Rock: Chicago 1950s Overview

Then the second most populous city in the United States, Chicago had the potential talent and market to sustain a substantial music industry—but it rarely did so. The city did support a vibrant jazz scene during Prohibition and was the leading recording centre for artists supplying the “race” market during the 1930s: Big Bill Broonzy, Georgia Tom (who, as Thomas A. Dorsey, went on to even greater success as a gospel composer), Tampa Red, and many more. During the 1940s Mercury Records was founded from a Chicago base and emerged as a viable rival to the established major companies. But the most creative period for the city was the 1950s, when rivals Chess and Vee Jay battled for supremacy in the rhythm-and-blues market. The few blues artists who chose other labels later looked back in regret—when it came to getting records played on the radio, Chess and Vee Jay had no peers in Chicago.