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I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)
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"I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" redirects here. For the Lea Salonga album, see I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (album).
"I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)"
Single by The Hillside Singers
from the album I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing
B-side
"I Believed It All"
Released
November 1971
Label
Metromedia
Songwriter(s)
Bill Backer
Billy Davis
Roger Cook
Roger Greenaway
Producer(s)
Al Ham
"I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing"
Single by The New Seekers
from the album We'd Like to Teach the World to Sing
B-side
"Boom Town"
Released
November 1971
Length
2:20
Label
Philips (Germany)
Polydor (UK)
Elektra (USA/Canada)
Songwriter(s)
Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, Bill Backer and Billy Davis
Producer(s)
David Mackay
The New Seekers singles chronology
"Never Ending Song of Love"
(1971) "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing"
(1971) "Beg, Steal or Borrow"
(1972)
"Never Ending Song of Love"
(1971) "'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)"
(1971) "Beg, Steal or Borrow"
(1972)
"I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" is a pop song that originated as the jingle "Buy the World a Coke"[1] in the groundbreaking 1971 "Hilltop" television commercial for Coca-Cola. "Buy the World a Coke" was produced by Billy Davis and portrayed a positive message of hope and love, featuring a multicultural collection of teenagers on top of a hill appearing to sing the song.
The popularity of the jingle led to it being re-recorded by The New Seekers and by The Hillside Singers as a full-length song, dropping references to Coca-Cola. The song became a hit record in the US and the UK.
Contents
[hide]
1 Origins
2 TV commercial
2.1 Lyrics
2.2 Versions as an ad
2.3 Significance and reception
3 Singles
3.1 The Hillside Singers
3.2 The New Seekers
4 Chart performance
4.1 New Seekers version
4.1.1 Weekly charts
4.1.2 Year-end charts
4.2 Hillside Singers version
4.2.1 Weekly charts
4.2.2 Year-end charts
5 Covers and inspiration for other music
6 In popular culture
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
Origins[edit]
The idea originally came to Bill Backer, an advertising executive working for McCann Erickson, the agency responsible for Coca-Cola. Backer, Roger Cook and Billy Davis were delayed at Shannon Airport in Ireland. After a forced layover with many hot tempers, they noticed their fellow travelers the next morning were talking and joking while drinking Coca-Cola. Backer wrote the line "I'd like to buy the world a Coke" on a napkin and shared it with British hit songwriters Cook and Roger Greenaway.
The melody was derived from a previous jingle by Cook and Greenaway, originally called "True Love and Apple Pie"[2] that was recorded in 1971 by Susan Shirley.
The commercial ended with the statement:
"On a hilltop in Italy,
we assembled young people
from all over the world
to bring you the message
from Coca-Cola bottlers
all over the world.
It's the real thing. Coke."
The song became so popular that it was recorded by The New Seekers and by The Hillside Singers as a full-length song—without the mention of Coke—and both versions became huge hits. A version of the song was rerecorded by Susan Shirley and released in 1971. Cook, Greenaway, Backer, and Billy Davis reworked the song and recorded it as a Coca-Cola radio commercial.
TV commercial[edit]
Lyrics[edit]
"Buy the World a Coke" contains the line "I'd like to buy the world a Coke" and repeats "It's the real thing", which was Coca-Cola's marketing slogan at the time. Coca Cola introduced that slogan in October 1969.
Versions as an ad[edit]
Several versions of the ad have been made.
The song first aired on American radio on February 12, 1971, but failed.[clarification needed][2] When the feedback was favorable, Backer persuaded McCann-Erickson to film a commercial using the song.[2] The TV commercial, titled "Hilltop", was directed by Roberto Malenotti.[3] The ad cost $250,000, the most expensive commercial in history at that time.[4]
The first attempt at shooting was ruined by rain and other location problems.[5] The finished product, first aired in July 1971, featured a multicultural group of young people lip syncing the song on a hill in Manziana, outside Rome, Italy. The global unity of the singers is emphasized by showing that the bottles of Coke they are holding are labelled in a variety of languages. The South African government asked for a version of the commercial without the black actors. Coca Cola refused their request. The company later reduced its investment in that country with the (then) CEO saying "We have been reducing our investment in South Africa since 1976, and we have now decided to sell our remaining holdings in that country".[6]
Starting in 1983, for several years, the Christmas version, translated into Italian, was broadcast in Italy [1].
In the mid-1970s, another version of the commercial was filmed for the holiday season. This reworking featured the same song but showed the group at night, with each person holding a lit white candle. In the final zoom-out crane shot, only the candle flames remain visible, forming a triangle reminiscent of a Christmas tree; this impression is cemented by a Coke bottle logo superimposed at the top of the "tree", and the words "Happy Holidays from your Coca-Cola bottler" below. This version was reused for many years during the holiday season.[citation needed]
Yet another variation had a different ending, with Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters decorating a giant Christmas tree in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle before the establishing crane shot captures an animated Tinker Bell lighting it up with her wand.[citation needed]
In 1991, a follow-up to this commercial, called "Hilltop Reunion" and directed by Jeff Lovinger, aired during coverage of Super Bowl XXV. It featured the original singers (now adults) and their children, and culminated in a medley of this song and the then-current "Can't Beat the Real Thing" jingle.[7]
In 1996 the hilltop commercial was referenced in the rap lyrics of the "Get Real" Coca-Cola campaign.
