How Did Elvis Presley Influence Pop Culture

Elvis Presley was an influential and prominent character in the development of American culture in the 1950’s. Elvis’ humble upbringing and controversial sound rallied him a massive support group of fans. He was truthful about his stance towards controversial topics and would often incite hurtful rumors and criticism. Also, different aspects of pop culture can be linked back to Elvis Presley and his musical career. Elvis Presley, whose music and ideas were progressive for those of his time, brought about positive change by expanding the civil liberties of all people.

Elvis Presley, an only child, was born on January 8th, 1935. He was raised by Vernon and Gladys Presley. His family, especially his mother, valued and created strong emotional bonds with him. When he was a child, he went to an Assembly of God church which is what started his interest in music. Singing with a congregation helped strengthen his voice as well as his confidence. In first grade, his teacher recommended for him to compete in a musical competition, and he ended up winning fifth place. Later that year, he received a guitar for birthday. He watched church musicians, as well as his uncles, playing chords and slowly learned to play. Elvis was viewed as a loner and he had a fear of performing.

In sixth grade, he switched schools and was living in a primarily

African-American neighborhood filled with blues, jazz, and other black styles of music at that time. His new school treated him as a “trashy kid who played hillbilly music” (Guralnick) and that later earned him the name "Hillbilly Cat". Even at this young age, he was seen as ‘crazy about music’ by a local radio host, Mississippi Slim. In exchange for help around the station, Mississippi Slim taught Elvis how to play the guitar and arranged for an on-air show that Elvis would play. His skill on the guitar helped him overcome his stage fright.
Elvis’ life inspired many to attempt the ‘American Dream’. Elvis came from a poor family with little hope for becoming a well-known superstar. Most people believed that was unachievable based on his background. Elvis, however, did not have super-stardom in mind, but rather he focused on what was important to him, which was good music and positive experiences. Elvis sang from his heart. One of the reasons he was, and still is, extremely likable was because he provoked such strong, relatable emotions. Listeners of all ages, lifestyles, experiences, and backgrounds can feel a sense of loss in Don’t Cry, Daddy, a sense of nostalgia in I Was the One, and get a sense of inspiration from The Impossible Dream (Schindler). Elvis’ music resonated with people. He shook hearts and instilled feelings of empathy. His singing was relatable and it was the reason that his fans obsessed over him and his music.
Throughout his career, Elvis was able to tear down the walls of racism that hindered integration. One of his biggest accomplishments was getting rid of the differences in music for African American and white citizens. Many white segregationists opposed Elvis’ music style because it resembled black music. Elvis, his fans, and his music early in his career were regularly described as white trash. However, the majority of critics who called him that were a generation older. His fanbase was young people of all races, genders, and nationalities. As a result, those who criticized him and his music were outnumbered by the vast number of supporters. The merging of music and cultures bridged the gap between the races. Music has an uncanny ability to bring together its vast array of listeners. The atmosphere and treatment of blacks improved, and they eventually became legally equal due to the Civil Rights Movement, a result of people from both races listening to the same music.
Elvis was a prominent anti-segregationist. Elvis was highly criticized because he had a deep respect for black musicians. The pop culture critics considered this a scandalous rumor and asked for interviews with Elvis to deny this career threatening gossip. In response, Elvis refused to perform to any segregated crowds. He forced his fan base to integrate, and in doing so, he forced acceptance of different races and cultures. When his supporters began to adopt an accepting attitude towards their black neighbors, the rest of the world saw and became accustomed to the civil treatment of the black population. Blacks were no longer fighting alone in their pursuit of equal rights; many whites had joined the fight. The gap between the two races was bridged.
Another shock wave Elvis sent through the population was his approach to Gospel music. He was a very religious man. In his most famous gospel song, How Great Thou Art, Elvis introduced a bluesy, southern Baptist style. It was often called ‘black choir music’. Conservative, white people were appalled by Elvis’ apparent disrespect for God and for traditional hymns. Many critics went as far as to spell his name as ‘Evils’ instead of ‘Elvis,’ but this did not faze him. He never accepted that music had a right or wrong; he simply sang from his heart. Furthermore, Elvis remained deeply religious. His belief that “all good things come from God” (Schilling) helped him when people criticized his religious music, because he found goodness everywhere in his life. He combined both religious music and modern music to create a contemporary genre in which spiritual music was mixed with pop culture. Not only did this introduce more relatable religious music, it expanded his fan-base.
Elvis’ behavior also changed the world’s view of sexuality and gender roles. Most famously, he was filmed from the waist up on the Ed Sullivan Show, seen as a ‘respectable’ family show, to avoid any offense to the viewers. His suggestive dance style awarded him the nickname “Elvis the Pelvis.” In this time, “gender roles were divided accordingly” and “good girls [didn’t] have sex before marriage” (Schindler). His lyrics and attitude toward casual sex, like in his songs Baby, Let’s Play House or Surrender, were viewed as vulgar. Despite this, they often caused his female fans to follow suit whenever they heard his records. He was deemed a pioneer in the Sexual Revolution (Schindler).
His influence on sexuality not only affected gender, but it also broadened the horizons for acceptance for people who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and more. This was a very forward thinking idea. Before this time, many people who were not cisgendered were shunned from society if they chose to live openly and accept themselves. More commonly, they went into hiding and lived as a cisgender person normally would. That approach to different sexual preferences stirred self-hatred within the non-cisgendered population. Elvis, in a sense, restored confidence within this community of outcasts. He renewed their ability to practice their orientation openly; a discussion still being held by political figures today.
Even through death, Elvis united people. After a private funeral service, Elvis’ body was placed in a Cadillac and driven through the streets of Memphis, Tennessee. Tens of thousands of mourners of all orientations and ethnicities flooded the streets. Shoulders were touching, hands were held, tears were shed, and barriers were broken. All of these emotional experiences were shared between people who had never before imagined being empathetic to their counterparts. Elvis united all of his followers.
Elvis’ following, as the first real rockstar, was immense.

