Rocking And Riding
Have you ever wondered why Rock & Roll and Motorcycles go hand in hand? Chances are, if you are reading this article, you are associated with motorcycles. Maybe you ride, perhaps have a motorcycle-themed business., or you just freaking love bikes. Whichever the case, you have also probably noticed that wherever there are bikes, more times than none, there is Rock & Roll.
The 50s
Known as the ‘Golden Era of Television,’ It was prime for capturing our society’s youth when it came to music expression and motorcycles. Especially considering that both were the ultimate symbol of rebellion. This was a time when the youth of America were trying to discover their identity. Gone was the desire to continuously spin the vinyl of their parent’s choice. Not when they had the likes of James Dean and Marlon Brando to now look up to. Pushing back against what was expected of them was just an added benefit. As Brando and Dean built a reputation around their love of ‘New Rock Music’, and their love of motorcycles became more public, it was easy to capture a young audience. Dean, who had managed to win over the youth of the time with his portrayals of a rebellious outcast was also known to own several impressive motorcycles. Following his young and tragic death, his dangerous, bad-boy image became what everyone wanted to emulate. When you combine an idol, edgier music, and twowheeled rides, it was the perfect recipe in that time, to express angst and frustration. As the motorcycle
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culture grew in the 50s and the invention of transistor radios, Fender guitars and radio DJs, rock and roll and motorcycles took on a natural progression. Songs like “Leader of the Pack”, which told the story of a girl and her motorcycle-wielding boyfriend, rose to be regarded as one of the greatest songs in American history. Brando would create a cult classic in “The Wild One”. On screen, he took on the character of a real-life biker and would paint the image of “biker” and “outlaw” with the same stroke. Interesting fact, “The Wild One” was given credit for taking the black leather jacket from a military standard to a motorcycle staple. Rockers and Café Racers in Britain were on the rise as counter-culture and anti-establishment. The self-proclaimed rebels donned leather jackets and greased hair popular with rock musicians at the time. They rode stripped-down and fast bikes, and quickly built a reputation of, trouble on two wheels.
The 60s
Motorcycles and Rock & Roll were reserved for the outcasts and the non-conforming within what had become a rapidly growing phenomenon. The fifties may have been the catapult that set the popular connection of rock and bikes, but it was the sixties that saw a shift and popularized, challenging the norms of the older, middle-class generation on a grander scale. A new era of nonconformity and resistance to traditional viewpoints was built on showcasing loud music and fast bikes.
ThunderRoadsTennessee.com
JUNE 2022