G. Love remade the song for the Coca-Cola Zero commercial "Everybody Chill", which aired in 2005.[8]
In 2006, the song was used again in a Coca-Cola commercial in the Netherlands, performed by Dutch singer Berget Lewis.[9]
In 2010, Coca-Cola once again used the song in a television commercial featuring the entire line of its sponsored NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers. The commercial included the drivers singing the song while driving in a race.[10]
In 2011, information on how many dollars it would take "to buy the world a Coke" was given in a commercial featuring the red silhouette of a Coke bottle and the melody of the song.[11]
Significance and reception[edit]
In 2007, Campaign magazine called it "one of the best-loved and most influential ads in TV history".[12] It served as a milestone—the first instance of the recording industry's involvement with advertising.[13]
Marketing analysts have noted Coca-Cola's strategy of marrying the idea of happiness and universal love of the product illustrated by the song.[14][15]
The commercial has continued receiving accolades in more recent times. In 2000, Channel 4 and The Sunday Times ranked the song 16th in the 100 Greatest TV Ads,[16] while ITV ranked the advertisement 10th in their list of the greatest advertisements of all time by in 2005.[17]
Singles[edit]
The Hillside Singers[edit]
After the TV commercial aired, radio stations began to get calls from people who liked it. Billy Davis' friends in radio suggested he record the song, but not as an advertising jingle.[5] It became so popular that the song was rewritten without brand name references and expanded to three verses. Davis recruited a group of studio singers to take it on because The New Seekers did not have time to record it. The studio group named themselves The Hillside Singers to identify with the ad, and within two weeks the song was on the national charts. The Hillside Singers' version reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart. Billboard ranked this version as the No. 97 song for 1972.
The New Seekers[edit]
The New Seekers later recorded the song[2] and sold 96,000 copies of their record in one day, eventually selling 12 million total. "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" climbed to UK #1 and US #7 in 1971 and 1972. The song became a gold record in the U.S., and has also sold over a million copies in the UK.[18] The Coca-Cola Company waived royalties to the song and instead donated $80,000 in payments to UNICEF.[2] Billboard ranked this version as the No. 93 song for 1972.
Chart performance[edit]
New Seekers version[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
Chart (1971–72)
Peak
position
Australia 7
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[19] 3
New Zealand[20] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[21] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[22] 7
Year-end charts[edit]
Chart (1972)
Rank
Australia[23] 66
Canada 29
UK [24] 5
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[25] 93
Hillside Singers version[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
Chart (1971–72)
Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[26] 58
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[27] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[28] 13
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[29] 5
Year-end charts[edit]
Chart (1972)
Rank
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[25] 97
Covers and inspiration for other music[edit]
A Japanese version was recorded in 1972, 3 people would later become members of The Candies the following year.
The British rock band Oasis was sued after their recording "Shakermaker" borrowed its melody and some lyrics directly; they were forced to change their composition.[30]
Oasis tribute band No Way Sis released a cover of "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", entering the British charts at number 27 in 1996.
In 1997, the rock band Smash Mouth put a reference of the song in early lines of their first major single Walkin' on the Sun.
A version of the song was included in a Kidsongs video.[citation needed]
The VeggieTales covered the song on their album Bob and Larry Sing the 70's.[citation needed]
Gordon Webster recorded a live cover of the song on his 2013 album Live at Boston Swing Central.
In 2017, The Canadian vocal group The Tenors used parts of 'Teach the World' in the song "Santa's Wish (Teach the World)" on their Album 'Christmas Together'
In popular culture[edit]
The commercial was used as the final scene in the Mad Men series finale, "Person to Person" (airdate May 17, 2015), which was set in November 1970, at an oceanside spiritual retreat in California. Just before the commercial segment played, the series' long-troubled protagonist, Don Draper, was shown meditating, finally at peace with a smile on his face, on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and facing the morning sun. Some critics suggest that the episode implies, within the show's fictional universe, the character of Don Draper was responsible for the ad's concept.[31][32] Soon confirmation came from the actor playing Draper, Jon Hamm. He said that, in his view, the broadcast of the famous commercial was used to tell the audience that Draper had returned to McCann Erickson in New York City with his creative ability renewed, and he was responsible for producing the "Hilltop" ad campaign inspired by his experience in the California retreat.[33][34]
The song was also used in Jeremy Paxman's final edition of Newsnight in 2014.
