So, just what WAS the first rock and roll record???

[NightTrain]

I excerpted the following from the 1992 book, WHAT WAS THE FIRST ROCK AND ROLL RECORD, by Jim Dawson and Steve Propes. The authors chose 50 songs as contenders for that coveted title. Here are the first 25:

1. BLUES, PART 2 – Jazz at the Philharmonic

RELEASE DATE: Late 1944
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the first “live” commercially released recordings; the musicians influenced the coming revolutions in music; and tenorist Illinois Jacquet’s solo performance launched a school of highly emotional, “honking ‘n’ squealing” saxophones.


2. THE HONEYDRIPPER – Joe Liggins

RELEASE DATE: April 1945
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the earliest runaway hit in the formative R&B combo style.


3. BE-BABA-LEBA – Helen Humes

RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1945
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first example of be-bop’s influence on R&B, which had evolved primarily from big-band swing and the blues.


4. HOUSE OF BLUE LIGHTS – Freddie Slack with Ella Mae Morse

RELEASE DATE: April 1946
WHY IMPORTANT: Morse and Slack were the first two white R&B stars, and their records helped establish Capitol as the first major West Coast record company.


5. THAT’S ALL RIGHT (MAMA) – Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup

RELEASE DATES: Late 1946 and March 1949
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first blues/R&B record released on 45 RPM, and a prototype of early rockabilly.


6. OPEN THE DOOR, RICHARD! – Jack McVea & His All-Stars

RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1946
WHY IMPORTANT: It was an early R&B novelty record, a genre that evolved into a staple of ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll; the first commercial record to fade out instead of ending cold; and the first popular record to inspire a spate of highly successful covers and answer records.


7. TOMORROW NIGHT – Lonnie Johnson

RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first country blues pop hit.


8. GOOD ROCKIN’ TONIGHT – Wynonie Harris

RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It started a trend of records concerned with “rockin’.”


9. WE’RE GONNA ROCK, WE’RE GONNA ROLL – Wild Bill Moore

RELEASE DATE: June 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first “honking” hit record.


10. IT’S TOO SOON TO KNOW – The Orioles

RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the first R&B vocal group hits, and the inspiration for countless “bird” groups that defined the music of the “doo-wop” era.


11. BOOGIE CHILLEN – John Lee Hooker

RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first major electrified Delta blues hit.


12. GUITAR BOOGIE – Arthur Smith & His Crackerjacks

RELEASE DATES: 1945 and Nov. 1948
WHY IMPORTANT: It popularized boogie-woogie music on the guitar.


13. DRINKIN’ WINE SPO-DEE-O-DEE – Stick McGhee & His Buddies

RELEASE DATE: March 1949
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the first party-time drinking songs to become a hit.


14. ROCK THE JOINT – Jimmy Preston

RELEASE DATE: May 1949
WHY IMPORTANT: It was an early all-out R&B rocker, and it led ultimately to Bill Haley’s changeover from country music to proto-rockabilly.


15. SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY – Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five

RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1949
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the first unabashed, uninhibited pop hits about African-American highlife.


16. MARDI GRAS IN NEW ORLEANS – Professor Longhair

RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: “Mardi Gras” was the first of many New Orleans R&B recordings to capitalize on the Crescent City’s peculiar rhythms.


17. THE FAT MAN – Fats Domino

RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first of almost 70 Imperial records and 63 R&B charters for Domino; it was the first New Orleans hit that *sounded* New Orleans and convinced record companies elsewhere to record local musicians. Fats Domino became the biggest-selling R&B star of the 1950s.


18. ROLLIN’ AND TUMBLIN’ – Muddy Waters

RELEASE DATE: April 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the earliest modern, amplified Chicago blues records.


19. BIRMINGHAM BOUNCE – Hardrock Gunter

RELEASE DATE: March 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was one of the earliest white popular records about “rockin’” on the dance floor.


