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''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the program's producer. It featured teenagers dancing to Top 40 music introduced by Clark; at least one popular musical act—over the decades, running the gamut from Jerry Lee Lewis to Run–D.M.C.—usually appeared in person to
lip-sync Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , the same as the word ''sink'', short for lip synchronization) is a technical term for matching a speaking or singing person's lip movements with sung or spoken vocals. Audio for lip syncing is generated th ...
one of their latest singles. Freddy Cannon holds the record for most appearances, at 110. The show's popularity helped Dick Clark become an American media mogul and inspired similar long-running music programs, such as '' Soul Train'' and British series ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
''. Clark eventually assumed ownership of the program through his Dick Clark Productions company.


Background

''American Bandstand'' premiered locally in late March 1952 as ''Bandstand'' on
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
television station WFIL-TV Channel 6 (now WPVI-TV), as a replacement for a weekday movie that had shown predominantly British films. Hosted by Bob Horn as a television adjunct to his radio show of the same name on WFIL radio, ''Bandstand'' featured short musical films produced by Snader Telescriptions and Official Films, with occasional studio guests. This incarnation was an early version of the music video shows that became popular in the 1980s, featuring films that were the ancestors of music videos. Horn, however, was disenchanted with the program, and wanted to change the show to a dance program with teenagers dancing along on camera as
records A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...
played, based on an idea that came from a radio show on WPEN, ''The 950 Club'', hosted by Joe Grady and Ed Hurst. This more-familiar version of ''Bandstand'' debuted on October 7, 1952, in "Studio 'B'", which was located in their just-completed addition to the original 1947 building in West Philadelphia, and was hosted by Horn, with Lee Stewart as co-host until 1955. Stewart was the owner of a TV/Radio business in Philadelphia and even though he was an older gentleman, his advertising account was a large one for WFIL-TV, so he was put on the program to appease the account. As WFIL grew financially and the account became less important, Stewart wasn't needed and was eventually dropped from the program. Tony Mammarella was the original producer with Ed Yates as director. The short Snader and Official music films continued in the short term to fill gaps when dancers were changed during the show—a necessity, because the studio could not fit more than 200 teenagers. On July 9, 1956, Horn was fired after a drunk-driving arrest, as WFIL and dual owner Walter Annenberg's ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
'' were then running a series on drunken driving. He was also reportedly involved in a prostitution ring and brought up on morals charges. Horn was temporarily replaced by producer Tony Mammarella before the job went to Dick Clark permanently. In late spring of 1957, the ABC television network asked their O&O's and affiliates for programming suggestions to fill their 3:30 p.m. (ET) time slot (WFIL had been pre-empting the ABC programming with ''Bandstand''). Clark decided to pitch the show to ABC president Thomas W. Moore, and after some negotiations the show was picked up nationally, becoming ''American Bandstand'' on August 5, 1957. This first national broadcast of American Bandstand was filmed in the Starlight Ballroom in Wildwood, NJ. One show from this first season (December 18, 1957, identified as the "Second National Telecast") is preserved in the archives of Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications. One market not telecasting ''Bandstand'' was
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, as local affiliate WAAM (now
WJZ-TV WJZ-TV (channel 13) is a television station in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, airing programming from the CBS network. It is Owned-and-operated station, owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division, and ma ...
) elected to produce a local dance show in the same afternoon time slot. Local radio disc jockey Buddy Deane was chosen as the host of ''
The Buddy Deane Show ''The Buddy Deane Show'' was a teen dance television show, created by Zvi Shoubin, hosted by Winston "Buddy" Deane (1924–2003), and aired on WJZ-TV (Channel 13), the ABC affiliate station in Baltimore from 1957 until 1964. It was similar to Phi ...
'' on Channel 13, and began a daily two hour broadcast on September 9, 1957. This development created a sometimes heated rivalry between Dick Clark and Buddy Deane, when performers who appeared first on Deane's program were refused booking on ''American Bandstand''. Acts debuting on ''Bandstand'' appeared on Deane's program, but were asked to not mention their previous appearance with Clark while on the Baltimore show. ''The Buddy Deane Show'' aired on WJZ-TV until January 4, 1964. "Studio 'B'" measured , but appeared smaller due to the number of props,
television camera A professional video camera (often called a television camera even though its use has spread beyond television) is a high-end device for creating electronic moving images (as opposed to a movie camera, that earlier recorded the images on film). ...
s, and risers that were used for the show. It was briefly shot in color in 1958 when WFIL-TV began experimenting with the new technology. Due to the size of the studio, the need to have as much dance space as possible, and the size of the cumbersome color camera compared to the black-and-white models, it was only possible to have one
RCA TK-41 The RCA TK-40 is considered to be the first practical color television television camera, camera, initially used for special broadcasts in late 1953 in television, 1953, and with the follow-on TK-40A actually becoming the first to be produced in qu ...
where three RCA TK-10s had been used before. WFIL reverted to the TK-10s two weeks later when ABC refused to carry the color signal and management realized that the show lost perspective without the extra cameras.