See also[edit]
Advertising management
Brand management
"First Time" (Robin Beck song), which also came to prominence via a Coca-Cola TV commercial
Share a Coke - Coca-Cola Campaign running from 2010 - 2017
References[edit]
Jump up ^ The New Seekers: Buy The World a Coke (single release) at Discogs
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Ryan, Ted (2012-01-01). "The Making of Coca-Cola's "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" Ad". The Coca-Cola Company. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
Jump up ^ "Coca Cola "Hilltop"". Coloribus.
Jump up ^ Marlow Stern (18 May 2015). "Mad Men's Series Finale: Don Draper's Moment of Zen and the Betrayal of Peggy". The Daily Beast.
^ Jump up to: a b "Moving Image Research Center (Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division, Library of Congress)". Lcweb2.loc.gov. 2016-07-14. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
Jump up ^ Sing, Bill (18 September 1986). "Coca-Cola Acts to Cut All Ties With S. Africa". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
Jump up ^ Dale, Arden (December 22, 1989). "'Hilltop Reunion' has McCann and Coke Humming". Backstage.
Jump up ^ Williams, Damon C. (2005-06-16). "G. Love, Coke Zero take '71's 'Hilltop' to another level". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2015-03-29.
Jump up ^ "Berget Lewis, Biografie". Berget Lewis Music. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
Jump up ^ "Coke Nascar Harmony Ad". YouTube.
Jump up ^ "Coca-Cola – I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke (the story of Hilltop)". This is Not Advertising. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
Jump up ^ Hamilton, James; Tylee, John (May 18, 2007). "Ten ads that changed advertising". Campaign. p. 20.
Jump up ^ "All about ... Advertiser-funded music". Campaign. February 8, 2008. p. 15.
Jump up ^ Gieryn, Thomas F. (Spring 1987). "Science and Coca-Cola". Science & Technology Studies. 5 (1). pp. 12–31.
Jump up ^ Holbrook, Morris (July 1987). "Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall, What's Unfair in the Reflections on Advertising?". The Journal of Marketing. 51 (3). pp. 95–103.
Jump up ^ "100 Greatest TV Ads". UK TV Adverts. 2000.
Jump up ^ "Greatest advertisements of all time". thinkbox.TV. 2005. Archived from the original on 2009-03-05.
Jump up ^ Ami Sedghi (4 November 2012). "UK's million-selling singles: the full list". Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
Jump up ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5306." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
Jump up ^ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
Jump up ^ "New Seekers: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
Jump up ^ "The New Seekers Chart History (Hot 100)" Billboard.
Jump up ^ "Australian Chart Book". Austchartbook.com.au. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
Jump up ^ 1972_in_British_music#Best-selling_singles
^ Jump up to: a b "Top 100 Hits of 1972/Top 100 Songs of 1972". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
Jump up ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5329." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
Jump up ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 5294." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
Jump up ^ "Hillside Singers Chart History (Hot 100)" Billboard.
Jump up ^ "Hillside Singers Chart History (Adult Contemporary)" Billboard.
Jump up ^ Mundy, Chris (May 2, 1996). "Ruling Asses: Oasis". Rolling Stone. pp. 32–35, 68.
Jump up ^ Teti, John Teti. "Mad Men: 'Person To Person'". The A.V. Club. "The implication is that Don went back to the only home that would have him—McCann, where Peggy extended a perpetual welcome—and applied his newfound insights to launch an iconic Coke campaign"
Jump up ^ Sepinwall, Alan (May 18, 2015). "Series finale review: 'Mad Men' – 'Person to Person': I'd like to buy the world a Coke?". Hitfix. "If Don really traversed this great land of ours, threw away all the sigils of Don Draper-hood, learned of Betty's impending death and the shaky future of their three children, and finally heard someone articulate his own deepest feelings of unlovability, and he came out the other side having only acquired the inspiration needed to buy his way back into McCann(**) and write that Coke ad — and cutting straight from the look of pure bliss on Don's face to the ad, without giving us hints of anything else he might do upon returning to New York, suggests that this is the only thing that ultimately matters to him — then that is a very cynical and dark take on a man I wanted better from." "(**) During Peggy and Stan's phone call (about which I will have more to say in a bit), he tells her that Don will come back and be just fine like he always has in the past, and she later observes that Stan is always right."
Jump up ^ Begley, Sarah. "Jon Hamm Thinks There's a Correct Interpretation of the End of Mad Men: "Don Draper had a moment of meditative clarity that led to the iconic Coca-Cola jingle". Time.
Jump up ^ "Jon Hamm Talks About the 'Mad Men' Series Finale". The New York Times. May 18, 2015. "My [Hamm's] take is that, the next day, he wakes up in this beautiful place, and has this serene moment of understanding, and realizes who he is. And who he is, is an advertising man. And so, this thing [the Hilltop Coke ad] comes to him."
