The concepts of ‘black’ and ‘white’ music are crucial elements which are useful in understanding popular music. The changes which took place in popular music due to the birth of rock are often suggested as a ‘result of white fascination with black music’ (Shank). The 1950s saw a sudden interest in black music by white audiences which led to many white musicians such as Bill Haley and Elvis Presley to produce music which were largely influenced by black music. These artists often made their own cover versions of black music too resulting in major success an example is Bill Haley’s cover of Big Joe Turner’s ‘Shake Rattle & Roll’. The development of this type of music coined ‘race records’ promoted black music which was not well known in the music industry, this led to the birth of new music genres such as pop which were ‘ dependent on the interaction between white and black traditions’ (Hatch & Milward 1987). These new genres combine many races, blurring the lines of definition, proving hard to categorise simply as ‘black’ or ‘white’. The concept of ‘black’ and ‘white’ music is therefore useful in understanding both the advance and the history of popular music.
This is well considered and offers an interesting take on the question.
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