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Johnny B. Goode

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Wikipedia article




"'Johnny B. Goode'" is a 1958 rock song written and first recorded by Chuck Berry. Released as a single, it peaked at number two on 'Billboard' magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart and number eight on its pre-Hot 100 chart.



"Johnny B. Goode" is considered one of the most recognizable songs in the history of popular music. Credited as "the first rock & roll hit about rock & roll stardom", it has been recorded by many other artists and has received several honors and accolades, including being ranked seventh on 'Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" and included as one of the 27 songs on the Voyager Golden Record, a collection of music, images, and sounds designed to serve as a record of humanity.

Composition and recording



Written by Berry in 1955, the song is about a semi-literate "country boy" from the New Orleans area, who plays a guitar "just like ringing a bell", and who might one day have his "name in lights". Berry acknowledged that the song is partly autobiographical and that the original lyrics referred to Johnny as a "colored boy", but he changed it to "country boy" to ensure radio play. As well as suggesting that the guitar player is good, the title hints at autobiographic elements, because Berry was born at 2520 Goode Avenue, in St. Louis.

The song was initially inspired by Johnnie Johnson, the regular piano player in Berry's band, but developed into a song mainly about Berry himself. Johnson played on many recordings by Berry, but for the Chess recording session Lafayette Leake played the piano, along with Willie Dixon on bass and Fred Below on drums. The session was produced by Leonard and Phil Chess.

The opening guitar riff of "Johnny B. Goode" borrows from the opening single-note solo on Louis Jordan's "Ain't That Just Like a Woman" (1946), played by guitarist Carl Hogan.Miller, James (1999). 'Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 19471977'. Simon & Schuster. p. 104. .

Charts and certifications



{| class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Weekly charts

|-

! scope="col" | Chart (1958)

! scope="col" | Peak
position

|-

|US 'Billboard' Hot 100'Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990' -

| style="text-align:center;"|8

|-

|US 'Billboard' Hot R&B Sides

| style="text-align:center;"|2

|-

|US 'Cash Box' Top 100

|align="center"|11

|}

'Certifications'

Legacy



contains "Johnny B. Goode" among various musical pieces from many cultures.

In 'The Guardian', Joe Queenan wrote that "Johnny B. Goode" is "probably the first song ever written about how much money a musician could make by playing the guitar", and argued that "no song in the history of rock'n'roll more jubilantly celebrates the downmarket socioeconomic roots of the genre". In 'Billboard', Jason Lipshutz stated that the song was "the first rock-star origin story", and that it featured "a swagger and showmanship that had not yet invaded radio."

When Chuck Berry was inducted during the first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on January 23, 1986, he performed "Johnny B. Goode" and "Rock and Roll Music", backed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.Barker, Derek (2009). Liner notes to 'Bruce Springsteen's Jukebox: The Songs that Inspired the Man' [CD]. Chrome Dreams. The Hall of Fame included these songs and "Maybellene" in their list of the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, for its influence as a rock and roll single.

"Johnny B. Goode" has been recorded by a wide variety of artists in different genres. In 1969, country musician Buck Owens's version topped 'Billboard' magazine's Hot Country Sides chart. In 1972, Jimi Hendrix had a posthumous hit with a live version, which peaked at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart. and number 13 on the New Zealand Top 50 in 1986. Peter Tosh's rendition peaked at number 84 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100, number 48 on the UK Singles Chart, number 10 in the Netherlands, and number 29 in New Zealand in 1983. In 1988, Judas Priest's version reached number 64 on the UK Singles Chart. The Sex Pistols also covered it for their soundtrack 'The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle' in 1979.

A cover version is included in the film 'Back to the Future', when the lead character Marty McFly plays it at a high school dance. Actor Michael J. Fox explained his approach to "incorporate all the characteristics and mannerisms and quirks of my favourite guitarists, so a Pete Townshend windmill, and Jimi Hendrix behind the back, and a Chuck Berry duckwalk. And we worked all that in."

Reviewer Gregory Wakeman described it as "one of the best musical performances in movie history".

Accolades



References



Category:1958 songs

Category:1958 singles

Category:1969 singles

Category:1972 singles

Category:1979 singles

Category:1983 singles

Category:1988 singles

Category:Songs written by Chuck Berry

Category:Chuck Berry songs

Category:The Beatles songs

Category:Buck Owens songs

Category:Jimi Hendrix songs

Category:Leif Garrett songs

Category:Judas Priest songs

Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients

Category:Chess Records singles

Category:Columbia Records singles

Category:Recorded music characters

Category:Songs about fictional male characters

Category:Songs about musicians

Category:Songs about guitars

Category:Songs about rock music

Category:Songs about New Orleans

Category:Contents of the Voyager Golden Record

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