Legacy of Chess Records
Artists and genres Chess Records directly influenced — one hop forward on the family tree of music.
The Rolling Stonesartist
The Beatlesartist
Creamartist
Fleetwood Macartist
Ten Years AfterartistTen Years After are an English blues rock group formed in Nottingham in 1966. They had eight consecutive albums in the Top 40 on the UK Albums Chart between 1968 and 1973. They also had twelve albums enter the US Billboard 200. The band are best known for tracks such as "I'm Going Home", "Hear Me Calling", "I'd Love to Change the World" and "Love Like a Man".
The Beach Boysartist
Eric Claptonartist
Earth Wind and FireartistEarth, Wind & Fire is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling bands ever, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide.
The FlamingosartistThe Flamingos are an American doo-wop group formed in Chicago in 1953. The band became popular in mid-to-late 1950s and are best known for their 1959 cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You". They have since been hailed as being one of the finest and most influential vocal groups in pop and doo wop music history. In 2001, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Fontella Bassartist
Billy StewartartistWilliam Larry Stewart II was an American R&B singer and pianist popular during the 1960s.
The DellsartistThe Dells were an American R&B vocal group. Formed in high school in 1953 by founding members Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Johnny Funches, Chuck Barksdale, and Michael and Lucius McGill, under the name the El-Rays. They released their first recording in 1954 and two years later had their first R&B hit with "Oh What a Night". After disbanding due to a near-fatal car crash in 1958, the band re-formed in 1960 with Funches being replaced by Johnny Carter. This lineup remained together until Carter's death in 2009. In 2004 the Dells were inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The group performed until illness forced longtime lead singer Marvin Junior and bass vocalist Chuck Barksdale into retirement, ending the group's 60-year run.
The Ramsey Lewis TrioartistRamsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. was an American jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and received five gold records and three Grammy Awards in his career. His album The In Crowd earned Lewis critical praise and the 1965 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance. His best known singles include "The 'In' Crowd", "Wade in the Water", and "Sun Goddess". Until 2009, he was the host of the Ramsey Lewis Morning Show on the Chicago radio station WNUA.