Rock & Roll

Rock & roll on vinyl: from Chuck Berry to the Ramones

In short: Rock & roll emerged in the USA in the mid-fifties from rhythm & blues, country and boogie-woogie: loud guitars, a driving beat and songs about youth, cars and love. Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bo Diddley were the pioneers – and bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones built on them. The Vinyl Room currently has 105 rock & roll records.

What is rock & roll?

A guitar riff, a pounding piano and a rhythm to dance to: Little Richard is represented with “Little Richard Is Back”, Bo Diddley with his “16 All-Time Greatest Hits”. On “Two Great Guitars” Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry play together. Drummer Panama Francis, who played on many hits of the era, shows the beat behind them on “The Beat Behind The Million Sellers”.

The shop also lists later bands that built on rock & roll under this style: the Beatles with “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, the Rolling Stones with “Goats Head Soup”, and the Ramones carried it into punk with “Leave Home”.

What to look for

Many fifties rock & roll classics came out first on singles and later as LP collections. Whether original or later edition is noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

New in

→ Chuck Berry · The Beatles · Rock on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is rock & roll? Music from fifties America, born from rhythm & blues, country and boogie-woogie – with guitar, piano and a driving beat.

Who were the pioneers? Among others Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bo Diddley and Elvis Presley.

What is “Two Great Guitars”? A record on which Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry play together.

Is rock & roll the same as rock? Rock & roll is the origin; rock developed out of it from the sixties on.