How Chuck Berry's Meeting at Chess Records Sparked a Rock Revolution

This episode traces the pivotal moment when young Chuck Berry slipped into Chess Records in Chicago and recorded “Maybellene,” a single that blended country storytelling with electric blues to create an irresistible rock‑and‑roll groove. It looks at how the session’s modest technology, the label’s independent business model, and Berry’s razor‑sharp guitar riffs changed what a popular hit could sound like and set the template for future rock music.

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