Censorship

            The rock world's always pushing the envelope, as they say, in terms of what's permissible or acceptable or even legal in our society They've put rock groups on trial for the content of their music. Rock's always been a little dangerous for each generation, from Elvis on. So I do think we have something in common.".
             -Chris Willman (Foerstel 19).
             The decades of the 1950s and 60s, with their unprecedented openness, naturally ushered in a new generation and a new era of censorship as well. The main questionable issues between these decades were freedom of speech, political protest, cultural radicalism, drugs, sex, literature, and of course, music (Garry 21). .
             Rock and roll began as a symbol of integration, as an interracial music with the participation of performers and consumers of both races (Winfield 3). It was still the 1950s, and America was not yet ready for such integration. For example, as Winfield states on page 13, "black music" was not accepted by society. To be financially successful, black music was introduced into popular culture with white "covers". Many black musicians, such as Little Richard and Bo Diddley, received little or no compensation when their songs were recorded by whites (13).
             The generation of the 1950s had Elvis Presley and a new kind of music called rock and roll. In the sixties, hippies, protestors, rock bands, and rebellious writers all helped to define a new generation that was extremely different than that of the prior decade. Rock music of the 1960s and seventies rebelled against the authority of the establishment and attempted to create a generational identity for its listeners (Garry 10). Music pushed to limits that which had been designated as taboo by the older generation and it endured as that generation's music as long as it continued to stomp on social rules and authority (10).
             The transformation of American popular music was such a violent debate because it was generated and sustained by the youth of the power culture without the blessing of their parents.