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Who Are Some Pop Culture Icons Of The 1950's? We look at popular pop stars, movie actors and style icons of the 1950s.

Pop Culture of the 1950s

During the 1950s, teenagers and young Americans found themselves with a greater amount of money than their parents ever had. This allowed them to enjoy the consumer boom occurring in the country. 

Due to their increased capacity for leisure activities, they had a monumental impact on the popular culture of their day. Through what they bought and consumed, the Baby Boomer generation shaped the cultural landscape of the decade.  

What Movies Did People Watch in the 1950s?

One of the main ways these young people influenced their popular culture was through the movies they enjoyed.

While T.V. sets had somewhat supplanted movie theatres as the main form of entertainment enjoyed by American families, with television shows like The Mickey Mouse Club, Ed Sulivan Show, Lone Ranger, American Bandstand, and other Cold War staples such as game shows, Hollywood and the wider film industry still enjoyed incredible popularity throughout the 50s.

Not only did the public shape what movies were made through their attendance, but the movies themselves also managed to influence the public. Stars like James Dean, Sofia Loren, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Lucille Ball and Marilyn Monroe were the biggest names in the industry and, therefore, greatly influenced the style of the 1950s. Alongside the stars, technological innovations also made huge leaps during this decade.

From CinemaScope to 3-D, movies were becoming more and more sophisticated as they became increasingly popular. Drive-in movie theatres also became the number one place for families, friends and teenage sweethearts to hang out in the evenings.

Some of the most popular movies, and winners of numerous Academy Awards of the 1950s, included:

What Songs Were Most Popular in the 1950s?

It was during the 1950s that popular music also started to gain traction. While few musical genres besides Jazz music had captured the attention of global audiences before, new sounds with A-list stars like Elvis performing them pushed music to a whole new level of popularity.

They were so much in demand that sought-after musicians could find themselves performing every single day of the year. Alongside the burgeoning mega-genre that was Rock n Roll, other forms of music remained incredibly popular throughout the decade.

From folk music to solo classical players, Elvis Presley to Andre Kostelanetz, every type of musical taste was catered for whenever you wanted to hear them. However, by the end of the 50s, Rock and Roll was the clear winner, and it paved the way for every type of popular music rebelling against adult authority for the next 70 years.

Some of the most popular music of the 1950s included hits such as:

Biggest 1950s fashion style moments

Popular fashion is constantly changing year to year, but the shift in style from the 1940s to the 1950s was one of the most radical of the 20th-century. While stylish silhouettes could only be bought in boutique salons and professional tailor shops before, the Post-war boom in hardwearing synthetic fabrics and quicker production methods meant that increasing numbers of people could look good and follow the latest fashion trends.

This finally meant that chic style wasn't something only the rich and wealthy could afford. Fashion moved into the streets, and working-class people found themselves looking sharper and more beautiful than ever before. Of course, the 50s would only be topped ten years later in the incredible fashion of the 1960s, but seeing as the Baby Boomers were the first to try out these newly accessible and popular fashions, they didn't do too badly.

However, the big names were still killing it at the top of the fashion game. It also became something of a sport to keep up with the latest fashion icons, which were usually the biggest movie stars like Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot or Audrey Hepburn. These icons were at the forefront of the latest fashions, allowing designers to try out new ideas on the perfect models. From bikinis to the "I.T." bag to Dior's "New Look", the fashion industry of the 1950s was tirelessly progressive.

Some notable fashions icons and clothing styles of the 1950s included:

Christian Dior

While Dior's New Look designs actually came about in 1947, his silhouettes became the defining style of 1950s fashion throughout the world. Upgrading women's wardrobes from the stuffiness of the war years, the New Look helped women celebrate their feminity in a beautifully stylish way. With round shoulders, tight waists and wide skirts, women in Dior's designs looked timelessly chic. 

Chanel

Coco had already made a name for herself in Paris through the 1920s and 1930s. But while her established name wasn't the freshest thing on the market, and with the majority of the globe putting itself back together after World War II, Coco Chanel proved why she was worthy to sit amongst the world's greatest designers in the 1950s.

The "Chanel Suit" is probably the most famous. It was slightly looser than Dior's New Look and was made from edge-bound tweed, making for a stunningly elegant piece. Its popularity continues to this day, after going through numerous rebirths under Chanel's successor, Karl Lagerfeld. 

Christobal Balenciaga

Alongside Dior, Balenciaga is the other famous legendary silhouette to come out of the 1950s. Even by the mid-point of the decade, he had given us the empire line, the baby doll dress, balloon jackets and the tunic dress, which all contributed to the effortlessly elegant female styles the 50s are known for. 

Marilyn Monroe

In 1953, Marilyn Monroe first appeared on the big screen in the seminal classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She became an instant style and sexual icon and has grown to be one of the most recognisable faces of 1950s fashion and beauty. In Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend, she confirmed her status as the figurehead of glamour for the decade. 

Queen Elizabeth II

One of the biggest events of the 1950s, particularly in the U.K., was the coronation of the young Princess Elizabeth. However, while loyal subjects were tuning in on their televisions to witness the historic event, others may have wanted to catch some close-up glimpses of the Norman Hartnell dress her majesty was wearing.

Just as her mother's wedding dress had been a defining fashion moment of the 1920s, Elizabeth's coronation was for the 1950s.

Grace Kelly

From one member of royalty to another, the actor and Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly, was known for her style wherever she went. Even before her marriage, many of Kelly's classic looks were discussed and copied endlessly.

But her marriage to Prince Rainer III in 1956 meant that she had to outdo herself - and no one doubted her for a moment. Her gown by Helen Rose was so iconic that Kate Middleton took inspiration for her own wedding. 