People worshipped Elvis and his contributions to pop culture. Many musical specialists say that Elvis’ fame was the very first of its kind. It was different from the fame of presidents, actors, and other important figures; his fame was personal, wide-spreading, and had an incredible impact. Elvis’ humble upbringing and controversial style garnered him a massive support group of fans. The frenzy that ensued is now categorized as “fangirling,” and is still common for many artists including the Beatles’ ‘Beatlemania’, Justin Bieber’s ‘Beliebers’, and Taylor Swift’s

‘Swifties.’
Elvis set a precedent for the treatment of celebrities in the music industry as well. The paparazzi was in as much of a frenzy as the teenage girls who spied into the windows of Elvis’ estate. Any secret that Elvis possessed was splashed onto the front page of news outlets everywhere and broadcasted to common everyday people. To many, that exploitation was a way to create confusion and rumors surrounding the superstar. When a scandalous detail from Elvis' personal life surfaced, he was scrutinized and cut to the core. Soon after a miserable divorce, a magazine falsely reported that the reason for the split was Elvis' infidelity. This completely untrue lie spread like wildfire. Elvis felt violated, which transformed his view of the media. That single magazine article caused Elvis to become very guarded in his interviews and encounters with fans (Schilling). The paparazzi, however, never slowed. Even today, the privacy of many celebrities is violated in the name of their adoring fans. Elvis was the first real rock star who was destroyed by paparazzi and media.
The impacts of Elvis Presley’s music career have sounded throughout events such as the Civil Rights Movement, the free love movement, and the creation of the modern music industry. Elvis’ life inspired many to attempt the ‘American Dream’ and broke down many of the barriers of integration. His influence on sexuality not only affected gender, it broadened horizons for acceptance for people who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and many more. Elvis was a pioneer of merging styles of music, which led to the merging of cultures and races. His impact, however, was much more than creating new music. Elvis Presley was more than just an artist, he was a pioneer for music as it is today.