10. Rock and roll was short-lived in Great Britain, leading to beat music
Great Britain in the late 1950s did not enjoy the variety of radio and television available in the United States. The BBC controlled virtually all broadcast entertainment in the United Kingdom. Popular music was heard only on a portion of broadcasting known as the Light Programme, which ceased broadcasting at midnight every day, and in any case, carried other presentations besides music. When the Beatles first arrived in America in 1964, they all expressed astonishment at the wide selection of radio stations and the programs they offered, which were still not available in Britain.
The ports were how American music gained a foothold in Great Britain, through the records which were brought in, both legally and illegally, from overseas. Listening to the music from the records, rather than occasional play on the radio, allowed the listeners to parse them carefully. British musicians learned to play the sounds from America, often modifying them to allow use of available instruments. Different sounds developed in Great Britain, sourced from the same American records. In London, Manchester, Tottenham, Liverpool, and other cities, distinctly different styles of British music were derived from the works of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and other American performers.