20. I’M MOVIN’ ON – Hank Snow


RELEASE DATE: June 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first major train-song hit set to a boogie rhythm.


21. TEARDROPS FROM MY EYES – Ruth Brown

RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first major jump hit for Atlantic’s earliest consistent hitmaker, and established her as the first lady of R&B.


22. HOT ROD RACE – Arkie Shibley & His Mountain Dew Boys

RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1950
WHY IMPORTANT: It introduced automobile racing into popular music and underscored the car’s relevance to American culture, particularly youth culture.


23. HOW HIGH THE MOON – Les Paul & Mary Ford

RELEASE DATE: March 1951
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first major pop hit to use extensive overdubbing, speeded-up tapes and other gimmicks; it also featured the first distinct rock ‘n’ roll-like guitar solo.


24. ROCKET 88 – Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats

RELEASE DATE: April 1951
WHY IMPORTANT: It indirectly helped launch Sun Records; the performance itself, powered by a distorted electric guitar and a relentless boogie beat, influenced countless records in the 1950s.


25. SIXTY MINUTE MAN – The Dominoes

RELEASE DATE: May 1951
WHY IMPORTANT: It was the first R&B hit to cross over to the pop charts, the first double-entendre hit, and the first million-seller by a formative R&B vocal group.

Coming soon to DU: records #26 - 50!

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. I would go with Les Paul

I think he's the first real rock and roller, not just for the rhythm and the sound, but becuase rock and roll is also about technology - the first musical form to take true advantage of the machines and the gifts of the new field of electronics and gizmos; the first true all-electric sound in musical history. And Les also was a soloist, and to me, rock and roll needs a guitar solo (but one different from the blues, which of course we'd had already even by the time of Les Paul).

Though Les might be more technically just "rock" than rock and roll.

So like all things, it's a nebuous and moving target, and maybe we need to say that all 50 of these listed, and perhaps 100 more, are all equally the first rock and roll record.


(my initial thought was Van Halen I, but then I realized I'd really have to backtrack it to Hendrix's first album as the first rock and roll album, since Hendrix, like Les Paul, took recording and the playing and the technology of music to a whole new plane).

[RandomKoolzip]

2. Igor Stravinsky, "The Rite of Spring."

Especially the second movement.

Actually, it's probably "James Alley Blues" by Rabbit Brown, or "Rocket 88."

[bookman]

3. The Same List

I was going to add a list and found out it is the same one.

I'm "teaching" a class on early rock and roll and really appreciate the comments.

I esp. enjoyed the comments on Les Paul. There's not doubt the electric guitar was a major influence.

Looking forward to more.

[OneBlueSky]

4. glad to see you mention Helen Humes . . .

what an incredible voice! . . . if you haven't heard her, do yourself a favor and listen to some of her recordings . . . a largely unrecognized but spectacular talent, imo . . .

on edit: p.s. great list! . . . :)

[oxymoron]

5. Whoa!

How did I miss her? I just downloaded her album...she does have an absolutely amazing voice. Thanks for the tip.

[NightTrain]

6. kick

n/t

[nostamj]

8. ah............. Helen Humes!

her "Talk Of The Town" is an all-timme fav of mine. gotta dig that out now!

never got to see her live, but did see Alberta Hunter several times at the Cookery... another great one!

[johnnie]

7. The real question is....

.....what is Rock and roll?
I know Alan Freed is the one to supposedly coin that phrase for a certain type of music, but it was a short lived type. I personally believe that rock and roll "music" died in the late 50's.
Rock and roll itself; is an attitude and not a type of music.

[RandomKoolzip]

9. Rock and Roll didn't die in the fifties.

Please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of the book "Rock and the Pop Narcotic" by Joe Carducci. Rock is a musical process involving a small band format featuring guitars, bass, and drums played expressively. It is not dead.

[johnnie]

10. I mean...

..."rock and roll"...rock is different. Rock is more of the whole, the term rock and roll is like grunge, punk, new wave and so on.