Program features


Rate-a-Record

Clark regularly asked teenagers their opinions of the songs being played, through the "Rate-a-Record" segment. During the segment, two audience members each ranked two records on a scale of 35 to 98, after which their two opinions were averaged by Clark, who then asked the chosen members to justify their scores. The segment gave rise to the catchphrase "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it." In one humorous segment broadcast for years on retrospective shows, comedians
Cheech and Chong Cheech & Chong are a comedy duo consisting of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. The duo found commercial and cultural success in the 1970s and 1980s with their stand-up routines, studio recordings, and feature films, which were based on the hippie a ...
appeared as the record raters. Featured artists typically performed their current hits by lip-syncing to the released version of the song.


Hosts

The only singer to ever co-host the show with Dick Clark was Donna Summer, who joined him to present a special episode dedicated to the release of the Casablanca film '' Thank God It's Friday'' on May 27, 1978. From the late 1950s and most of the 1960s, Clark's on-camera sidekick was announcer Charlie O'Donnell, who later went on to announce '' Wheel of Fortune'' and other programs hosted or produced by Clark, such as '' The $100,000 Pyramid''. There were occasional shows that were ''not'' hosted by Clark, in which case a substitute host (among them Rick Azar) was brought in.


Theme music

''Bandstand'' originally used "High Society" by
Artie Shaw Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led ...
as its theme song, but by the time the show went national, it had been replaced by various arrangements of Charles Albertine's "Bandstand Boogie", including Les Elgart's big-band recording remembered by viewers of the daily version. From 1969 to 1974, "Bandstand Theme", a synthesized rock instrumental written by Mike Curb, opened each show. From 1974 to 1977, there was a newer, orchestral disco version of "Bandstand Boogie", arranged and performed by Joe Porter, played during the opening and closing credits. Elgart's version was released as a single in March 1954 (Columbia 40180) as well as Curb's theme (by "Mike Curb & The Waterfall") in October 1969 (Forward 124). From 1977 to September 6, 1986, the show opened and closed with Barry Manilow's rendition of "Bandstand Boogie", which he originally recorded for his 1975 album ''
Tryin' to Get the Feeling ''Tryin' to Get the Feeling'' is the third studio album by singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, released in 1975. It featured the title track, " Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again", with other hits including "New York City Rhythm", "Bandstand Boogie" ...
''. This version introduced lyrics written by Manilow and
Bruce Sussman Bruce Howard Sussman (born July 12, 1949) is an American lyricist, and librettist. Though he has collaborated with numerous composers, he is probably best known for his work with his long-time collaborator, Barry Manilow. Together they have wri ...
, referencing elements of the series. The previous theme was retained as bumper music. From September 13, 1986, to September 5, 1987, Manilow's version was replaced at the close of the show by a new closing theme arranged by David Russo, who also performed an updated instrumental arrangement of "Bandstand Boogie" when ''Bandstand'' went into syndication. From 1974 to September 6, 1986, ''Bandstand'' featured another instrumental at its mid-show break: Billy Preston's synth hit " Space Race".


