User:Devinquack/sandbox

changed show synopsis to background and split up the section to add show layout section

Moved theme music section to more appropriate spot

Expanded information on references in pop culture, 50th anniversary, external links, and see also sections.

Created: Legacy

American Bandstand played a crucial role in introducing American's to artists like Prince, Jackson 5, Sonny and Cher, Aerosmith, and John Lydon’s PIL—all of whom made their American TV debuts on the show.[13] American Bandstand was a daily ritual for many teenagers throughout the nation. The Top 40 hits that everyone heard were matched with fun routines performed by relatable teenagers. It became a staple in homes and heavily impacted American society culturally, musically, and socially. It also was a prototype for musical television like MTV and American Idol.[14]

Created: Civil Rights Movement and impact

With American Bandstand being originally located in Philadelphia, segregation easily affected the concentrated area. "With Bandstand, WFIL resolved this tension by drawing on Philadelphia’s interracial music scene to create an entertaining and profitable television show, while refusing to allow the city’s black teenagers into the studio audience for fear of alienating viewers and advertisers. Like the white homeowners associations’ concerns about property values, WFIL’s version of defensive localism built on a belief that integration would hurt the station’s investment in Bandstand." WFIL defended these local associations in order to maintain support. Once the program went national in Los Angeles, the new host, Dick Clark, decided that integration was the most responsible move. History goes back and forth with the timing and motives of the integration, but nevertheless American Bandstand socially impacted teenagers' opinions regarding race.