of post-war rationing in the UK, a general rise in working classes, the …show more content…
The considered the Teddy boys as their "spiritual ancestors". The rockers or ton-up boys actually a sport and turned it into a lifestyle which damaged the public image of motorcycling in the UK and led to the politicization of the motorcycling community.
Due to the damage they make, the rockers which are considered as powerless youths were being called as “folk devils” by the mass media. From the 1960s on, motorcycling youths became more commonly known as rockers, a term previously used within small groups. The public came to consider rockers as hopelessly naive, loutish, scruffy, motorized cowboys, loners or outsiders.
By 1965, the term ‘greaser’ had been introduced to the world. By that, the terms greaser and rocker have become synonymous within the British Isles although used differently in North America and elsewhere. As the name would suggest, they listened to a lot of imported American Rock n’ Roll. During the 1950s and early-1960s, rockers enjoyed listening to rock and roll by artists such as Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Elvis Presley; music that George Melly called at the time, "screw and smash" music. In fact, even groups such as the Beatles, who were influenced by the same music and culture, started with this aesthetic before adopting their more-famous look. Contrary to popular belief, Rockers
Rockers are members of a biker subculture that originated in the United Kingdom during the 1950s. This subculture started due to many factors. The factors involve the end of post-war rationing in the UK, a general rise in working classes, the …show more content…
The considered the Teddy boys as their "spiritual ancestors". The rockers or ton-up boys actually a sport and turned it into a lifestyle which damaged the public image of motorcycling in the UK and led to the politicization of the motorcycling community.
Due to the damage they make, the rockers which are considered as powerless youths were being called as “folk devils” by the mass media. From the 1960s on, motorcycling youths became more commonly known as rockers, a term previously used within small groups. The public came to consider rockers as hopelessly naive, loutish, scruffy, motorized cowboys, loners or outsiders.
By 1965, the term ‘greaser’ had been introduced to the world. By that, the terms greaser and rocker have become synonymous within the British Isles although used differently in North America and elsewhere. As the name would suggest, they listened to a lot of imported American Rock n’ Roll. During the 1950s and early-1960s, rockers enjoyed listening to rock and roll by artists such as Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Elvis Presley; music that George Melly called at the time, "screw and smash" music. In fact, even groups such as the Beatles, who were influenced by the same music and culture, started with this aesthetic before adopting their more-famous look. Contrary to popular belief, Rockers