How did the music industry try to make rock and roll less controversial in the late 1950s?

In the late 1950s, the music industry responded to widespread public condemnation of rock and roll—which had been branded by critics as the "devil's music"—by actively sanitizing the genre to make it less controversial and more commercially palatable.1

To achieve this, the industry implemented several strategies:

• Sanitizing Repertoire: Record labels had clean-cut, nonthreatening artists such as Pat Boone record tame, pop-oriented versions of songs originally performed by more provocative artists like Little Richard.1
• Manufacturing Teen Idols: The industry shifted its focus toward creating "pretty-boy" crooners, such as Frankie Avalon and Fabian. These performers were marketed as safe, nonthreatening alternatives to the rebellious, sexually charged image associated with early rock stars.12
• Shifting Creative Control: Marketing efforts prioritized the development of teenage pop stars who could be easily promoted through radio, television, and film. Consequently, creative control moved away from the performers toward producers and songwriters—such as those in the Brill Building—who could guarantee a polished, radio-friendly sound.2