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It all began for Elvis in 1954 when he stopped by Sun Records to record “My Happiness” as a birthday present for his mother. It was the genius of Sun Record owner Sam Phillips and the raw talent of a young man with a golden voice that launched the greatest Rock N Roll career of all time. Elvis’ first single on Sun Records was “That’s All Right.” Today the 78 rpm version and the 45 are each worth up to $1,200.00. Both are seen here.

Chuck Berry IS Rock N Roll. He was one of the few true pioneers in the history of Rock N Roll. So many hits and so little space to list them all. Among the biggest and most covered is his classic, “Rock and Roll Music.” Released on Chess Records in 1957, the 45 is worth up to $40.00, the 78 up to $100.00. In 1958, the EP was released. It’s worth up to $500.00 today. All three are shown here.

Texas Alexander was an early Blues singer who started his career in the bottom lands of the Bravos River. In 1928, almost 35 years before the Animals had their number 1 version, Alexander recorded “The House of the Rising Sun.” He had over 15 singles on the Okeh record label. All of them like “Frost Texas Tornado Blues” and “Last Stage Blues” are worth up to $1,000.00 each.

The world knows him now as Stevie Wonder but in the early sixties he was known as “Little” Stevie Wonder. “Fingertips” was his first hit in 1963 and is now worth up to $50.00 with its picture sleeve. It was first recorded as an instrumental as were all the other cuts on the album, “The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie.” Released on Motown’s Tamla label in 1962, the album is worth up to $400.00 today.

It was Link Wray who first used a distorted fuzz-tone guitar as demonstrated on his 1958 million-seller, “Rumble.” Wray used a pencil to puncture the amplifier to create the affect. Other hits followed like “Raw-hide.” His 1959 single, “Slinky,” released on Epic Records, is worth up to $300.00 with its picture sleeve as shown here.

There were several records of Beatles interviews in the 1960’s. Among them is the 1964 single “Lee Alan Presents a Trip to Miami.” Lee Alan was a Detroit DJ who was granted an interview in Miami. Recorded in February of 1964, the value for the single is worth up to $400.00 today. Add another $100.00 for the insert as shown here that came with the record.

Muhammad Ali was the greatest…in the ring. But when it comes to records, Joe Frazier and Sonny Liston come out on top. Frazier’s single “The Bigger They Come,” released on Cloverplay Records, can now weigh in at $100.00. In the other corner, Sonny Liston is the winner with his 1970 single, “I’m a Lover.” Released on Palamino Records, a copy can sell for $2,000.00 today.

“Sloop John B” by the Beach Boys is one of Rolling Stone magazine’s top-500 greatest songs of all time. It was originally a folk song called “The John B Sails.” In 1959, Johnny Cash recorded the song as “I Want to Go Home.” Jimmy Rodgers recorded the song in 1960 as the “Wreck of the John B.” The Beach Boy’s single, released on Capitol Records in 1966, is worth up to $50.00 today with its picture sleeve. It’s also included on the Beach Boys album, “Pet Sounds.” A mono copy of that album can now sell for $800.00.

The Rip Chords, made up of Bruce Johnson and Terry Melcher, were heavy into the California Surf music scene of the early to mid-60’s. Johnson later joined the Beach Boys. Melcher, son of Doris Day, died in 2004. Among the Rip Chords’ biggest hits in the 60’s were “Hey Little Cobra” and “Three Window Coupe.” Colored vinyl copies of each, as shown here, are worth up to $100.00 each.

In the 1970’s, Yes was one of the most successful progressive-rock groups. They had greater success in the 1980’s when they became more of a commercial band. Their debut album was “Time and a Word.” With several personnel changes to follow, “Time and a Word” is the only Yes album with all original members. Released on Atlantic Records in 1970, it’s worth up to $100.00 today.