Chess Records Corporation was a legendary American label founded in 1950 by Leonard and Phil Chess, Polish-Jewish immigrants who helped shape the sound of modern music from their base in Chicago. Originally evolving from Aristocrat Records, Chess specialized in blues, rhythm and blues, and early rock and roll, launching the careers of icons like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and Etta James. The label’s gritty, electrified blues sound became the blueprint for British rock acts like The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, with “Rocket 88” (produced by Ike Turner) often cited as the first rock and roll record. Chess also spun off sub-labels like Checker and Argo/Cadet to house jazz, gospel, and soul artists, and its studio at 2120 S. Michigan Avenue became a pilgrimage site for musicians worldwide. Though the company was sold in the late ’60s and folded by 1975, its influence remains seismic - more than a dozen of its artists are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and its catalog is now managed by Universal Music Group.
