Rocket 88 The Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll 🎶🔥 In March 1951, history was made inside a little Memphis studio that would later be known as Sun. Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm laid down Rocket 88 with Jackie Brenston on vocals and Ike on piano. Sam Phillips licensed the track to Chess Records in Chicago, and by April it hit No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts, spending 5 weeks at the top. Many call it the first rock ‘n’ roll record ever recorded. That one record did more than top charts it gave Sam