Brigitte Bardot

The 1953 Cannes Film Festival was the scene for Birgitte Bardot's stunning entrance to the world fashion stage. Sporting a stunning flor bandeau, she cemented her status as a style icon and a true movie star bombshell in the process.

Many a headline lauded her looks in the risqué bikini. Though that particular piece of beachwear wasn't anything new, having been around since the mid-1940s, it was Bardot's wearing of it that turned it into a must-have for any fashion-conscious beach-goer. 

Sophia Loren

The 1950s was the decade for beauty icons and pin-up models; the queen amongst them being the gorgeous Italian star Sophia Loren. Though she undoubtedly had the looks, Loren's quick wits also captivated movie audiences.

'Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti,' is one of her classic comments to the fashion press that was endlessly obsessed with her hourglass figure. 

Audrey Hepburn

If there's a more classic 1950s duo than Audrey Hepburn and Givenchy, then we haven't heard of them. After her big-screen debut in 1953's Roman Holiday, Hepburn became one of the most in-demand stars in American history. With countless parts being written for her, she needed to capture a style that would last through them all.

Luckily for her, a little-known Parisian designer by the name of Hubert de Givenchy was on hand to design a brand new wardrobe for her. The first costume that Givenchy designed for the glamorous movie star was a gold embroidered gown that made its debut in the film Sabrina in 1954. From then on, Hepburn and Givenchy were inseparable.

Best friends and a constant inspiration for one another, it was Givenchy that designed one of Hepburn's most famous looks - the black dress from Breakfast At Tiffany's. The duo's work together is truly something to behold; they single-handedly helped shape the fashion industry for the entirety of the 1950s. 

Who was popular in the 50s?

This is a big question to answer. With so many globally famous actors and musicians, finding a list long enough to fit them all in is difficult. However, here we have done our best to get some idea of the most era-defining popular stars from the 1950s. 

Marilyn Monroe

A household name today, Marilyn Monroe was an actress, model and singer famous for her ditsy blonde bombshell characters in many of 1950s Hollywood's greatest comedies. She was one of the first true sexual icons whose stardom eclipsed the 50s and early 1960s. 

Elvis Presley

Not just any man, but one of the single most influential cultural phenomena of the 20th-century, the "King of Rock and Roll", Elvis Presley, was a star from head to toe. With countless number one hits and starring in over 30 feature films, in all but one taking the leading role. 

His religious faith early on inspired him - or more accurately, the gospel choirs of southern churches, before he incorporated the sounds of the blues to form the music he was famous for, especially Rock n Roll. 

Frank Sinatra

One of the greatest singers of the 20th-century, Frank Sinatra, was one of the best crooners of the era. He gained monumental fame together with his bandmates Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. in "The Rat Pack" and through his significant solo career.

Sinatra also starred in over 50 films throughout his career, turning him into one of the greatest popular entertainers to ever live. 

Pat Boone

One of the most recognisable singers, actors and television personalities of the decade, Pat Boone enjoyed an incredibly successful career throughout the 1950s. Starring in 12 Hollywood films and 38 Top 40 Hits, he stands up there with the true greats. 

Doris Day

Another all-singing, all-dancing star of the age, Doris Day was another Hollywood powerhouse of the 1950s. She rose to fame in 1945 with the songs Sentimental Journey and My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time and went on to star in classic Hollywood films like Calamity Jane and Pillow Talk.

Dean Martin

Another of the great all-round entertainers of the mid-20th century was Dean Martin. "The King of Cool" started his career as a comedian and singer, working with fellow comedian Jerry Lewis as the duo "Martin and Lewis" in the late 1940s.

By the late-fifties, Dean Martin was one of the most well-known and well-loved stars of his day. 

Chuck Berry

When you're talking about Rock and Roll music, you're talking about Chuck Berry. Known as the "Father of Rock and Roll", Berry pioneered the genre that overtook the 1950s.

Using elements of rhythm and blues from African American musicians with country music of White Americans, he created a genre that would captivate listeners for generations to come. Hits such as Maybellene, Roll Over Beethoven, Rock and Roll Music and, of course, Johhny B. Goode became generational anthems, complete with virtuoso guitar solos and showmanship. 

Buddy Holly

After Chuck Berry in the Rock and Roll standings comes Buddy Holly. The unassuming-looking Texan might not look like a Rock icon by today's standards in his geeky glasses, but if you want to hear what the true essence of 1950s Rock and Roll sounds like, try Holly's Oh Boy!

Sadly, Holly died in a plane crash alongside J.P. Richardson, "The Big Bopper", and Ritchie Valens, fellow Rock and Roll stars, in what Don McLean later called 'the day the music died'. 

Ray Charles

In the musical world of the 50s, it doesn't come much cooler than Ray Charles. His contemporaries didn't take the hint when he asked them to call him "Brother Ray" and insisted on calling him "The Genius" instead.

Very few equalled, and even fewer surpassed Charles' skills at the piano or the microphone.

Fats Domino

Born to a French Creole family in New Orleans, Fats Domino was a pianist and singer-songwriter who helped form the early shapes of Rock and Roll. By the end of his career, Fats had sold more than 65 million records, which is one hell of a musical legacy to leave. 

Little Richard

If you like your Rock and Roll a little faster and louder than most, Little Richard is your man. One of the earliest legends of the genre, Little Richard's music went on to inspire countless musicians for the next 70 years. 

Rosemary Clooney

Rosemary Clooney is another of the musical stars that the 1950s was just so good at churning out. Her breakthrough hit came in the early part of the decade and was titled Come On-a My House.

She followed these up with countless other pop hits such as Tenderly, Mambo Italiano, Hey There, This Ole House and Half as Much.

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