External links[edit]
Coca-Cola Company, The Making of 'I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke'
Lyrics: New Seekers, I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing
Brian Wolly (May 18, 2015). "American History Museum Scholar on the History of the "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" Advertisement". Smithsonian Magazine.
Preceded by
"Chiisana Koi" (ja) by Mari Amachi (ja) Japanese Oricon Singles Chart number-one single
(The New Seekers version)
April 10, 1972 Succeeded by
"Yoake no Teishaba" by Shouji Ishibashi (ja)
Preceded by
"Slaney Valley" by Larry Cunningham Irish Singles Chart number-one single
(The New Seekers version)
January 8, 1972 – January 15, 1972 Succeeded by
"Men Behind the Wire" by Barleycorn
Preceded by
"Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" by Benny Hill UK Singles Chart number-one single
(The New Seekers version)
January 8, 1972 (4 weeks) Succeeded by
"Telegram Sam" by T.Rex
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I%27d_Like_to_Teach_the_World_to_Sing_(In_Perfect_Harmony)&oldid=812107994"
Categories:
1971 singles
1972 singles
Advertising campaigns
Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Oricon Weekly number-one singles
Promotional campaigns by Coca-Cola
Songs against racism and xenophobia
Songs based on jingles
Songs written by Roger Cook (songwriter)
Songs written by Roger Greenaway
Super Bowl advertising
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
Hidden categories:
Articles with hAudio microformats
Wikipedia articles needing clarification from July 2016
All articles with unsourced statements
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Singlechart usages for Canadatopsingles
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1950s American automobile culture
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Tailfins gave a Space Age look to cars, and along with extensive use of chrome became commonplace by the end of the decade.
1950s American automobile culture has had an enduring influence on the culture of the United States, as reflected in popular music, major trends from the 1950s and mainstream acceptance of the "hot rod" culture. The American manufacturing economy switched from producing war-related items to consumer goods at the end of World War II, and by the end of the 1950s, one in six working Americans were employed either directly or indirectly in the automotive industry. The United States became the world's largest manufacturer of automobiles, and Henry Ford's goal of 30 years earlier—that any man with a good job should be able to afford an automobile—was achieved.[1] A new generation of service businesses focusing on customers with their automobiles sprang up during the decade, including drive-through or drive-in restaurants and more drive-in theaters (cinemas).
The decade began with 25 million registered automobiles on the road, most of which predated World War II and were in poor condition; no automobiles or parts were produced during the war owing to rationing and restrictions. By 1950, most factories had made the transition to a consumer-based economy, and more than 8 million cars were produced that year alone. By 1958, there were more than 67 million cars registered in the United States, more than twice the number at the start of the decade.[2]
As part of the U.S. national defenses, to support military transport, the National Highway System was expanded with Interstate highways, beginning in 1955, across many parts of the United States. The wider, multi-lane highways allowed traffic to move at faster speeds, with few or no stoplights on the way. The wide-open spaces along the highways became a basis for numerous billboards showing advertisements.
The dawning of the Space Age and Space Race were reflected in contemporary American automotive styling. Large tailfins,[3] flowing designs reminiscent of rockets, and radio antennas that imitated Sputnik 1 were common, owing to the efforts of design pioneers such as Harley Earl.[4]
Contents
[hide]
1 Interstate Highway System
2 Suburbanization
2.1 Decline of the inner city
3 Women's rights
4 Motorsports
4.1 Hot rodding
4.2 Drag racing
4.3 NASCAR
5 New business models
5.1 Faster food
5.2 Drive-in movies
5.3 Malls
5.4 Aftermarket
5.5 Distribution
5.6 Muscle cars
6 Songs celebrating the automobile
7 See also
8 References
8.1 Citations
8.2 Bibliography
9 External links
Interstate Highway System[edit]
The proposed Interstate Highway System in 1955
Main article: Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (commonly called the Interstate system or simply the Interstate) is a network of freeways that forms a part of the National Highway System of the United States. While serving as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, Eisenhower had gained an appreciation of the German Autobahn network as an essential component of a national defense system, providing transport routes for military supplies and troop deployments.[5] Construction was authorized by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, and the original portion was completed 35 years later. The system has contributed in shaping the United States into a world economic superpower and a highly industrialized nation.[6]
The Interstate grew quickly, along with the automobile industry, allowing a new-found mobility that permeated ways of American life and culture. The automobile and the Interstate became the American symbol of individuality and freedom,[7] and, for the first time, automobile buyers accepted that the automobile they drove indicated their social standing and level of affluence. It became a statement of their personality and an extension of their self-concepts.[8]
Suburbanization[edit]
The United States' investment in infrastructure such as highways and bridges coincided with the increasing availability of cars more suited to the higher speeds that better roads made possible, allowing people to live beyond the confines of major cities, and instead commute to and from work.[9]
Levittown c. 1959
After World War II, land developers began to buy land just outside the city limits of larger cities to build mass quantities of inexpensive tract houses.[10] One of the first examples of planned suburbanization is Levittown, Pennsylvania, which was developed by William Levitt beginning in 1951 as a suburb of Philadelphia.[2] The promise of their own single-family home on their own land,[11] together with a free college education and low-interest loans given to returning soldiers to purchase homes under the G.I. Bill, drove demand for new homes to an unprecedented level. Additionally, 4 million babies were born every year during the 1950s. By the end of the baby boom era in 1964, almost 77 million "baby boomers" had been born,[10] fueling the need for more suburban housing, and automobiles to commute them to and from the city centers for work and shopping.