Changes to ''Bandstand''


Early changes

When ABC picked up the game show '' Do You Trust Your Wife?'' from
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
in November 1957, they renamed the program as ''Who Do You Trust?'' and scheduled the program at 3:30 pm ET—almost in the middle of ''Bandstand''. Instead of shortening or moving ''Bandstand'', ABC opted to just begin ''Bandstand'' at 3 pm, cut away to ''Who Do You Trust?'' at 3:30 pm, then rejoin ''Bandstand'' at 4 pm. In Philadelphia, however, WFIL opted to tape-delay the game show for later broadcast in another time slot, and to continue on with ''Bandstand'', though only for the local audience. A half-hour evening version of ''American Bandstand'' aired on Monday nights from 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (ET), beginning on October 7, 1957. It preceded '' The Guy Mitchell Show.'' Both were ratings disasters. Dick Clark later stated that he ''knew'' the prime-time edition would fail because its core audience – teenagers and housewives – was occupied with other interests in the evenings. The Monday-night version aired its last program in December 1957, but ABC gave Clark a Saturday-night time slot for '' The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show'', which originated from the Little Theatre in Manhattan, beginning on February 15, 1958. The Saturday show would run until 1960. The program was broadcast live, weekday afternoons and, by 1959, the show had a national audience of 20 million.Oldenburg, Ann
"TV legend Dick Clark dies at age 82"
''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
'', April 18, 2012
In the fall of 1961, ABC truncated ''American Bandstands airtime from 90 to 60 minutes (4:00–5:00 pm ET), then even further as a daily half-hour (4:00–4:30 pm ET) program in September 1962; beginning in early 1963, all five shows for the upcoming week were videotaped the preceding Saturday. The use of videotape allowed Clark to produce and host a series of concert tours around the success of ''American Bandstand'' and to pursue other broadcast interests. On September 7, 1963, the program was moved from its weekday slot and began airing weekly every Saturday afternoon, restored to an hour, until 1989.


Move from Philadelphia to Los Angeles

When WFIL-TV moved to a new facility on City Line Avenue (one that did not have a studio that could accommodate the show), ABC moved production of ''Bandstand'' to the ABC Television Center (stage 5) in Los Angeles (now known as The Prospect Studios) on February 8, 1964, which coincidentally was the day before the Beatles first appeared on ''The Ed Sullivan Show''. Prior to the move, ''Bandstand'' had sourced many of its up-and-coming acts from Philadelphia's Cameo-Parkway Records. The combined impact of ''Bandstand's'' move to California and the Beatles' arrival devastated Cameo-Parkway and inflicted permanent damage to the artists signed to the label. The program was permanently shot in color starting on September 9, 1967. The typical production schedule consisted of videotaping three shows on a Saturday and three shows on a Sunday, every six weeks. The shows were usually produced in either Stage 54 or Stage 55 at ABC Television Center. In September 1964, ''Bandstand'' began using a new logo based on the ABC circle logo, reading "ab" in the same typeface followed by a number representing the year the show aired. This started with "'65", then "'66", "'67", "'68" and "'69" when each year arrived. On September 13, 1969, the Bandstand set was given a complete overhaul and Les Elgart's big band version of "Bandstand Boogie" was replaced by the Mike Curb theme. The "ab" logo was replaced with the iconic stylized "AB" logo (shown at the top of this page) used for the remainder of the show's run. This set and theme music were used until September 1974, with the arrival of a brand new set and the second, updated version of "Bandstand Boogie". For a brief time in 1973, ''Bandstand'' alternated its time slot with ''Soul Unlimited'', a show featuring
soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became ...
that was hosted by
Buster Jones Edward L. Jones (December 12, 1943 – September 16, 2014) was an American voice actor and television host. He is probably best known from his roles as Black Vulcan in '' Super Friends'', Blaster in '' The Transformers'', Doc in '' G.I. Joe: A ...
. ''Soul Unlimited'' was not well-received among its target audience of African-Americans, ostensibly due to its being created by a white man (Clark), and because of its alleged usage of deliberately racial overtones despite this fact.
Don Cornelius Donald Cortez Cornelius (September 27, 1936 – February 1, 2012) was an American television show host and producer widely known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance and music show ''Soul Train'', which he hosted from 1971 until 1993 ...
, the creator and host of '' Soul Train'', along with Jesse Jackson, entered into a dispute with Clark over this upstart program, and it was canceled within a few weeks. Set pieces from ''Soul Unlimited'' were utilized by ''Bandstand'' for its 1974–1978 set design. As previously mentioned, during the 1978 season of ''Bandstand'', Donna Summer became the only music artist in ''Bandstand''s history to co-host the program.


