"Rock and Roll Music" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() A-side label of US single | ||||
Single by Chuck Berry | ||||
from the album One Dozen Berrys | ||||
B-side | "Blue Feeling" | |||
Released | September 1957[1] | |||
Format | 7" 45-RPM, 10" 78-RPM | |||
Recorded | May 6 or 15, 1957, Chicago, Illinois[2] | |||
Genre | Rock and roll | |||
Length | 2:30 | |||
Label | Chess 1671[1][2] | |||
Songwriter(s) | Chuck Berry | |||
Producer(s) | Leonard Chess, Phil Chess[2] | |||
Chuck Berry singles chronology | ||||
|
"Rock and Roll Music" is a 1957 hit single written and recorded by rock and roll star Chuck Berry. The song has been widely covered and is recognized as one of Berry's most popular and enduring compositions.[3] In the fall of 1957, his recording reached number 6 on Billboard magazine's R&B Singles chart and number 8 on its Hot 100 chart.[4]
The song has been recorded by many well-known artists. The Beatles' 1964 recording topped singles charts in Europe and in Australia, and the Beach Boys had a U.S. top ten hit with the song in 1976.[5] Other artists who have covered the song include Bill Haley & His Comets, Dickie Rock and the Miami Showband, REO Speedwagon, Mental As Anything, Humble Pie, Manic Street Preachers, and Bryan Adams. Berry performed it on December 16, 1957, on ABC's short-lived variety program The Guy Mitchell Show.
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Berry's version number 128 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[6] The song is also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.[7]
Recently recorded by Rick Dare and the Rusty Rockers of Maffra Victoria Australia
The sessions for "Rock and Roll Music" took place on either May 6 or May 21, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois. The session was produced by Leonard Chess and Phil Chess. Backing Berry were Lafayette Leake (piano), Willie Dixon (bass), and Fred Below (drums).[2]
Sometime after the single was released in September 1957,[1] "Rock and Roll Music" reached #6 on Billboard magazine's R&B Singles chart and #8 on the Billboard Top 100 chart before the year's end.[4]
"Rock and Roll Music" | |
---|---|
![]() Picture sleeve for the 1965 Belgian single release | |
Song by the Beatles | |
from the album Beatles for Sale | |
Released | December 4, 1964[8] |
Recorded | October 18, 1964 |
Studio | EMI, London |
Genre | Rock and roll |
Length | 2:30 |
Label | Parlophone |
Songwriter(s) | Chuck Berry |
Producer(s) | George Martin |
The Beatles performed the song in many of their early Hamburg shows, and also played it on the BBC show Pop Go The Beatles. In late 1964, exhausted from non-stop touring and recording and short of original material, they decided to record several of their old rock and rhythm and blues favorites to fill out their LP release Beatles for Sale. Among these was a version of Berry's tune that eventually became as well known as the original. The lead vocal in the Beatles' version was performed by John Lennon. In contrast to Berry's even-toned rendition, Lennon sang it as loudly and dynamically as his voice would permit. In the United States, it was released on the LP Beatles '65. The song was part of the set list for the group's final tour in 1966 – the performance from their show of June 30 at the Nippon Budokan was included in 1996's Anthology 2 – and was also performed during the Get Back/Let It Be Sessions in January 1969. It also served as the title song to the Beatles' 1976 compilation album Rock 'n' Roll Music.
In some countries, "Rock and Roll Music" was released as a single, backed by the Beatles for Sale track "I'm a Loser", in early 1965. It topped the charts in Finland,[citation needed] Norway,[9] Sweden[10] and Australia.[11] Among its other chart placings, the single peaked at number 2 in West Germany[12] and the Netherlands, and number 3 in Belgium.[13]
Sources have varied in crediting the piano on the track. The original Beatles for Sale liner notes, by Derek Taylor, said that "George Martin joins John and Paul on one piano", implying an overdub by all three that was added after the basic take.[15] In the 1988 book The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn described the recording as a single take with no overdubs, with "all The Beatles on their familiar instruments" and Martin on piano.[16]
"Rock and Roll Music" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by The Beach Boys | ||||
from the album 15 Big Ones | ||||
B-side | "T M Song" | |||
Released | May 24, 1976 | |||
Format | 7" 45 RPM | |||
Recorded | 1976 | |||
Genre | Rock, rock and roll | |||
Length | 2:29 | |||
Label | Brother/Reprise | |||
Songwriter(s) | Chuck Berry | |||
Producer(s) | Brian Wilson | |||
The Beach Boys singles chronology | ||||
|
The Beach Boys' version is notable for the use of backing vocals which repeat the phrase "Rock, roll, rockin' and roll." There is a difference between the LP version and the single version in that the LP version has more synthesizer. Their version reached No. 5 on the US chart and No. 11 in Canada during the summer of 1976.[17]
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|