The 1950′s would prove to be a melting pot of music like never before. Diversity was the state of affairs for this thriving nation and individuality would take center stage. This was the era that saw Rock and Roll music rise to supremacy, but it certainly did not stand-alone. Blues and R&B topped the charts with artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Muddy Waters and B.B. King. With The Great Depression and WWII behind them, middle-class Americans of the 1950′s were once again buying houses, cars, and lots and lots of records.

The 1950′s would prove to be a melting pot of music like never before. Diversity was the state of affairs for this thriving nation and individuality would take center stage. This was the era that saw Rock and Roll music rise to supremacy, but it certainly did not stand-alone. Blues and R&B topped the charts with artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Muddy Waters and B.B. King. Country and Western Music saw the rise of icons such as, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Hank Williams. Gospel, rockabilly, pop, jazz and swing were still hanging strong. This was the decade that saw the major crossover of genres. Greats like Mario Lanza and Elvis Presley were some of the most successful crossover artists. Lanza first known for his classical style music topped the billboard charts in the 1950′s with his pop hit, Be My Love. The king of the crossover as well as the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley crossed over several genres of music, including country, gospel and blues.

So what happened to the chart toppers of the 1940′s like Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Perry Como and Bing Crosby? Well, the 1950′s were good to them as well. There was something for everyone and apparently enough to go around. The “crooners” of the previous decade were still going strong, especially in the early part of the decade.

A new consumer arrived on the scene in the mid 1950′s, and that changed the face of music forever. Teenagers were becoming the biggest record buyers and record companies were shifting their focus to this younger generation. These youngsters were not only tuning into radios at home but also in their cars. Radio D.J.’s were enjoying a celebrity level of success as well as the artists they promoted.

Poodle skirts and rolled up jeans replaced the straight skirt and suit and ties of the 1940′s and has since been identified with the Rock and Roll phenomenon of the 1950′s. New dances were introduced during this time. The ‘Twist’ and the ‘Jitterbug’ were taking America by storm. Chubby Checker helped popularize the ‘Twist’ with his hit of the same name. Televisions American Bandstand began its tenure in the 1950′s where these dances were showcased and became the rage of American teens.

New radio stations were popping up all across America. Rolling across the dial would allow you to tune into whatever genre you so desired. The early fifties served up feel good, wholesome lyrics to a Post War nation with squeaky-clean melodies from artists such as Pat Boone, Rosemary Clooney, Perry Como and Dinah Shore.

By the end of this decade we would be listening to a much different style of music from demonstrative musicians like Elvis Presley and Little Richard. It wasn’t so much that the lyrics were bold or rebellious; it was the style in which they were delivered that sent parents into such disapproving shock. Prior to the 1950′s, teenagers listened to the same music as their parents but with the introduction of Rock and Roll, kids were choosing their own music and forming their own ideals.

Rock & Roll probably stands out as the most defining genre of the decade but there is no purity in the genre itself. Its origins are a mixture of music styles that existed long before it came on the scene. Fortunately, American culture has continued to diversify and each genre that has existed since the early 1900′s has been sustained through freedom of expression. Artists that celebrate the various genres and lend their talents to each new generation satisfy the diversified musical appetites.

Each style of music speaks to a group of people. It moves them and serves to identify them with a time in history. Music tells the story of people, whether living in a time of war or peace, prosperity or poverty, self-expression or conformity. From its recordable beginnings, there is one theme that has been consistent however, and that is the expression of love. For centuries man has sung about longing for it, losing it, or gaining it.

Universal and timeless, no matter the instrument or the beat, the theme of love seems to be the crossover that everyone can relate to, and the 1950′s were no exception.

Darrell Berg-Smith, CEO of The Asian Regional Impact Initiative, is a professional speaker, author, consultant and entrepreneur who specializes in advising on Corporate Social Responsibility programs and cause marketing resources to NGO’s and companies worldwide.

Darrell is also the founder of the Doctors For Cambodia Initiative and The Asian Regional Cancer Initiative… Non Profit Organisation working throughout South East Asia. They are always looking for new talented artists to help advance their career through cause marketing arrangements with the Initiatives.

What is a record company? Basically, a record company is a business responsible for putting out music. Typically, they are the ones who sign on new acts then help them create their records and get those records out to the fans. Learn all you can about the record label business before you actually start.

What does a record company do? The record company might also help with tours and will work with the bands management to do promotions, marketing, and more in an effort to help the band create a solid reputation and a strong fan base. Most of record companies also have a label under which they release their music. Some of the larger firms have multiple labels to represent different genres.

One of the first challenges of starting a record company is going to be money. Setting up a record company does require some capital. Now the best way to do this is to hit up potential investors, including other music lovers, friends, family members or take out a bank loan to get started.

A second challenge is finding acts to work with and if you are already in a band, you probably have at least one customer. Regardless of your musician status, you should start going to as many local performances as possible to look for talent. Do not just work with anyone because you need to establish a reputation for high-quality entertainment if you are going to be taken seriously.

Before you start, the many things you will need to know in advance is that having a record company can be a lot of work. You are going to be doing a lot of work, and you will not see much in terms of an investment return for a long time. You should also realize that digital distribution is a good way to get the music to the masses but you will also have to spend a lot of money setting up a site where you can do this.

If you go through the online music stores, you will be lucky to earn a few pennies each time a song is purchased. And that is even if you can get into their stores. These days musicians have to work very hard to earn money for their music. You also must legally protect your compositions or songs through copyright. You do not want someone to ‘rip you off’ and take credit for your original music. If you are not recording your own music but want to promote others’ music, they must also find out how to protect their original songs.

The best way to be successful is to start networking with people who can help you early on. For example, if you cozy up to someone in music distribution, you might have an easier time getting your acts taken seriously and introduced to a wider audience. You will also need relationships with studios that might cut you a break on the charges of recording the albums, and you will probably want to start getting to know some of the local agents who could alert you to rising talent in the area if you want to promote other artists besides yourself.