Bandstand "regulars" from the Philadelphia years

Many local Philadelphia teenagers became household names by appearing and dancing on ''American Bandstand'' on a regular basis from the '50s to the early '60s: *Charles Amann† *Mike Balera† *Bobby Baritz† *Mary Beltrante *Marlyn Brown *Joan Buck† *Ron Caldora† *Justine Carelli *Ritchie Cartledge† *Bob Clayton† *Bill Cook† *Mary Ann Colella† *Eddie Connor *Mary Ann Cuff† *Lou DeSero *Rosemary Dicristo *Micki Duffy† *Bob Durkin† *Joe Fusco† *Nick Gaeta† * Bunny Gibson *Frani Giordano *Walter Grezlack† *Janet Hamill *Bonnie Harden† *Charlie Hibb† *Dottie Horner *Myrna Horowitz† *Lorraine Ianetti† *Diane Iaquinto *Joe Jacovini† *Carmen Jimenez *Ivette Jimenez *Bob Kelly† *Ed Kelly *Norman Kerr† *Paula Kopicko† *George Kralle† *Barbara Levick *Frankie Levins† *Frank Lobis† *Carol McColley† *Barbara Marcen *Pat Moliterri† *Ann Monahan† *Joann Montecarlo† *Monte Montes† *Bill Mulivihill† *Debra Murphy *M.B. Murphy *Jimmy Peatross† *Harvey Robbins† *Kenny Rossi *Carole Scaldeferri† *Terry Schreffler† *Joyce Shafer *Ray Smith *Frank Spagnuola *Arlene Sullivan *Joe Sullivan† *Paul Thomas† *Frank Vacca *Ronnie Verbit *Joe Wissert *Charlie Zamil †Deceased


