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Rock ‘n’ Roll pioneer Chuck Berry celebrates his 85th birthday today. Chuck was born Charles Edward Anderson Berry on October 18, 1926 in St. Louis, Missouri. To celebrate Chuck’s birthday we’ve compiled a list of the Top Five greatest Chuck Berry songs.

1. Johnny B. Goode

This is not only Chuck Berry’s most celebrated song, but also one of the finest recordings in rock ‘n’ roll history. The great and the good of rock have covered “Johnny B. Goode,” including Elvis, Hendrix, The Who and Jerry Lee Lewis, but none have matched the brilliance of Chuck’s original.

2. No Particular Place to Go

This song is a rewrite of Chuck’s also great track “School Days” and it’s as near to flawless as you would expect any rock ‘n’ roll record to be. The themes of cars and girls were hardly new territory for rock ‘n’ roll even then, but Chuck’s lyrical creativeness elevates this above the ordinary and the second guitar break is one of his best ever.

3. Sweet Little Sixteen

The 31-year-old Chuck Berry was carefully pitching his material at a target audience in the mid-’50s and this is perhaps the best example of that. Here Chuck speaks directly to the young female who has had her head turned by this new rock ‘n’ roll music.

The song features one of Chuck’s most catchy choruses – a fact not lost on Brian Wilson who lifted the melody for the classic Beach Boys’ hit “Surfin’ USA.”

“Sweet Little Sixteen” reached number two on the US singles chart and, apart from the 1972 novelty track “My Ding-A-Ling,” was Berry’s most successful single.

4. You Never Can Tell

With Chuck often accused of trying to repeat his own successes on record, it’s always refreshing to hear something totally unique and this falls into that category. The song is notable for the Cajun-inspired melody, the prominent piano work from the great Johnnie Johnson, and Chuck’s masterful lyrics, which tell the story of young newlyweds. I’m not sure that any other songwriter of the period would have thought of the lines “They furnished off an apartment with a two room Roebuck sale/The coolerator was crammed with TV dinners and ginger ale.”

In 1994, a new generation was exposed to “You Never Can Tell” when John Travolta and Uma Thurman danced to it in the classic Jack Rabbit Slim’s scene in the movie “Pulp Fiction.”

5. Maybellene

Chuck’s first single turned out to be one of his most memorable and successful, reaching number one on Billboard’s R&B chart and number five on Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart.

It’s said that the song is an adaptation of Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys’ country hit “Ida Red,” but in truth the two songs have little in common. Chuck had originally titled the track “Ida May,” but was encouraged to change the title by Chess boss, Leonard Chess, who also suggested that Chuck modify the lyrics to explore more youthful themes.

With “Maybellene,” Chuck Berry achieved a highly successful fusion of R&B and country, and scored one of the earliest genuine rock ‘n’ roll hits.

Happy Birthday Chuck Berry.

All five of these tracks are featured on the excellent compilation “Chuck Berry – The Definitive Collection.” Those wishing to delve further are well served by three box sets covering the 1950s, 1960-66 and 1969-74.

Title
Chuck Berry – The Definitive Collection (CD)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now
Johnny B. Goode – His Complete ’50s Chess Recordings (4 CDs)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now
You Never Can Tell – His Complete Chess Recordings 1960-1966 (4 CDs)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now
Have Mercy – His Complete Chess Recordings 1969-1974 (4 CDs)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now