Greaser music

[fairlane]

In the book Ponyboy mentions that greasers like Elvis, I was wondering what other singers or groups might have been popular back then?

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

I figure since he says they like Elvis they probably don't keep up with what's popular since Elvis was more prominent in the 50s, even though he was around until the 70s.

I've been listening to oldies music since I was seven so I know a lot about it, lol.

Popular music then included the genres of folk and folk rock, psychedelic rock, the British Invasion (i.e. the Beatles, the Kinks, the Rolling Stones, the Who, etc.), bubblegum pop, Motown, teen tragedy (like songs about car crashes and the like, you've probably heard one or two of them), and good old rock and pop, which could include pretty much anything.

As for what the greasers listened to, I don't know why, but I could see them listening to people like the Kinks, the Rolling Stones (even though they apparently don't listen to the Beatles, who were part of the British Invasion; but I think they'd be more drawn to the sounds of the Kinks and the Stones) and Jimi Hendrix.

Otherwise they probably listened to a lot of 50s rock, too. :)

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

Ooh, I could definitely see them listening to Creedence. Although I think Steppenwolf was more prominent around the late 60s, but that's beside the point, lol.

Now that you mention it, I can see them listening to Motown, too. Probably not so much the 'girl groups,' but maybe like Marvin Gaye and the Four Tops?

[fosterchild]

I think Johnny Cash is a good pick, too. (artemis-rex's wsotta story) Johnny Cash is right up their alley from his look to his sound. I also think they'd definitely be into the Stones and heavier (for those times anyway) bands like that. Jerry Lee Lewis, too. I think outlaw type of musicians. I also realize I rambled here!

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

I agree. Johnny Cash is considered country, but I still think they'd probably listen to him.

Jerry Lee Lewis was in the 50s, but like I said, I think they'd definitely be into the 50s rockers, so you're right there too.

I never really understood though why they wouldn't listen to the Beatles. Or maybe because I grew up on them, that's just my hopeless 'everyone-should-love-the-Beatles' fangirl side showing, lol. :)

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

Oh, I could definitely see them listening to the Doors, too. :)

[fosterchild]

Oh absolutely the Doors!

I can't see the Beatles only because they were too soft for their taste. Elvis was tuff! Elvis, Jerry Lee, Johnny Cash...they all resembled them in their appearance and actions (Elvis being the hip-grinding rebel he was at the time). They were all cool, you know? Jim Morrison included.

I think they're be into anything gritty and rough and even dirty.

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

Mm, I see what you mean.

Oh, if they could have only seen the Beatles in their early days, lol. :)

[Tensleep]

I think they would have gotten into some of the more rebel songs and artists that were forming in that time.

Janis Joplin, Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane, Frank Zappa, Iron Butterfly, CCR, Hendrix, Deep Purple, Cohen, Cream, The Doors, Steve Miller...I dunno about Bob Dylan since he was folk mostly, but he took a lot of flack for branching into amps and electric guitars, so you never know what that might have done for his status.

As for Motown...some select songs, maybe. Definitely not the girl groups.

I keep wanting to put them into 80's music. I write so much of my stuff to Van Halen and Metallica...*shrugs*

See ya in the funny papers!!!

Tens

[maxiekat]

Great topic. I like going on Wikipedia to check out their lists of the popular music from each year. Here's the link for 1966 - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1966_in_music#Top_American_hits_on_record
It's interesting that there aren't any Elvis songs on the list.

I agree that they would have probably liked The Doors and The Rolling Stones (I downloaded The Doors version of Gloria and it's awesome, but really long). Also - they might have gravitated toward Southern Rock - Creedence, The Band, Steppenwolf.

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

But then, didn't Soc guys like the Beatles, too? Lol. :)

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

Oh, that list is great, by the way -- there's some really great songs on there! I recognized pretty much all of them, lol.

I always thought "Uptight (Everything is All Right)" came out in 1963 because it was featured in the show American Dreams, which took place then.

They also had an episode where the Kinks were featured on Rate-a-Record on American Bandstand, when it was still 1963, and the Beatles didn't even come to America until Feb. '64 -- which means the Kinks wouldn't have emerged here until after that.

They were so off, lol. Anyway ... :)

[maxiekat]

Yeah, those lists are fun, and a little dangerous, lol. I spend way too much time downloading music and making CDs. A lot of great music came out in 66 and I've been catching a bunch of retrospectives of 1967 since it has been 40 years.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_in_music#Top_American_hits_on_record

It's funny, I have VH1's top 40 soft rock songs on right now. Definitely not a list of songs any greaser would be caught dead listening to. But I think Two-Bit would have secretly loved The Pina Colada Song, lol.

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

Oh, I like that one, too! Recognized basically all the songs, of course, lol.

On June 16 it'll be forty years since the Monterey International Pop concert, too. :)

I haven't made a CD in so long because my CD player broke, and I got an mp3 player so I don't need to. But I've been downloading music all afternoon, lol. I'd load them all onto my mp3 player but it only holds 500 songs (haha, 'only' ... ) and ... I've already reached 500. :p

[fairlane]

Awesome so much that I never thought of. For some reason I thought Rolling Stones started in the '70's which shows how much I know lol. The Doors is a good one. What about Buddy Holly?

Now I really want to go and download heaps of songs...that is not going to be fun because I'm on dial-up.