Move from ABC to syndication and the USA Network

As ''Bandstand'' moved towards the 1980s, the ratings began to decline. Many factors were involved in this, particularly the launch and rise of MTV and other music programs on television, and along with that, the number of ABC affiliates opting to pre-empt or delay the program. The increase in competition hurt ''Bandstand'' and the variety of options for music on TV decreased its relevance. The other reason was that ''American Bandstand'' was pre-empted on many occasions by televised college football games (which expanded greatly in number in the wake of a court-ordered deregulation in 1984) which were becoming huge ratings successes, as well as occasional special presentations (i.e. unsold game show pilots). Making matters worse, on September 13, 1986, ABC reduced ''Bandstand'' from a full hour to 30 minutes; at Clark's request, the 2,751st and final ABC installment (with
Laura Branigan Laura Ann Branigan (July 3, 1952 – August 26, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her signature song, the platinum-certified 1982 single "Gloria", stayed on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for 36 weeks, then a record for a ...
performing " Shattered Glass") aired on September 5, 1987. Two weeks later, ''Bandstand'' moved to first-run syndication. Dubbed as ''The New American Bandstand'' and distributed by
LBS Communications The Lexington Broadcast Services Company (first known as Lexington Broadcast Services and later known as LBS Communications) was a television production and syndication company formed on November 15, 1976, by advertising pioneer Henry Siegel, wh ...
, the series' tapings were moved from the ABC Television Center to the Hollywood studios of Los Angeles's
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
member station KCET, with a new set was similar to that of '' Soul Train''. Clark continued as host of the series, which was restored to its former hour length, and aired on stations including KYW-TV in Philadelphia; WWOR-TV in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
(WWOR's superstation status also gave the program further national exposure); KTLA in Los Angeles; WMAQ-TV in
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;
WDIV WDIV-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with NBC. It serves as the Flagship (broadcasting), flagship broadcast property of the Graham Media Group subsidiary of Graham Holdings, Graham ...
in
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
;
WEWS WEWS-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC. It has been owned by the E. W. Scripps Company since its inception in 1946, making it one of two stations that have been built and signed on by ...
in
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
;
WTMJ-TV WTMJ-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Kenosha-licensed Ion Television station WPXE-TV (channel 55). WTMJ-TV's studios are ...
in
Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
; and
WCIX WCIX (channel 49) is a television station licensed to Springfield, Illinois, United States, serving the Central Illinois region as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Champaign-licensed CBS affiliate WCIA (c ...
in
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
. The first syndicated episode aired on the weekend of September 19, 1987 but this run was short-lived; ''The New American Bandstand'' ran until the weekend of June 4, 1988. After a ten-month hiatus, ''Bandstand'' moved to
cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
on USA Network on April 8, 1989, with comedian David Hirsch taking over hosting duties. In another format shift, it was shot outdoors at Universal Studios Hollywood. Clark remained as executive producer. This version was canceled after 26 weeks, and its final show (with The Cover Girls performing "My Heart Skips a Beat" and " We Can't Go Wrong") aired on October 7, 1989, thus ending the show's 37-year run.


Civil rights movement and social impact

With ''American Bandstand'' being originally located in Philadelphia,
segregation Segregation may refer to: Separation of people * Geographical segregation, rates of two or more populations which are not homogenous throughout a defined space * School segregation * Housing segregation * Racial segregation, separation of humans ...
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 upon its move to Los Angeles, 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.


American Bandstand Anniversary Specials

* American Bandstand's 20th Anniversary (1973) * American Bandstand's 25th Anniversary (1977) * American Bandstand's 30th Anniversary (1982) * American Bandstand's 33 1/3 Celebration (1985) *
American Bandstand's 40th Anniversary American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
(1992) * American Bandstand's 50th Anniversary (2002)


50th anniversary

On May 3, 2002, Dick Clark hosted a one-off special 50th anniversary edition on ABC.
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
, a frequent ''Bandstand'' guest, performed " Dangerous". The Village People performed their legendary song, "YMCA" for the audience in Pasadena, California. Other performers including Brandy, members of KISS,
Dennis Quaid Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor known for a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the late 1970s, some of his notable credits include '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The ...
and his band The Sharks, Cher, and Stevie Wonder also performed to remember the iconic program.


Revival plans

In 2004, Dick Clark, with the help of Ryan Seacrest, announced plans to revive the show in time for the 2005 season; although this did not occur (due in part to Clark suffering a severe stroke in late 2004), one segment of the revived ''Bandstand''—a national dance contest—eventually became the series ''
So You Think You Can Dance ''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and ha ...
''. Dick Clark Productions is credited as the show's co-producer, and longtime employee Allen Shapiro serves as co-executive producer. While the American series has aired sixteen seasons, its format was also replicated worldwide, from Norway ('' Dansefeber'') to Australia ('' So You Think You Can Dance Australia''). Dick Clark died on April 18, 2012, at the age of 82.


