Jacques Malecaut 11L
Elvis Presley Coursework
(1) Source A is an article from the “Billboard” U.S music magazine on March 3rd 1956. At the time the ‘Billboard’ magazine was a successful youth magazine paper which had mass readership; its main target audience was teenagers. The magazine says that Elvis is, ‘…the hottest artist on the RCA label’. The very fact that one of the most popular youth papers in America describes Elvis as being, ‘the hottest artist on the RCA label’ clearly shows that Elvis had a huge impact on popular music. In 1956 RCA was an extremely well known label, so for the ‘Billboard’ magazine to say that Elvis was ‘the hottest artist on the RCA label’ demonstrates how popular Elvis was. The article states that Elvis had ‘six hit singles in the company’s hit list of top-25 best sellers’. This shows me that not only was he supported by the ‘Billboard’ magazine; his music was very successful and liked by many fans. (The ‘Billboard’ magazine is directly linked to the charts). The article says, ‘…none other than the amazing country warbler, Elvis Presley’. The quote reflects Elvis Presley’s routes and backgrounds because Elvis was influenced by Country music as a young child when he lived in Mississippi.
(2) Source B shows extracts from newspaper articles describing Elvis Presley’s appearance on the Milton Berle show on NBC-TV on 5 June 1956. The New York Times says ‘Mr Presley has no signing ability’. The fact that Elvis Presley made a no. 1 smash hit with ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ earlier that year discredits the comment. The ‘Daily News’ (a well established newspaper) says that, ‘Popular music has reached it’s lowest depths in the grunt and groan antics of one Elvis Presley. It shows that the newspaper thinks that Elvis’s behavior is unacceptable. In contrast the ‘variety’ radio and TV magazine from source C says, The Milton Berle show topped Phil Silver’s sergeant Bilko in the ratings for the first time all season’. This positively praises Elvis for his contribution to Milton Berle’s ratings. Prior to the show Milton Berle was achieving poor ratings then he took a gamble by employing the up and coming star Elvis Presley his gamble paid off. Source D shows Elvis dancing on stage. He is dancing in a sexual manner and most of his audience are females, who look happy and excited. Source D is similar to source C because they both describe Elvis as being successful. However source D also supports Source b which says his , ‘physical movement is difficult to describe in terms suitable to a family newspaper’ (New York Times) because the photo shows Elvis dancing in an explicit manner. Source B from the New York Times states that ‘Mr Presley has no signing ability’. However source C says that Milton Berle managed to achieve high ratings because of Elvis. This shows that the ‘variety’ magazine doesn’t support the views of the ‘New York Times’. The ‘Variety’ magazine attracts working class Americans, whereas the New York time is a traditional newspaper which attracts an older generation. The ‘New York Journal’ says that Elvis’s primitive movement is difficult to describe in terms of a family newspaper’. The ‘Daily News’ says that ‘he gave an exhibition that was suggestive and vulgar’. These two statements are against Elvis’s physical movement. However source C and D show Elvis’s as being a sexy dance mover who can attract a huge female audience and achieve high TV ratings. Therefore source B is against Elvis’s impact to music is vulgar and unacceptable. On the other hand source C and D Show that Elvis is popular and highly successful.