By the end of the 1950s, one-third of Americans lived in the suburbs. Eleven of the United States's twelve largest cities recorded a declining population during the decade, with a consequent loss in tax revenues and city culture. Only Los Angeles, a center for the car culture, gained population.[12] Economist Richard Porter commented that "The automobile made suburbia possible, and the suburbs made the automobile essential."[13]
Decline of the inner city[edit]
More people joined the middle class in the 1950s, with more money to spend, and the availability of consumer goods expanded along with the economy, including the automobile.[10] Americans were spending more time in their automobiles and viewing them as an extension of their identity, which helped to fuel a boom in automobile sales.[7] Most businesses directly or indirectly related to the auto industry saw tremendous growth during the decade. New designs and innovations appealed to a generation tuned into fashion and glamour,[8] and the new-found freedom and way of life in the suburbs had several unforeseen consequences for the inner cities. The 1950s saw the beginning of white flight and urban sprawl, driven by increasing automobile ownership. Many local and national transportation laws encouraged suburbanization, which in time ended up damaging the cities economically.[14]
Auto-related magazines became common in the 1950s
As more middle-class and affluent people fled the city to the relative quiet and open spaces of the suburbs, the urban centers deteriorated and lost population.[15] At the same time that cities were experiencing a lower tax base due to the flight of higher income earners, pressures from The New Deal forced them to offer pensions and other benefits, increasing the average cost of benefits per employee by 1,629 percent. This was in addition to hiring an average of 20 percent more employees to serve the ever shrinking cities.[15] More Americans were driving cars and fewer were using public transportation, and it was not practical to extend to the suburbs.[13] At the same time, the number of surface roads exploded to serve the ever-increasing numbers of individually owned cars, further burdening city and country resources. During this time, the perception of using public transportation turned more negative. In what is arguably the most extreme example, Detroit, the fifth largest city in the United States in 1950 with 1,849,568 residents,[16] had shrunk to 706,585 by 2010,[17] a reduction of 62 percent.
In some instances, the automotive industry and others were directly responsible for the decline of public transportation.[13] The Great American streetcar scandal saw GM, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California, Phillips Petroleum, Mack Trucks and other companies purchase a number of streetcars and electric trains in the 1930s and 1940s, such that 90 percent of city trolleys had been dismantled by 1950. It was argued that this was a deliberate destruction of streetcars as part of a larger strategy to push the United States into automobile dependency.[18] In United States v. National City Lines, Inc., many were found guilty of antitrust violations.[19] The story has been explored several times in print, film and other media, for example in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Taken for a Ride and The End of Suburbia.
Women's rights[edit]
The automobile unions played a leading role in advancing the cause of women's rights. In 1955, the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) organized the UAW Women's Department to strengthen women's role in the union and encourage participation in the union's elected bodies.[20] In a move that was met with some hostility by Teamsters leaders, the U.S. Division of Transport Personnel had in 1943 instructed Teamsters Union officials that women should be allowed full employment as truck drivers. That proved to be only a temporary wartime measure,[21] but a change of heart among Teamsters leadership by the mid-1950s led to the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Women in the auto industry were considered leaders in the movement for women's rights.[22]
Motorsports[edit]
Hot rodding[edit]
Main article: Hot rod
The increasing popularity of hot rodding cars (modifying them to increase performance) is reflected in part by the creation of special-interest magazines catering to this culture. Hot Rod is the oldest such magazine, with first editor Wally Parks[23], and founded by Robert E. Petersen in 1948, with original publication by his Petersen Publishing Company.[23] Hot Rod has licensed affiliation with Universal Technical Institute.[24]
Hot rod
The relative abundance and inexpensive nature of the Ford Model T and other cars from the 1920s to 1940s helped fuel the hot rod culture that developed, which was focused on getting the most linear speed out of these older automobiles. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear, but the culture blossomed in the post-war culture of the 1950s.[25]
Hot Rod magazine's November 1950 cover announced the first hot rod to exceed 200 mph. The hand-crafted car used an Edelbrock-built Mercury flathead V8 and set the record at the Bonneville Salt Flats.[26] This 30,000-acre (47 sq mi) region[27] has been called the "Holy Grail of American Hot Rodding", and is often used for land speed racing, a tradition that grew rapidly in the 1950s and continues today.[28]
