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About This Track
Johnny B. Goode is a seminal 1958 rock and roll song by Chuck Berry, ranked by Rolling Stone as the seventh greatest song ever on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and the best guitar song on their list of the 100 greatest guitar songs of all time.
Written by Berry in 1955, the song is a rock and roll version of the American dream — a poor country boy becomes a star by hard work and inspired guitar playing. This image of unknowns with no future achieving fame and fortune through music became a paradigm for countless songs and even careers to follow.
The opening guitar riff on “Johnny B. Goode” may be the most famous single riff in rock and roll history. It is essentially a note-for-note copy of the opening single-note solo on Louis Jordan’s “Ain’t That Just Like a Woman” (1946), played by guitarist Carl Hogan.
Although partly autobiographical, the inspiration for the song is said to have been Johnnie Johnson who played the piano and composed several songs with Berry, and is considered a major contributor to the unmistakable Berry sound. On earlier unreleased takes Chuck sang “colored boy” instead of “country boy”, but it was changed for fear of it not being played on the radio. As a possible source for the last name, it has been noted that Berry was born on Goode Avenue in St. Louis.
Aware of the importance of the song to his fame and his image, Berry has written two more songs about Johnny, “Bye Bye Johnny” and “Go Go Go”, and also titled an instrumental album as “Concerto in B. Goode”.
Written by Berry in 1955, the song is a rock and roll version of the American dream — a poor country boy becomes a star by hard work and inspired guitar playing. This image of unknowns with no future achieving fame and fortune through music became a paradigm for countless songs and even careers to follow.
The opening guitar riff on “Johnny B. Goode” may be the most famous single riff in rock and roll history. It is essentially a note-for-note copy of the opening single-note solo on Louis Jordan’s “Ain’t That Just Like a Woman” (1946), played by guitarist Carl Hogan.
Although partly autobiographical, the inspiration for the song is said to have been Johnnie Johnson who played the piano and composed several songs with Berry, and is considered a major contributor to the unmistakable Berry sound. On earlier unreleased takes Chuck sang “colored boy” instead of “country boy”, but it was changed for fear of it not being played on the radio. As a possible source for the last name, it has been noted that Berry was born on Goode Avenue in St. Louis.
Aware of the importance of the song to his fame and his image, Berry has written two more songs about Johnny, “Bye Bye Johnny” and “Go Go Go”, and also titled an instrumental album as “Concerto in B. Goode”.
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Albums featuring this track
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Chuck Berry Is On Top
Chuck Berry
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The Great Twenty-Eight
Chuck Berry Buy- Download Album
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The Anthology
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23 Original Rock 'n' Roll Hits
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Shouts
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username382 wrote:
This could well be THE best rock and roll song...
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silvasonicsurfa wrote:
.....as an 11yo I bought 'My Ding A Ling' , but little did I realise at that time how important Chuck Berry was in the scheme of early rock n roll.......
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rockabillyfan wrote:
Go, Johnny Go........................................super !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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ScottKing81 wrote:
All right guys, blues riff in B, watch me for the changes... and try to keep up.
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srv_ wrote:
Probably the most important song in rock and roll history. Classic!
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BigChoupique wrote:
Kinda like me, Graypack : )))
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Graypack77 wrote:
Never old, never out of style - Go Johnny Go!
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mcflyyoubojo wrote:
this ones an oldie but a goodie...well its an oldie where I come from.
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MelodieFM wrote:
Chuck Berry die Rocklegende aus den 60s,viele Titel von ihn wurden in 80s des letzten Jahrhunderts in die Kinofilme von Eis am Stiel eingespielt
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FeXYSpartan wrote:
Johnny B. Freshh- Like ME! By the way, I have a question. If A boy tries to insult me, but i told him i would insult him (packing), but he goes ahead so i pack him up infront of the whole class, is it a bad thing? O yea i forgot to mention that he is horrible at pack sessions.
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xinaxdazex wrote:
I guess you guys aren't ready for this, yet... but your kids are gonna love it.
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hanstone wrote:
As good as this still sounds today, can you imagine first hearing it back it the day of elevator music?
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DigitalEss wrote:
Love driving to this song on a sunny Sunday morning :^)
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TrowaBarton888 wrote:
can't go wrong with some chuck
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BlueOclock wrote:
Sweet Jesus!
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rockandrolljoe wrote:
Chuck
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PattySauce wrote:
Love this song by Good Ole Chuck!!!!! <33
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theboyken wrote:
great stuff.
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KeithJones wrote:
Goode song!
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redZIPLAND wrote:
cool on on those dancing toes. yeah
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