THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

308-Chuck Berry-Roll Over Beethoven.

1956-It has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 0.01. It’s a Rock N’ Roll Classic-al.

Chuck Berry (see also best songs 548 and 30) was born Charles Edward Anderson Berry on October 18th, 1926, in St Louis, Missouri, United States, he died of a heart attack on March 18th, 2017, at the age of 90. No one person can solely claim to have invented ‘Rock N’ Roll,’ but many agree that Chuck Berry came the closest, blending together the guitar riffs of ‘Country & Western,’ with the sounds of ‘Rhythm & Blues,’ earning him the nickname the ‘Father of Rock and Roll.’ As with all artists involved in Popular Music, Chuck Berry was also influenced by a previous generation, in the case of Berry he cited the American Blues guitarists ‘T-Bone Walker, (1910-1975) and Carl Hogan (1917-1977) as inspirations, as he incorporated their style and sound in to his own. Berry’s showmanship on stage has been influential on the next generation of Rock guitarists, particularly his famous ‘Duck Walk.’ He first did it as a child when he walked (in his own words) ‘Stooping with full-bended knees, but with my back and head vertical, under a table to retrieve a ball’, which his family found entertaining and funny. It was when performing in New York for the first time that a journalist branded it the ‘Duck Walk’.

‘Roll Over Beethoven’ was first released as a single in May 1956, and later appeared on Chuck Berry’s 1959 third studio Album ‘Chuck Berry Is on Top’, the song was written by Berry, and co-produced by Leonard Chess, (1917-1969) and his brother Phil Chess, (1921-2016) who were the co-owners of the ‘Chess Records’ label. Chuck Berry got his initial idea for the song after watching his sister Lucy using the family piano to play ‘Classical Music,’ while he wanted to play Popular Music. The lyric ‘Roll over Beethoven, (Ludwig van Beethoven 1770-1827) and tell Tchaikovsky (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1840-1893) the news’ refers to how Classical composers would roll over in their graves upon hearing that ‘Classical Music’ had given way to ‘Rhythm and Blues,’ and ‘Rock N’ Roll.’ The musicians who played on ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ were Chuck Berry, (vocals and guitar) Johnnie Johnson, (1924-2005) (piano) Willie Dixon, (1915-1992) (bass) and Melvin Billups (drums.)

‘Roll Over Beethoven’ was co-produced by Leonard Chess and his younger brother Phil Chess. Leonard Samuel Chess (see also best songs 596-548-381 and 30) was born Lejzor Szmuel Czyż; on March 12th, 1917, in Motal, Poland, (now Belarus) he died of a heart attack on October 16th, 1969, at the age of 52. Philip Chess was born Fiszel Czyż; on March 27th, 1921, also in Motal, Poland, he died on October 18th, 2016, at the age of 95. In 1928 the Chess Brothers, their sister, Malka, and their mother arrived in New York, they quickly went to Chicago to join their father, Joseph, who was already engaged in the liquor business, which was illegal at the height of Prohibition and controlled in Chicago by Al Capone, (1899-1947) this was when the family name was changed to Chess. The brothers became involved in the nightclub scene in Chicago in 1938, running a series of Jazz clubs, and by 1947 Leonard became associated with ‘Aristocrat Records,’ eventually he and Phil acquired full control of the label, and in 1950, the Chess brothers renamed the label ‘Chess Records.’ Leonard Chess then contacted Sam Phillips (1923-2003) (see also best songs 362 and 99) of ‘Sun Records,’ to help him find and record new artists from the South. Phillips supplied Chess with recordings by Howlin’ Wolf, (1910-1976) Rufus Thomas, (1917-2001) and Doctor Ross (1925-1993) among others. In 1969 the Chess brothers sold ‘Chess Records’ to General Recorded Tape (GRT) for $6.5 million, approximately six months before the death of Leonard. The British music industry historian John Broven has written that ‘Leonard Chess was the dynamo behind Chess Records, the label that, along with ‘Atlantic’ and ‘Sun,’ has come to epitomise the independent record business. Leonard Chess set new standards for the industry in artist development, deal making, networking, and marketing and promotion.’ Leonard Chess was inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ in 1987, posthumously, in the non-performer category.

‘Roll Over Beethoven’ has clever lyrics that are worth having a look at. ‘Early in the morning’ refers to the title of the 1947 song by Louis Jordan, (1908-1975) while the mention of ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ is a nod to the 1955 song by Carl Perkins (1932-1998) (see also best songs 664.) The ‘Hey diddle diddle’ from the nursery rhyme ‘The Cat and the Fiddle’ is an indirect reference to Chuck Berry’s fellow Chess Records recording artist Bo Diddley, (1928-2008) (see also best songs 381) and although the lyrics mention ‘rocking and rolling,’ the genre of music that the ‘Classics’ are supposed to step aside for is referred to as ‘Rhythm & Blues.’ ‘Roll Over Beethoven’s’ iconic guitar intro was lifted by Berry from the 1946 song ‘Ain’t That Just Like a Woman’ by Louis Jordan, originally played by Carl Hogan, and to further show how music recycles, in 1964 the Beach Boys (see also best songs 930-811-180 and 74) lifted the intro of ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ for their Billboard Number 5 hit ‘Fun, Fun, Fun.’

‘Well I’m-a write a letter, I’m gon’ mail it to my local DJ. Yeah that’s the jumpin’ little record I want my jockey to play, roll over Beethoven, I gotta hear it again today.’