Legacy

''American Bandstand'' played a crucial role in introducing Americans to such famous artists as
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...
,
Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...
,
Sonny and Cher Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of husband and wife Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector. The pair f ...
, Aerosmith, and John Lydon's PiL—all of whom made their American TV debuts on the show. ''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 influenced American society culturally, musically, and socially. It also was a prototype for musical television properties including cable channel MTV and Fox's reality-competition show ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
''.


References in popular culture

* In the 1958 song " Queen of the Hop",
Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American musician and actor. He performed jazz, pop, rock and roll, folk, swing, and country music. He started his career as a songwriter for Connie ...
mentions the show, while also indicating its daily TV schedule during the early years of the show. * In his song ''
Sweet Little Sixteen "Sweet Little Sixteen" is a rock and roll song written and first recorded by Chuck Berry, who released it as a single in January 1958. His performance of it at that year's Newport Jazz Festival was included in the documentary film ''Jazz on a Summ ...
'' recorded 1957,
Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...
name-checks the show with the lyric "Cause they'll be rocking on ''Bandstand'' in Philadelphia, PA". * Travis Bickle watches ''American Bandstand'' while holding his Model 29 in '' Taxi Driver'', while Jackson Browne's "
Late for the Sky ''Late for the Sky'' is the third studio album by American singer–songwriter Jackson Browne, released by Asylum Records on September 13, 1974. It peaked at number 14 on ''Billboards Pop Albums chart. In 2020, the album was deemed "cul ...
" plays. * The show was featured prominently in the 2002–2005 NBC-TV drama series''
American Dreams ''American Dreams'' is an American drama television series that ran on NBC for three seasons & 61 episodes, from September 29, 2002, to March 30, 2005. The show tells the story of the Pryor family of Philadelphia during the mid-1960s, with many ...
'', which like ''Bandstand'' was executive produced by Dick Clark. In a 2005 episode, Eddie Kelly and Bunny Gibson – one of the most famous couples to appear on ''American Bandstand'' in the Philadelphia years – were the only two to make cameo appearances on the acclaimed TV series. Along with that, Kelly and Gibson were named a number of times in the script, and Kelly referred to in the last episode. Actor Paul D. Roberts made frequent appearances as Dick Clark, while
Michael Burger Michael Burger (born June 10, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, game show host and television presenter. Game shows Burger was hired by Reg Grundy Productions to host a pilot for a show called ''Matchmates'' in 1985. The show, which was ...
played announcer Charlie O'Donnell. Clark frequently provided voice-overs as his younger self. * In the film ''
Escape from New York ''Escape from New York'' is a 1981 American science fiction film, science fiction action film co-written, co-scored and directed by John Carpenter. It stars Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne B ...
'', the theme song is heard while in the cab and near the end when Snake Plissken takes out the President's address and replaces it with the tape that had the ''American Bandstand'' theme. * In the animated TV series ''
King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired its original non-syndicated run from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, and centers on the Hills, an Am ...
'' while Bobby is cleaning the gutters on the roof he is attacked by a bird. Hank hears him stomping around and shouts "It's a roof, not ''American Bandstand''!" * The live national program ''National Bandstand'' in the film version of '' Grease'' was an ode to the ''American Bandstand''; director Randal Kleiser lived in the suburbs of Philadelphia during the real ''Bandstand's'' early years and adapted the original source material (which used a radio show instead) to match his own upbringing. *
Pam Tillis Pamela Yvonne Tillis (born July 24, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis and ex-wife of songwriter Bob DiPiero. Tillis recorded unsuccessful ...
' video for her 1994 cover of "
When You Walk in the Room "When You Walk in the Room" is a song written and recorded by Jackie DeShannon. It was initially released as a single on November 23, 1963, as the B-side to "Till You Say You'll Be Mine". It was re-released as an A-side in September 1964, and lat ...
" depicted a mid-1960s performance on ''American Bandstand'', and featured a voiceover by Dick Clark. * In the quarterfinals of season 7 of '' America's Got Talent'', contestant Ulysses performed a cover of the ''American Bandstand'' theme song. * In episode 4089 of ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...
'', there was a parody of ''American Bandstand'' called "American Fruit Stand" where a duck named "Duck Clark" hosted the program. It featured Miles singing songs about fruits to the tune of famous oldies songs such as " Johnny B. Goode", "
Twist and Shout "Twist and Shout" is a 1961 song written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns (later credited as "Bert Russell"). It was originally recorded by the Top Notes, but it did not become a hit in the record charts until it was reworked by the Isley Brothers ...
", and " I Feel Good". * The lyric video for
Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...
's song " Cheap Thrills" features a show reminiscent of ''American Bandstand'' ("''Dance Stage USA''"). * In the film ''
Peggy Sue Got Married ''Peggy Sue Got Married'' is a 1986 American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola starring Kathleen Turner as a woman on the verge of a divorce, who finds herself transported back to the days of her senior year in high sch ...
'', Peggy Sue time-travels from 1985 back to 1960 and watches ''American Bandstand'' and remarks that Dick Clark never ages. * On
Archie Bell and the Drells Archie Bell & the Drells was an American R&B vocal group from Houston, Texas, and one of the main acts on Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records. The band's hits include " Tighten Up", "I Can't Stop Dancing" (both 19 ...
's song "I Could Danced All Night" from their 1975 album '' Dance Your Troubles Away'', they reference both ''Bandstand'' and '' Soul Train''. * On ''
Jersey Boys ''Jersey Boys'' is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success and eventual break-up of the ...
'',
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons The Four Seasons are an American rock and pop band formed in 1960 in Newark, New Jersey. Since 1970, they have also been known at times as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The band evolved out of a previous band called The Four Lovers, with ...
perform the song "
Sherry Sherry ( es, jerez ) is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versi ...
" to an audience on ''American Bandstand''.


