Rock & Roll Music : Rolling Stone

Written by: Berry
Produced by: Phil and Leonard Chess
Released: Sept. '57 on Chess
Charts: 19 weeks
Top spot: No. 8

This was a manifesto. "I was heavy into rock & roll and had to create something that hit the spot without question," Berry wrote in his autobiography. "I wanted the lyrics to define every aspect of its being." Set to a jolting rumba rhythm, "Rock & Roll Music" features Berry's genre-defining guitar licks and bass work from the legendary Willie Dixon. Berry's original made the Top Ten, and the Beatles and the Beach Boys cut popular versions as well. For years it was this simple: If you played rock & roll, you knew this song.

Appears on: The Anthology (Chess)

Next: Born To Be Wild

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