Shannon Neu
    A&E Editor

When it comes to rock ‘n’ roll music, Elvis Presley is often considered to be the pioneer of the genre — hence his title, the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Though Presley was talented and important, he was influenced by the game-changing black musicians who came before him. Elvis Presley absolutely deserves a place in rock ‘n’ roll history, but not at the beginning.

Black musicians such as Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Ray Charles and Fats Domino are some of the true “Kings of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” In fact, it is likely that any of them would have been given the crown had it not been for the racial dynamics at the time in the United States.

Many of these artists worked with the influential label, Chess Records. Based in Chicago, Chess Records was founded by Polish immigrant brothers Leonard and Phil Chess. In the 1940s, the Chess brothers had owned and operated the Macomba, a nightclub that featured artists such as Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine and Ella Fitzgerald. Frustrated with Chicago’s lack of satisfactory recording facilities, they took over Aristocrat Records in 1947 and changed the name to Chess in 1950.

Chess started as a small operation, as the owners distributed records from the trunks of their cars and used unconventional recording techniques such as hanging a microphone in a toilet for an echo effect. Despite these circumstances, Chess Records eventually turned out some of the most significant blues recordings of all time and became one of the most influential rock ‘n’ roll labels in the United States.

In 1951, Chess Records partnered with Sam Phillips of The Memphis Recording Service. In March 1951, Chess acquired a very important recording from Phillips: “Rocket 88,” which was credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats (but was actually recorded by Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm). “Rocket 88” topped Billboard Magazine’s R&B records chart and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 because of its influence as a rock ‘n’ roll single.The record’s unrestrained saxophone style, distorted and over-amplified electric guitar and sexually suggestive vocals were influential to key features of the rock ‘n’ roll style.

Muddy Waters was one of Chess Records’ first major discoveries. In 1941, Waters heard a recording of himself singing and playing the slide guitar for the first time and afterwards felt a new sense of confidence about his musical abilities. He moved to Chicago two years later.

Once he got there, he switched to playing the electric guitar and worked to infuse the sound and style of his rural-influenced Delta blues with his new urban setting. Through Chess, he recorded his immortal hit “Rollin’ Stone” as well as “I’m Your Hootchie Cootchie Man” and “I Just Want to Make Love to You.”

He eventually moved away from his performance style with spare accompaniment and became one of the first musicians to use amplification in order to make the sound of his music more raw and ferocious, instead of to simply make it louder. Many musicians from the next generation of blues, including James Cotton, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells passed through Muddy Waters’ band. Muddy Waters was also the inspiration for the 1960s blues revival, which included artists such as Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield.

Chess Records’ role in pioneering the advancement of rock ‘n’ roll is also apparent in two of its later artists — Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry.

Between 1955 and 1959, Bo Diddley turned out eight R&B hits. In 1959, his song “Say Man” crossed over to the pop market. “Crackin’ Up” made the pop charts, but not the R&B charts, marking the beginning of the separation of rock ‘n’ roll from R&B.

Bo Diddley’s rhythmic signature was also influential to rock music. His Afro-Latin, three-against-two clave-influenced rhythm was later copied by a number of later rock ‘n’ roll musicians.

Chuck Berry was another artist that was incredibly important to the development of rock ‘n’ roll. While Chuck Berry’s country-tinged hit “Maybellene” was highly successful in the pop music market in 1955, other songs of his were too socially relevant for pop. His four singles after “Maybellene” addressed social issues such as legal troubles and cultural authority.

However, Chuck Berry is best remembered for the simpler, teen-targeted (but still somewhat socially relevant) songs he released later, such as “Rock & Roll Music” and “Johnny B. Goode.” Berry was successful at making his music relevant to white culture without disowning his blackness, which helped to diversify his listeners and increase the number of R&B and rock ‘n’ roll fans.

Chuck Berry put forth one of the era’s signature guitar styles, which included a melodically creative and rhythmically propulsive mix of single notes and double stop lines. Perhaps more importantly, he also made the guitar the prominent instrument of the rock ‘n’ roll genre, taking the place of the saxophone. Though later rock ‘n’ roll artists had more success than Chuck Berry, none matched the significant influence he had on defining the genre’s style.

Some core riffs created by other Chess artists, such as Howlin’ Wolf and Buddy Guy, also became foundational for a wide amount of rock ‘n’ roll songs. Additionally, many songs created by Chess artists were later reproduced by artists such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and Eric Clapton.

The influence of Chess artists is wide-reaching and continues to significantly impact music today.

By introducing fearless artists with creative ideas and musical mastery to the world, Chess Records forever changed the world of rock ‘n’ roll music.