Hot rodding was about more than raw power. Kustom Kulture started in the 1950s,[29] when artists such as Von Dutch transformed automobile pin striping from a seldom-used accent that followed the lines of the car into a freestyle art form. Von Dutch was as famous for his "flying eyeball"[29] as he was for his intricate spider-web designs.[30] As the decade began, hand-drawn pin striping was almost unheard of, but by 1958 it had become a popular method of customizing the looks of the hot rod.[30] As the decade progressed, hot rodding became a popular hobby for a growing number of teenagers as the sport literally came to Main Street.[31]
Drag racing[edit]
Drag racing has existed since the first cars, but it was not until the 1950s that it started to become mainstream, beginning with Santa Ana Drags, the first drag strip in the United States.[32] The strip was founded by C. J. "Pappy" Hart, Creighton Hunter and Frank Stillwell at the Orange County Airport auxiliary runway in southern California, and was operational from 1950 until June 21, 1959.[33]
Hot Rod editor Wally Parks created the National Hot Rod Association in 1951, and it is still the largest governing body in the popular sport.[32] As of October 2012[update], there are at least 139 professional drag strips operational in the United States.[34] One of the most powerful racing fuels ever developed is nitromethane, which dramatically debuted as a racing fuel in 1950, and continues as the primary component used in Top Fuel drag racing today.[35]
NASCAR[edit]
NASCAR winner "The Fabulous Hudson Hornet"
Main article: NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the second most popular spectator sports in the United States behind the National Football League (NFL).[36] It was incorporated on February 21, 1948, by Bill France, Sr. and built its roots in the 1950s.[37] Two years later in 1950 the first asphalt "superspeedway", Darlington Speedway, was opened in South Carolina, and the sport saw dramatic growth during the 1950s.[37] Because of the tremendous success of Darlington, construction began of a 2.5-mile, high-banked superspeedway near Daytona Beach, which is still in use.[37]
The Cup Series was started in 1949, with Jim Roper winning the first series.[37] By 2008, the most prestigious race in the series, the Daytona 500 had attracted more than 17 million television viewers.[38] Dynasties were born in the 1950s with racers like Lee Petty (father of Richard Petty, grandfather of Kyle Petty) and Buck Baker (father of Buddy Baker).
NASCAR, and stock car racing in general, has its roots in bootlegging during Prohibition.[39] Junior Johnson was one of many bootleggers who took part in the sport during the 1950s, equally well known for his arrest in 1955 for operating his father's moonshine still as he is for his racing success.[40] He ended up spending a year in an Ohio prison,[41] but soon returned to the sport before retiring as a driver in 1966.[39]
New business models[edit]
See also: Drive-through
Faster food[edit]
Drive-ins take orders over an intercom system, with a carhop accepting payment and delivering the order on a tray that attaches to the car window.
As more Americans began driving cars, entirely new categories of businesses came into being to allow them to enjoy their products and services without having to leave their cars. This includes the drive-in restaurant, and later the drive-through window. Even into the 2010s, the Sonic Drive-In restaurant chain has provided primarily drive-in service by carhop in 3,561 restaurants within 43 U.S. states, serving approximately 3 million customers per day.[42][43] Known for its use of carhops on roller skates, the company annually hosts a competition to determine the top skating carhop in its system.[44]
A number of other successful "drive up" businesses have their roots in the 1950s, including McDonald's (expanded c. 1955), which had no dine-in facilities, requiring customers to park and walk up to the window, taking their order "to go". Automation and the lack of dining facilities allowed McDonald's to sell burgers for 15 cents each, instead of the typical 35 cents, and people were buying them by the bagful. By 1948, they had fired their carhops, installed larger grills, reduced their menu and radically changed the industry by introducing assembly-line methods of food production, similar to the auto industry, dubbing it the "Speedee Service System".[45] They redesigned their sign specifically to make it easier to see from the road, creating the now familiar yellow double-arch structure.[46] Businessman Ray Kroc joined McDonald's as a franchise agent in 1955. He subsequently purchased the chain from the McDonald brothers and oversaw its worldwide growth.[47]
Other chains were created to serve the increasingly mobile patron. Carl Karcher opened his first Carl's Jr. in 1956, and rapidly expanded, locating his restaurants near California's new freeway off-ramps.[48] These restaurant models initially relied on the new and ubiquitous ownership of automobiles, and the willingness of patrons to dine in their automobiles. As of 2013[update], drive-through service account for 65 percent of their profits.[49]
Drive-in movies[edit]
Main article: Drive-in theater
The drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles, where patrons view the movie from the comfort of their cars and listen via an electric speaker placed at each parking spot.
