Elvis, The Beatles, and Dylan- Brenna Munoz
Elvis, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan each exploded in to the music scene leaving an everlasting impression on both the past and future of Rock-n-Roll. These three phenomenons, in addition to directly influencing the success and aspirations of one another, intensely influenced and inspired people of their generation. This leads many to ask: What exactly was it about these musicians that made them extraordinary to their time?
Through the in depth accounts portrayed throughout the selection “The History of Rock-n-Roll,” which is a significantly captivating film for any true music lover, we notice comparable attributes of Elvis, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan through their timing of arrival, unique and liberating attitudes, and their ability to connect with society.
“Music gave people a sense of hope in the future at a time when the world was in flames.” This quote from the film explains exactly why the explosion of these three musicians was so intensified. Elvis, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan all made there mark at a time when society was in a very vulnerable state. The music they generated provided Americans with an escape from unpleasant thoughts of where society was heading, and gave them hope for change. Because of their unique and liberating attitudes, these three musical phenomenons were able to capture the thoughts, thrills, desires, and frustrations of society at the time, and put them into words and music. Elvis with his seductive hips, The Beatles with their unique wittiness, and Dylan with his powerfully genuine lyrics were all able to connect with society on a whole new level because they moved away from self censorship and vouched for a different route; one that was free from restrictions, revolved around raw feelings and emotions, and was true to the core.
Although the timing of their explosion into the music scene proves to be quite crucial, it should not be confused with the reason for their outstanding success. The quality of Elvis’, The Beatles’, and Dylan’s music, in my opinion, stands superior to that of the majority of musicians before or after their time.