"They'll Be Rockin' on Bandstand, in Philadelphia, PA": Dick Clark, Georgie Woods, and the Value of Rock 'n' Roll

It was no accident that Chuck Berry made reference to the televised teenage dance show "American Bandstand" when he released "Sweet Little Sixteen" in January 1958, and these lyrics helped ensure the song would receive ample airtime on the programme. In an era when advertisers di...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of popular music studies 2012-12, Vol.24 (4), p.457-485
Main Author: Delmont, Matt
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:It was no accident that Chuck Berry made reference to the televised teenage dance show "American Bandstand" when he released "Sweet Little Sixteen" in January 1958, and these lyrics helped ensure the song would receive ample airtime on the programme. In an era when advertisers discovered teenagers, "American Bandstand" offered daily access to the largest market of young consumers. For Dick Clark, the value of rock and roll was its ability to unite a national audience of teenagers in the simultaneous consumption of television, music and the products advertised on the show. (Quotes from original text)
ISSN:1524-2226
1533-1598
DOI:10.1111/jpms.12003