Chuck Berry – Johnny B. Goode (1958)

Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry is a classic rock and roll song from the 1950sChuck Berry ruled the early ages of rock and roll in the 1950s and early 1960s with many chart hits that today is taken as rock classics. Among these Chuck Berry hits are the song Johnny B Goode. The song is played with good speed and has a simple catchy chorus easy to singalong to. The lyrics is about a boy who could not read or white but could play the guitar “like ringing the bell”. His mother encourage him to play hoping that “someday you name will be in lights, saying Johnny B. Goode tonight”.

Let this be a lesson to all out there – kids go do what you are good at and us parents just believe and support our kids to get a good life.

The song Johnny B. Goode was on the album Chuck Berry Is On Top originally out on the legendary Chess Records. Other music artists on Chess Records is Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Bo Diddley among others. Many different artists have made a cover version of Johnny B. Goode e.g. Tom Jones, Peter Tosh, The Beatles and Sex Pistols just to name a few.

Highest chart position: US#8

Chuck Berry was one of the rock and roll pioneers in the 1950s

Steve Miller Band – The Joker (1973)

Cover to Steve Miller Band The JokerThe Joker by Steve Miller Band I sometime around heard in a tv commercial for an “best of” Steve Miller Band cd. I normally do not fall for the commercials on tv but something here got me down to the cd store. That “something” might have been that I knew a few songs and that the sound fit in to my approach to being a little more into rock and wanted to learn more. Looking back I have not heard the album as such but listened to the few songs I already knew – so much for the “I want to learn more” thought in this case (but that is my own fault and not to blame on Steve Miller Band).

Highest US chart position was #1 and the song is often found on lists on ultimate classic rock.

I found The Joker on the Steve Miller Band compilation The Very Best Of Steve Miller Band but is originally on the album also named The Joker.

Highest chart position: UK singles chart #1.

Portrait of The Steve Miller Band