On a Friday afternoon in 1957, your big sister is watching TV with her friends. You hear the sound of a piano, but it’s a lot different than the classical songs your mom makes you practice over and over. This music is . . . rocking.
You look at the screen and see a man in a suit playing a glittery guitar and singing about dancing to rock and roll music. You can’t help tapping your feet and bouncing up and down.
After World War II, media played a bigger role in everyday American life. Media are forms of mass communication, like newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. As more people enjoyed the same books, movies, and TV shows, popular culture became more important. By the end of the 1950s, nine out of ten homes had a TV set. Television showed Americans things they had never seen before.
