Rock ‘nʼ Roll: “Grotesque enough to sell a million”

In the 1950s, the rejection of rock ‘n’ roll by the ranks of both jazz fans and ‘popular music’ fans is unanimous. What predominates in the music magazines—but also often in the industry magazines—are brief mentions of successful new rock ‘n’ roll songs, whereby ‘crude intensity’ is usually noted (in paraphrases) as a genre characteristic. On top of this, there are (also in other magazines and newspapers) longer articles on the (dangerously) conspicuous style of teenagers. Where even one small step gets taken in the direction of artistic appraisal, the verdict is ambivalent at best.