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With their debut album “Tonight’s the Night,” the Shirelles established themselves as the premier girl-group of the early Rock N Roll era. The album contains the top 10 singles, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and “This is Dedicated to the One I Love,” as well as the title song. Also on the album is “Boys,” which was later covered by the Beatles. The “Tonight’s the Night” single can now fetch $40.00 but the album, released on Scepter Records in 1961, is worth up to $100.00 today.

After the success of their smash hit, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” the Rolling Stones were pressured by their record label to quickly come up with another hit. However, the Stones were riding high, so to speak, and didn’t want to be rushed. Finally, after a lot of badgering, they had an answer for their label and another hit. Their way of saying, “Get off my back” was with “Get Off Of My Cloud.” A blue label version on London Records is no more than $15.00 but the orange label issue with the words “promotional copy” can sell for $200.00 today. Mighty John’s Promo Records Guide is available in the yellow strip above.

There was no bigger duo in the early Rock N Roll era then Don and Phil, the Everly Brothers. Beginning with “Bye Bye Love” in 1957, the hits seemed endless like “Wake up Little Susie,” “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” “Bird Dog,” “Till I Kissed Ya,” “Let It Be Me” and so many more. In 1958, Cadence Records released the first Everly Brothers album, now valued up to $100.00. In 1959, Cadence Records released the album “The Everly Brothers’ Best.” A copy can also get you $100.00 today.

The Moonglows was one of the most successful Doo Wop groups of the 50’s, and one-time member, Marvin Gaye, became one of the most successful solo artists of the 60’s and 70’s with such classics as “I Heard It through the Grapevine,” which was Motown’s best-selling 45 of the 60’s. His most successful hit prior to that was “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)”. The “How Sweet It Is” 45 can now sell for $30.00. The album, released on Tamla Records in 1965, can get you $200.00 today.

On Feb 3,1959 the music dies as we lose Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. Waylon Jennings, then a member of Buddy Holly’s band, tells Buddy he is going to take the bus to their next gig. Buddy jokes that the bus will break down at which point Waylon says, “I hope your ol’ plane crashes.” Those words haunt Waylon Jennings until the day he dies from diabetes in 2002. The youngest to die on that fatal flight is Richie Valens. He is just 17. His first big hit, “Donna,” on Del-Fi Records can sell for over $100.00 today. Double that for the 78rpm version on Apex Records.

Genesis began working on their concept album ,“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway,” in the early 70,s and released it in 1975. It would be the last Genesis album with Peter Gabriel at the front mike. Figuring out what the title and the story-line are about has puzzled more than one critic. It’s almost like West Side Story on steroids. The album, released by ATCO Records, is no more than $25.00 but the single (commercial or promo copy) can get you $750.00 today.

Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson were the only two Rock N Rollers to have #1 albums in the 1950’s. Like Elvis, Ricky dominated the charts in the 1950’s and early 1960’s. His first hit for Imperial Records came in 1957 with “Be Bop Baby.” The 45 with picture sleeve is worth up to $100.00 and the 78 rpm version, as seen on the right, can get you $250.00 today.

The ultimate jam band was the Grateful Dead who came together in California in 1965 and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Heavily associated with the hippy movement, the band and their fans had a “happening” every time they were at a concert. The first album the Grateful Dead recorded on their own label occurred in 1973 with “Wake Of The Flood.” A green vinyl copy, as seen here, can get you $750.00 today.

Mary Aiese was lead singer of one of the sixties’ lesser-known girl-groups. She took her professional name, Reparata, from her confirmation name, which she chose because of a teacher at the Catholic school she attended. Other than opening for the Rolling Stones on their 1965 tour, Reparata and the Delrons are best known for their single, “Whenever a Teenager Cries.” The 45 on World Artists Records can fetch $40.00.The album, released in 1965, can get you $150.00 today.

In 1972 Elvis Presley would have his last top-10 hit with “Burning Love.” It was Chuck Berry’s novelty hit of “My Ding-A-Ling” that kept the king from hitting # 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the last time. If you have a copy of “Burning Love” with “It’s a Matter of Time,” on the flip side, look at the record label. If the label is orange, then you’ve got no more than $15.00. But if the record label is gray, as seen here, the value jumps up to $750.00.