Johnny B. Goode

"Johnny B. Goode" is a 1958 rock and roll song written and originally performed by American musician Chuck Berry. The song was a major hit among both black and white audiences peaking at #2 on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[1]

The song is one of Chuck Berry's most famous recordings, has been covered by many artists, and has received several honors and accolades. It is also considered to be one of the most recognizable songs in music history.

Composition and recording

Written by Berry in 1955, the song is about a poor country boy who plays a guitar "just like ringing a bell," and who might one day have his "name in lights." ^[2] Berry has acknowledged that the song is partly autobiographical, and originally had "colored boy" in the lyrics, but he changed it to "country boy" to ensure radio play.^[3] The title is suggestive that the guitar player is good, and hints at autobiographic elements because Berry was born at 2520 Goode Avenue in St. Louis.^[2] The song was initially inspired by Berry's piano player, Johnnie Johnson,^[4][5] though developed into a song mainly about Berry himself. Even though Johnnie Johnson played on many other Chuck Berry songs, it was Lafayette Leake who played piano on this song.^[2]

The opening guitar riff on "Johnny B. Goode" 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.^[6]

Berry has written 3 more songs involving the character Johnny B. Goode, "Bye Bye Johnny", "Go Go Go", and "Johnny B. Blues"; and titled an album, and the nearly 19 min instrumental title track from it, as "Concerto in B. Goode".

Musicians

• Chuck Berry – vocals, guitar^[2]
• Lafayette Leake – piano^[2]
• Willie Dixon – bass^[2]
• Fred Below – drums^[2]
• poss Jimmy Rogers - second guitar

Legacy

Berry's recording of the song was included on the Voyager Golden Record, attached to the Voyager spacecraft as representing rock and roll, one of four American songs included among many cultural achievements of humanity.

When Chuck Berry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, he performed "Johnny B. Goode" and "Rock and Roll Music", backed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.^[7] The Hall of Fame included these songs and "Maybellene" in their list of the 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll.^[8] It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, for its influence as a rock & roll single.^[9]

In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Johnny B. Goode" at number 42 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. In 2008, Rolling Stone placed it at #1 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs Of All Time.^[10] Guitar World rated the song #12 on the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos list. The song is currently ranked as the #6 song of all time in an aggregation of critics' lists at acclaimedmusic.net.^[11]

Cover versions

Versions that charted

Country musician Buck Owens version of "Johnny B. Goode" topped Billboard magazine's Hot Country Sides chart in 1969.^[12] Jimi Hendrix had a posthumous hit with "Johnny B. Goode" peaking at #35 on the UK Singles Chart in 1972^[13] and #13 on the New Zealand Top 50 in 1986.^[14] Peter Tosh's version of the song peaked at #84 on the Billboard Hot 100,^[15] #48 on the UK Singles Chart,^[16] #10 in the Netherlands, and #29 in New Zealand.^[17] Judas Priest's version reached #64 on the UK Singles Chart in 1988.^[18]

Cover Versions

"Johnny B. Goode" is among the most widely covered rock and roll songs in history. The list of performers includes:

References