Pete Johnson and Joe Turner: Roll 'Em Pete

The first rock 'n roll record to hit the British charts was Rock Around the Clock in 1955, but that song owed an indecent amount to Move it on Over by Hank Williams from 1947.

And Roll 'Em Pete threatens to push the birth of rock back to 1938. Here's Larry Birnbaum:

"Roll 'Em Pete" may well be regarded as the first rock'n'roll record. Although earlier songs contain elements of rock'n'roll, "Roll 'Em Pete" is a full-fledged rocker in all but instrumentation ... Johnson's bass line is a simple Chuck Berry-like chug, and his furious right hand embellishments anticipate Berry's entire guitar style. Some of Turner's verses are the stuff that rock is made of ... But others are too mature for teenage listeners. 

If anything, Turner's brilliant phrasing and Johnson's breathtaking keyboard technique are too sophisticated for rock'n'roll; the music has yet to be formularised for mass consumption."