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Rise of the Greasers
Elvis Presely- Jailhouse RockGreasers were a popular youth subculture in the United States that originated in the 1950s. Typical greasers wore t shirts, blue jeans, leather jackets and had their hair held by wax or pomade. This was when the word, ‘teenager’ came to existence, as there was an abundance of adolescent baby boomers during this decade. The introduction of Rock and Roll music genre in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s heavily influenced this subculture. The styles of greasers were inspired by several singers and a -
British Mods
Typical Mod MusicAfter WWII, and British culture went through a period in which traditional values and conformity were emphasized. The British mod subculture emerged as a way of rebellion. The characteristics of the mod subculture completely contrasted tradition British culture, as mods struggled to escape the oppressiveness of morals and British post-war culture. This subculture originates from the early 1960’s and it focuses on fashion, art and music. Initially, the mod culture consisted or style-conscious wo -
Hippies
Janis Joplin- Piece of My HeartMany middle class young adults from the 1950’s found it hard to conform to the expectations of society. Society’s values and the war that was developing in Vietnam were factors that influenced the creation of the hippie culture. From the mid to late 1960’s young people expressed their desires of peach and personal freedom, and the hippie subculture emerged. Hippies were bonded by their mutual feelings against war and acted as an antithesis to other prevalent cultures during this decade. Characte -
Punk Rock
Dead Kennedys- California Uber Alles
Punk rock is a subculture that originates from the mid 1970s. Punk rock culture, much like hippie culture, began as an antithesis to the materialistic culture that was prevalent during that time. Punk ideology was concerned with anti-authoritarianism, individualism, anti-consumerism, free thought and direct action. Many literary movements helped form punk subculture. Charles Dickens’ themes of working class politics heavily influence British Punk. In fact, George Orwell’s dystopian novel Ninete -
Valley Girl
Frank Zappa-Valley GirlThe Valley Girl subculture of the 1980’s reflected the incessant materialism of individuals belonging to Generation X. This subculture started in the suburban San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. It was formally named after Frank Zappa recorded the song title ‘Valley Girl’ in 1981. While the purpose of the song was to parody this subculture, it influenced valley girls and created new slang terms that would be used during this time period. The typical stereotype of valley girls were confident, spo -
Grunge
Bikini Kill- Rebel GirlGrunge subculture was formed around grunge music, which first originated in the late 80s. This subculture was an alternative culture that became mainstream in the early 1990’s with the success of bands like Nirvana, Hole, Sonic Youth, etc. Members of the grunge subculture were also known as ‘slackers’, due to the cynical view that was common amongst Generation X. Grunge style contrasted the well kept image of the 1960’s mods, as it was common to wear torn jeans, scrudded converse, old plaid shi -
Emo
My Chemical Romance-I'm Not OkayEmo, or emotional music, developed into a youth subculture in the North America in the mid 2000’s. This subculture is specifically tied to emo music, a genre characterized by emotional, usually introspective lyrics that may produce feelings of vulnerability and sadness. Clothing of that is considered to be typical of emo subculture is black, student with hints of neon colour. The appearance of individuals from this subculture is characterized by colourfully dyed hair, dark makeup for both gender -
Hipsters
Dr. Dog- LonesomeHipsters are an international subculture that consists of millenials residing in urban areas. The hipster subculture originated in the 1940’s when groups known as the hipster rallied against normalcy. Hipsters then, much like now, rejected social norms and focused on enjoying music and differentiating themselves from the upper classes. Hipsters today are associated with indie and alternative music and are described as affluent of middle class Bohemians. Hipsters are characterized by their vintag
