Also programmes like Six Five Special appeared on television, but tended to represent older taste. These interested teenagers but didn’t really appeal to their parents. Better music started to appear on the television, American stars like Elvis Presley appeared on American music shows, so many young people watched him because he had a different style and used sexual movements that had never been seen on television before. These shows were watched by so many people that broadcasters decided to aim more programmes at youth culture. Most of these programmes were imitations or cast off American shows, but they proved highly entertaining to the youth culture. Advertising gave way to new occupations such as marketing and sales, which gave the development of products aimed at the youth easier.
Another popular culture influenced by America was music. At the beginning of the 1950’s singers like Bing Crosby and Perry Como dominated the music charts, all these songs appealed to adults and not children as they were rather dull. All until Elvis Presley entered the British music scene, he was one of the first rock and roll singers. Because of his huge success with younger people, British singers like Cliff Richard started to imitate him. People like Tommy Steele started appearing on TV singing rock and roll songs but the biggest Elvis imitator was Cliff Richard (who was described as the British Elvis). Most singers just produced cover versions of American hits and copied all the American trends. Another reason for this was the huge change in the late 1950’s was the seven inch single. It was light and easy to carry around. Young people carried around there singles with them making it easier for people to keep up with the latest songs. Many cafes bought jukebox’s so the singles could be played. At the same time gramophones became cheaper and were easier to buy.
The last area is fashion. This was also America influenced. In the 1950’s daughters tried to look like miniature versions off their mothers. The style was elegant and pale colours, nothing to make you stand out. In the 60’s fashion completely changed, it was said that mothers tried to look like there daughters.
The reason for this was an increase in wages, it went from £6.40 to £11.12 per week, tax decreased by 9p. Both of theses changes meant that people had more money to spend. Teenagers were keeping the money they earned where as before it would go toward the family. On average teenagers were spending £8 a week. The market had to find something in Britain to appeal to younger people, so that they would spend there money there.
Teddy boys appeared for the first time in the late 50’s and with them came a new fashion. Teddy boys wore drainpipe trousers and had there hair in quaffs. Girls also started to wear different clothes, skirts got shorter and used brighter colours and patterns.
Trends were set by American stars such as Elvis and move stars such as James dean. As well as this more teen magazines appeared for the first time in 1961. They provided information about style, clothes and music. They were very important ways of guiding and forming the taste of teenagers.
The fashion changed along with teenagers attitudes, the clothes represented the rebellion that was coming.
It appears that most of the changes caused in the late 50’s and early 60’s were American influenced, from the change in television programmes and the music to fashion. America had a large part to play in the development of popular culture.