See also

* List of acts who appeared on ''American Bandstand'' * ''
Bandstand A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an orname ...
'', Australian version loosely based on the American version * ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
'', a similar British music program * ''
The Buddy Deane Show ''The Buddy Deane Show'' was a teen dance television show, created by Zvi Shoubin, hosted by Winston "Buddy" Deane (1924–2003), and aired on WJZ-TV (Channel 13), the ABC affiliate station in Baltimore from 1957 until 1964. It was similar to Phi ...
'' * '' Soul Train'' * ''
The Clay Cole Show ''The Clay Cole Show'' (1959–1967) was a rock music television show based in New York City, hosted by Clay Cole. History First broadcast on WNTA-TV (now WNET) in September 1959 as ''Rate the Records'', within two months the format was changed, ...
'' * ''
Electric Circus ''Electric Circus '' (also known as ''EC'') was a Canadian live dance music television program that aired on MuchMusic and Citytv from September 16, 1988 to December 12, 2003. The name originated from a nightclub that once existed at Citytv's fir ...
'' * '' CD USA''


References


Further reading

* Matthew F. Delmont
''The Nicest Kids in Town'': American Bandstand, ''Rock'n'Roll, and the Struggle for Civil Rights in 1950s Philadelphia.''
Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2012. * Murray Forman, ''One Night on TV is Worth Weeks at the Paramount: Popular Music on Early Television.'' Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2012.


External links

*

{{USANetwork Shows 1952 American television series debuts 1989 American television series endings 1950s American variety television series 1960s American variety television series 1970s American variety television series 1980s American variety television series American Broadcasting Company original programming American music chart television shows American live television shows Black-and-white American television shows Dance television shows English-language television shows First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Pop music television series Rock music television series Television series by Dick Clark Productions Culture of Philadelphia Television in Philadelphia USA Network original programming