Sun Records

Sun Records Where Rock & Roll was born! Home of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and other legends. In one form or another Sun recorded them all.

The Sun Sound began when Sam Phillips launched his record company in February of 1952. He named it Sun Records as a sign of his perpetual optimism: a new day and a new beginning. Sam rented a small space at 706 Union Avenue for his own all-purpose studio. The label was launched amid a growing number of independent labels. In a short while Sun gained the reputation throughout Memphis as a label tha

t treated local artists with respect and honesty. Sam provided a non-critical, spontaneous environment that invited creativity and vision. As a businessman, Phillips was patient and willing to listen to almost anyone who came in off the street to record. Memphis was a happy home to a diverse musical scene: gospel, blues, hillbilly, country, boogie, and western swing. Taking advantage of this range of talent, there were no style limitations at the label. Then in 1954 Sam found Elvis Presley, an artist who could perform with the excitement, unpredictability and energy of a blues artist but could reach across regional, musical and racial barriers. He helped form the beginnings of the Sun Sound by infusing Country music with R&B. Elvis’s bright star attracted even more ground-breaking talent to the Sun galaxy. Listed among his contemporaries and lab mates were Johnny Cash, the inimitable Jerry Lee Lewis, and the “Rockin’ Guitar Man”, Carl Perkins. These four soon became known as the Million Dollar Quartet. Right behind them came Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, Bill Justis, Harold Jenkins (a.k.a. Conway Twitty) and other equally memorable musical talents. All eventually sold on Pop, R&B and Country charts and grew to international fame. Rockabilly became the major evolution in the Sun Sound. Lyrically it was bold; musically it was sparse; but it moved. In the 1950’s Country music rarely used drums that were so vital to jazz, blues, and jump bands. In fact, drums were prohibited on stage at the Grand Ole Opry. However, Rockabilly drums played an essential role in driving teens across the nation to become enamored with the Rockabilly movement and the revolutionary Sun Sound. Once again, Sun was able to break new ground recording music of unparalleled diversity in an incubator of creativity. Inherent in the music of Sun is a vibrancy that survives to this day. Sincere, passionate music. Music that has stood the test of time. It is music that has reached across race, age and gender boundaries. It reflects the diversity and vision of the talent that recorded on the Sun label, and indeed, American popular culture itself.

What record stores are you shopping at this weekend? Show your support and tag them in the comments! 🎶 Listen to Sun Rec...
01/24/2025

What record stores are you shopping at this weekend? Show your support and tag them in the comments! 🎶 Listen to Sun Records classics on "Sun Singles" here: https://heyor.ca/hSoMym

Grimey's New & Preloved Music

With 46 album releases, 14 vinyl releases, and 28 music videos, we had to include the best of Sun Records of 2024 in one...
01/23/2025

With 46 album releases, 14 vinyl releases, and 28 music videos, we had to include the best of Sun Records of 2024 in one place! 🎉 Listen to the Best of 2024 here: https://SunRecords.lnk.to/BestOf2024

Light and love. 💛
01/20/2025

Light and love. 💛

01/15/2025

We're two weeks into 2025 and we're excited for a lot of new music and listening to more classics this year! 🎶 What have you been spinning so far?

01/14/2025

This year marks 70 years since the recording of Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes." 👟🎶 Watch the full video here: https://heyor.ca/YlhYfP

The first class of inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 included Jerry Lee Lewis, ELVIS PRESLEY, and Sam ...
01/13/2025

The first class of inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 included Jerry Lee Lewis, ELVIS PRESLEY, and Sam Phillips. 🎶Watch the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Conversation with Family & Friends of Sam Phillips including Jerry Phillips, Halley Phillips, Peter Guralnick and Ben Vaughn here: https://heyor.ca/gZMnFK

01/10/2025

Listen to the new single and watch the video for "Hopper's On Top (Genius)" from The Waterboys upcoming album Life, Death and Dennis Hopper available April 4th.