Drive-in theater just before the movie starts
Although drive-in movies first appeared in 1933,[50] it was not until well after the post-war era that they became popular, enjoying their greatest success in the 1950s, reaching a peak of more than 4,000 theaters in the United States alone.[51][52] Drive-in theaters have been romanticized in popular culture with the movie American Graffiti and Grease and the television series Happy Days. They developed a reputation for showing B movies, typically monster or horror films, and as "passion pits", a place for teenagers to make out.[52] While drive-in theaters are rarer today with only 366 remaining[51] and no longer unique to America, they are still associated as part of the 1950s' American car culture.[53] Drive-in movies have seen somewhat of a resurgence in popularity in the 21st century, due in part to baby boomer nostalgia.[52][unreliable source]
Robert Schuller started the nation's first drive-in church in 1955 in Garden Grove, California. After his regular 9:30 am service in the chapel four miles away, he would travel to the drive-in for a second Sunday service.[54] Worshipers listened to his sermon from the comfort of their cars, using the movie theater's speaker boxes.[55]
Malls[edit]
Southdale Center in 2009
The first modern shopping malls were built in the 1950s,[56] such as Bergen Mall, which was the first to use the term "mall" to describe the business model. Other early malls moved retailing away from the dense, commercial downtowns into the largely residential suburbs. Northgate in Seattle is credited as being the first modern mall design, with two rows of businesses facing each other and a walkway separating them. It opened in 1950. Shopper's World in Framingham, Massachusetts, was the two-story mall, and opened a year later.[56] The design was modified again in 1954 when Northland Center in Detroit, Michigan, used a centralized design with an anchor store in the middle of the mall, ringed by other stores. This was the first mall to have the parking lot completely surrounding the shopping center, and to provide central heat and air-conditioning.[56]
In 1956, Southdale Center opened in Edina, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. It was the first to combine all these modern elements, being enclosed with a two-story design, central heat and air-conditioning plus a comfortable common area. It also featured two large department stores as anchors. Most industry professionals consider Southdale Center to be the first modern regional mall.[56]
This formula (enclosed space with stores attached, away from downtown and accessible only by automobile) became a popular way to build retail across the world. Victor Gruen, one of the pioneers in mall design,[57] came to abhor this effect of his new design; he decried the creation of enormous "land wasting seas of parking" and the spread of suburban sprawl.[58]
Aftermarket[edit]
The 1950s jump started an industry of aftermarket add-ons for cars that continues today. The oldest aftermarket wheel company, American Racing, started in 1956 and still builds "mag wheels" (alloy wheels) for almost every car made.[59] Holley introduced the first modular four-barrel carburetor, which Ford offered in the 1957 Ford Thunderbird,[60] and versions are still used by performance enthusiasts. Edelbrock started during the Great Depression and expanded after the war. They provided a variety of high performance parts for the new hot rodders, which was popular equipment for setting speed records at Bonneville Salt Flats.[61] Owners were no longer restricted to the original equipment provided by manufacturers, helping not only create the hot rod culture[62] but also the foundation for cosmetic modifications. The creation and rapid expansion of the aftermarket made it possible for enthusiasts to personalize their automobiles.[63]
Distribution[edit]
Crosley autos were sold in a number of appliance stores in the early 1950s.
Most new cars were sold through automobile dealerships in the 1950s, but Crosley automobiles were still on sale at any number of appliance or department stores,[64][65] and Allstate (a rebadged Henry J) could be ordered at any Sears and Roebuck in 1952 and 1953.[66] By mid-decade, these outlets had vanished and the automobile dealer became the sole source of new automobiles.
Starting in the mid-1950s, new car introductions in the fall once again became an anticipated event, as all dealers would reveal the models for the upcoming year each October. In this era before the popularization of computerization, the primary source of information on new models was the dealer.[67] The idea was originally suggested in the 1930s by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression, as a way of stimulating the economy by creating demand. The idea was reintroduced by President Dwight Eisenhower for the same reasons, and this method of introducing next year's models in the preceding autumn lasted well into the 1990s.[67]
During the decade, many smaller manufacturers could not compete with the Big Three and either went out of business[68] or merged. In 1954, American Motors was formed when Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation in a deal worth almost $200 million, the largest corporate merger in United States history at that time.[69]
Muscle cars[edit]
The muscle-car era is deeply rooted in the 1950s,[70] although there is some debate as to the exact beginning. The 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88, created in response to public interest in speed and power, is often cited as the first muscle car. It featured America's first high-compression overhead valve V8 in the smaller, lighter Oldsmobile 76/Chevy body for six-cylinder engines (as opposed to bigger Olds 98 luxury body).[71] Old Cars Weekly claims it started with the introduction of the original Chrysler "Firepower" hemi V8 engine in 1951,[72] while others such as Hot Rod magazine consider the first overhead valve engine by Chevrolet, the 265 cid V8, as the "heir apparent to Ford flathead's position as the staple of racing", in 1955.[73] The "small block Chevy" itself developed its own subculture that exists today.[74] Other contenders include the 1949 Oldsmobile V8 engine, the first in a long line of such powerful V8 engines,[75][76] as well as the Cadillac V8 of the same year.[77]
Regardless how it is credited, the horsepower race centered around the V8 engine[70][78] and the muscle-car era lasted until new smog regulations forced dramatic changes in OEM engine design in the early 1970s. This in turn opened up new opportunities for aftermarket manufacturers like Edelbrock.[73] Each year brought larger engines and/or increases in horsepower,[79] providing a catalyst for customers to upgrade to newer models. Automobile executives also deliberately updated the body designs yearly, in the name of "planned obsolescence"[80][81] and added newly developed or improved features such as automatic transmissions, power steering, power brakes and cruise control, in an effort to make the previous models seem outdated and facilitate the long drive from the suburbs.[79] Record sales made the decade arguably the "golden era" of automobile manufacturing.[82]
Harley Earl and Bill France Sr. popularized the saying "Race on Sunday, sell on Monday",[83] a mantra still heard today in motorsports, particularly within NASCAR. During the muscle-car era, manufacturers not only sponsored the drivers, but designed stock cars specifically to compete in the fast-growing and highly popular sport.[70]
Songs celebrating the automobile[edit]
As the automobile became more and more an extension of the individual, it was natural for this to be reflected in popular culture. America's love affair with the automobile was most evident in the music of the era.
