American Bandstand

Categories: Did You Know|Published On: April 1, 2005|Views: 7|

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For a show that started on a local station in Philly, American
Bandstand
boasts a pretty impressive record. After all, the show went on to
launch the careers on the bulk of U.S. pop acts during the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.

Targeting a teen audience, the show gave rise to the voices and opinions
of the country’s younger population, proving them a viable and conscientious
consumer market. To show their appreciation, teens were fiercely loyal to the
program, purchasing records by the bands who appeared thereon and hosting their
own dance parties while watching the show from their several homes.

To
further secure its place in the bedrock of American popular culture, the show
proved itself able to avoid with the changing sociopolitical climate outside its
colorful studio. Bandstand maintained its integrated format of musicians
and dancers throughout the civil rights movement, and while it didn’t delve
deeply or even verbally into many of the issues confronting the nation, it did
allow for a balance of beliefs, as some of its performers supported and some
opposed the war in Vietnam.

Bandstand survived acid rock and
disco, continuing to air until 1989, making it one of the longest-running TV
series in our history. NBC’s period drama, American Dreams, pays homage
to the program by making the show a sort of character in its ensemble cast and
using vintage black and white footage of the program throughout its
episodes.

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