📺 Watch the video for "Hopper's On Top (Genius)": https://heyor.ca/rKOVkp

🎧 Listen to "Hopper's On Top (Genius)": https://heyor.ca/IOQyxv

🎶Pre-order/Pre-save "Life, Death and Dennis Hopper": https://heyor.ca/P2b8vJ

01/09/2025

Keep the Elvis' birthday celebration going in style with our line of Elvis merch! 🎉 Shop here: https://heyor.ca/RzJ2IR

Own a part of Sun Records with limited quanitity test pressings from America (The Band), Melissa Etheridge, Ruthie Foste...
01/07/2025

Own a part of Sun Records with limited quanitity test pressings from America (The Band), Melissa Etheridge, Ruthie Foster, and more available here: https://heyor.ca/YeugXu

"Life, Death and Dennis Hopper" releases from The Waterboys on April 4th. 🎶 Artists featured alongside The Waterboys inc...
01/06/2025

"Life, Death and Dennis Hopper" releases from The Waterboys on April 4th. 🎶 Artists featured alongside The Waterboys include Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, Fiona Apple and Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes. It's the story of Dennis Hopper's life in songs - and the story of his and our times. Pre-order your copy here: https://SunRecords.lnk.to/LifeDeathDennisHopper

On January 4, 1954, Elvis made his second visit to the Memphis Recording Service and cut two songs onto a demo, "It Woul...
01/04/2025

On January 4, 1954, Elvis made his second visit to the Memphis Recording Service and cut two songs onto a demo, "It Wouldn't Be The Same Without You" and "I'll Never Stand In Your Way." These would be his last demo recordings before coming back to Sun Studio that summer, recording "That's All Right." 🎙 Listen to "Elvis At Sun" here: https://SunRecords.lnk.to/ElvisAtSun

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101 Winners Circle N
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We're two weeks into 2025 and we're excited for a lot of new music and listening to more classics this year! 🎶 What have you been spinning so far?

This year marks 70 years since the recording of Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes." 👟🎶 Watch the full video here: https://heyor.ca/YlhYfP

Listen to the new single and watch the video for "Hopper's On Top (Genius)" from The Waterboys upcoming album Life, Death and Dennis Hopper available April 4th. 📺 Watch the video for "Hopper's On Top (Genius)": https://heyor.ca/rKOVkp 🎧 Listen to "Hopper's On Top (Genius)": https://heyor.ca/IOQyxv 🎶Pre-order/Pre-save "Life, Death and Dennis Hopper": https://heyor.ca/P2b8vJ

Keep the Elvis' birthday celebration going in style with our line of Elvis merch! 🎉 Shop here: https://heyor.ca/RzJ2IR

Happy 102nd birthday to our founder, Sam Phillips!

From The Beatles to Dolly Parton, to Margo Price and TThe Del McCoury Band, a lot of incredible artists covered music from Sun Records. 🙌🏻 Listen here: https://SunRecords.lnk.to/SunUnderCover

Shawna Thompson's debut album Lean On Neon released in September. 💜 This is one to keep in rotation! Listen to "Lean On Neon" and let us know your favorite track here: https://SunRecords.lnk.to/LeanOnNeonAlbum #SunWrapped

Amy Helm's album "Silver City" is one of our top albums of 2024! 🎉Amy travels through a map of memories and brings the realities of her experiences as a single mother, her blessings and curses into sharp focus as conversations that travel through time celebrating womanhood. 🎶Listen and get your copy here: https://SunRecords.lnk.to/SilverCity #SunWrapped

Carl Perkins - Blue Suede Shoes
Carl Perkins - Blue Suede Shoes

Carl Perkins recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" on December 19, 1955 at Sun Studio. It was released on January 1, 1956 backed with "Honey Don't." 🎸 Listen to "Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly" here: https://SunRecords.lnk.to/CarlPerkinsKingOfRockabilly

Happy Birthday to Shelby Singleton! 🎉 Perhaps most known for purchasing the Sun Records catalog from Sam Phillips in 1969, he was also an esteemed music producer with his first #1 hit being Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley PTA” in 1968. Listen to the full album "Harper Valley P.T.A." here: https://heyor.ca/qvCoKr

On December 15, 1955, Johnny Cash released "So Doggone Lonesome" with "Folsom Prison Blues" on the B-Side. 🎶 The song peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Country chart. Listen to "Johnny Cash With His Hot And Blue Guitar" here: https://heyor.ca/qujm0x . . . Video from Tex Ritter's Ranch Party Show

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