"Rocket 88" was first recorded in 1951 and originally credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, although it was later discovered to be the work of Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm. It is often credited as the first rock and roll song ever produced[84] and has been covered by other artists.
"Hot Rod Lincoln" was first recorded in 1955 by Charlie Ryan,[85][86] and has since been recorded by Roger Miller and others.[87] The 1960 Johnny Bond version charted at number 26 on Billboard Hot 100. Comedian Jim Varney produced a version with Ricky Skaggs for the motion picture The Beverly Hillbillies.[88] The song is still a popular live song for artists such as Asleep at the Wheel[89] and Junior Brown.[90]
"Maybellene", released by Chuck Berry in 1955, is an uptempo rocker describing a hot rod race between a jilted lover and his unfaithful girlfriend. It was a #5 hit and was described by Rolling Stone as the starting point of rock and roll guitar.[91]
"Wake Up Little Susie" recorded by The Everly Brothers, reached number one on the Billboard Pop chart, despite having been banned from Boston radio stations for lyrics about elaborating "our reputation is shot" because the narrator and his date slept through a drive-through movie date and missed their curfew by six hours.[92]
"Teen Angel" was released in 1959 and initially met with resistance by radio stations because of its dark message about a young girl who dies in an automobile/train accident.
Other songs recorded during the decade also reflect the automobile's place in American culture, such as "Brand New Cadillac", Sonny Burgess's "Thunderbird" and Bo Diddley's "Cadillac". A 1955 Oldsmobile was celebrated in the nostalgic "Ol' '55" by Tom Waits (1973).
See also[edit]
Cars portal
Culture portal
History portal
Motorsport portal
United States portal
American automobile industry in the 1950s
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1952
List of car crash songs
List of defunct automobile manufacturers of the United States
History of the automobile
Timeline of motor vehicle brands
Cruising
Elvis' Pink Cadillac
General Motors Motorama
References[edit]
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Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "A Man Like Me: The Early Years of Roger Miller". AllMusic. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
Jump up ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Original Soundtrack — The Beverly Hillbillies". AllMusic. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Asleep at the Wheel — Hot Rod Lincoln". Allmusic. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Bellys Up". marqueehq.com. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Maybellene". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 1, 2007.
Jump up ^ "Wake Up Little Susie: The Everly Brothers : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone.
Bibliography[edit]
Dauvergne, Peter (2008). The Shadows of Consumption: Consequences for the Global Environment. MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-04246-8.
Dregni, Michael; Williams, Robert (2010). The All-American Hot Rod: The Cars, the Legends, the Passion. MotorBooks International. ISBN 978-0-7603-3828-5.
Genat, Robert; Cox, Don; Parks, Wally (2003). The Birth of Hot Rodding: The Story of the Dry Lakes Era. MotorBooks International. ISBN 978-0-7603-1303-9.
Gunnell, John (2004). Standard Guide To 1950s American Cars. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87349-868-5.
Lucsko, David N. (2008). The Business of Speed: The Hot Rod Industry in America, 1915–1990. JHU Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8990-5.
Menzer, Joe (2001). The Wildest Ride: A History of NASCAR. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-0507-8.
Sanders, Don; Sanders, Susan (August 1, 2003). The American Drive-In Movie Theater. MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7603-1707-5.
Schlosser, Eric (2001). Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. First Mariner Books. ISBN 978-0-547-75033-0.
Weiss, H. Eugene (2003). Chrysler, Ford, Durant, and Sloan: Founding Giants of the American Automotive Industry. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-1611-0.
Genat, Robert; Newhardt, David (2007). American Cars of the 1950s. Motorbooks, MBI Publishing Company, LLC. ISBN 978-0-7603-3230-6.
External links[edit]
Hot Rod magazine covers from the 1950s
The old car manual project
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