American Hot Wax

“1959. New York City. The battleground was Rock and Roll. It was the beginning of an era. You shoulda been there.”

5.6(19)

1978

1h 31m

3.8(177)

DramaHistoryMusic

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3.8

(177 ratings)

Rating Distribution

26 (15%)

99 (56%)

49 (28%)

1 (1%)

0 (0%)

Overview

This is the story loosely based on Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, who introduced rock'n'roll to teenage American radio audiences in the 1950s. Freed was a source of great controversy: criticized by conservatives for corrupting youth with the "devil's music"; hated by racists for promoting African American music for white consumption; persecuted by law enforcement officials and finally brought down by the "payola" scandals.