Y
1956
1956 in British Music
Elvis arrives, skiffle explodes, and British teenagers will never be the same again.
Key Events
- •Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel' hits UK — a new kind of star is born
- •Lonnie Donegan's skiffle hits spark a thousand washboard bands across Britain
- •Tommy Steele becomes Britain's first homegrown teen idol with 'Rock With the Caveman'
Dominant Genres
Rock & RollSkifflePopJazz
Notable Trends
- →The British teenager is invented as a cultural and consumer identity
- →Skiffle groups form in every school, church hall, and youth club
- →The BBC begins to acknowledge youth music beyond Light Programme fare