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Chuck Berry

American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll Website

Approval Rate: 70%

70%Approval ratio

Reviews 63

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  • by

    oldgoat

    Wed Nov 03 2010

    this man is rock and roll, period. don't judge an icon by his personel life, or one song that you don't like. chuck was way ahead of everyone else back in '55, and he's still out there having fun, that's what rock is all about!

  • by

    ralphthewonder_llama

    Sat Oct 23 2010

    A real jerk who practically invented rock & roll guitar. Legendary.

  • by

    sideshowbobby

    Mon Jul 20 2009

    Chuck was the shizznit

  • by

    the_nature_boy

    Mon Apr 13 2009

    Chuck is great.

  • by

    spike65

    Fri Mar 06 2009

    Crap guitarist, great songwriter. Huge ego.

  • by

    irishgit

    Sat Oct 25 2008

    I suspect his low rating on this list has a lot to do with the fact that most of the people reviewing music on RIA are cretins who think anything recorded eight months ago is "old school" and regard commercial crap spoonfed to them by marketing shills as great art. Berry was an innovative pioneer, one of the true legends of rock, and is an intriguing listen to anyone with an ounce of taste. Or sense.

  • by

    moosekarloff

    Fri Oct 24 2008

    He's not a classic rock and roll musician.  He's one of the pioneers of the genre, the true King.  The fact he's on this list, and so low-rated, is yet another example of Rateitall mental retardation and the dread Taste Up The Butt Syndrome of many of its posters.  Berry, more effectively than anyone else, transitioned from post-war rhythm and blues into the new genre that the white kids co-opted to be their own.  He wrote some pretty damn good songs, sang adequately well, and was the greatest early rock guitar player.  His influence on later guitarists is pervading.  Of course, he became a bitter and strange weirdster later on in life, but, that often happens to performers once their salad days are over.  Now, at 82, he's still out there doing it, on some level, but you have to wonder why.

  • by

    fitman

    Fri Oct 24 2008

    "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'." John Lennon

  • by

    caroline112

    Wed Oct 08 2008

    great original style...gateway guitarist...

  • by

    justintime1

    Fri Aug 15 2008

    dont overfill your containers or try to pack the 'berries' down. Please see general picking tips.

  • by

    doctor_of_madness

    Fri Aug 15 2008

    Without Chuck Berry , this list would be about polkas!

  • by

    randy3528

    Thu Aug 07 2008

    Good for his time

  • by

    paul375

    Mon Aug 04 2008

    A bit b4 my time but the duck walk is still classic.

  • by

    moose74

    Fri Aug 01 2008

    Chuck Berry was there at the beginning of rock and roll.  He wrote catchy songs with some excellent lyrics.  I especially like "Roll over Beethoven" and "Maybelline".  All these years later, they still are welcome bursts of energy.

  • by

    myspace_373553756

    Tue Jul 29 2008

    Not a big fan but still a hell of a guitarist

  • by

    beauman

    Thu Jul 24 2008

    Only because he's the gosfather of Rock-n-Roll. Genius

  • by

    monkey11611

    Fri Jul 11 2008

    Johnny b. goode? of course

  • by

    katrinabena

    Sun Jul 06 2008

    One of the greatest performers of all-time.

  • by

    mike955

    Sun Jul 06 2008

    great licks and only couple of good songs but he brought the harder style to rock which i applaud--before my time lol

  • by

    theotherbruce

    Wed Jul 02 2008

    Same riffs different keys... can't deny he's fun and defined a new era.

  • by

    twansalem

    Mon Jun 23 2008

    Definitely one of the all time greats. The guitar riff in Johnny B. Goode is a classic.

  • by

    frankswildyear_s

    Mon Dec 10 2007

    He proved that you strip all of the excess of soloing and melody down to its most basic elements, give it a driving rythym and express volumes more than the most complex of jazz players.  There is something about a Chuck Berry riff that cuts through everything and hits you right in the Mojo.

  • by

    ilikepie

    Mon Jun 25 2007

    He can play a guitar just like a-ringing a bell...

  • by

    chrisrianna

    Mon Jan 08 2007

    He started it all!

  • by

    hiyoumeway90yo_u

    Sun Jan 07 2007

    It must be really tough to be black back then. I give you a 4stars.

  • by

    runningrhino

    Sat Oct 21 2006

    Chuck Berry should take the Number One Spot due to him being the most influential guitarist on every other great guitarist. He produced some great tunes also.

  • by

    leftfinger

    Thu Jun 22 2006

    Well he was one of the first to get "that rock n' roll sound" - basically he sped up the blues. If it weren't for him, where would we be? I'm sure someone else would've come up with it eventually. Ted Nugent said it best "If you don't know a Chuck Berry lick, you don't know how to play rock guitar."

  • by

    srukavina

    Wed Jun 07 2006

    Chuck is the man

  • by

    robbo59

    Tue Nov 15 2005

    You're great Chuck. But your too much of an A-hole to be up there with the great ones. Thanks for being the real "King", but take your eyes off my sister.

  • by

    kingguiness

    Fri Sep 02 2005

    Undoubtedly a rock icon. There would be no Stones, Beatles, Who ect without Berry.

  • by

    bluetarbaby

    Thu Jul 28 2005

    I wouldn't say he invented it since old black dudes that we've never even heard of have been pickin' it in the South for ages. But he's definitely right up there. SIDE NOTE:- that's why I despise the notion that Cleveland invented Rock n' Roll. Back to Berry - didn't he teach Keith Richards how to play? Like literally, didn't he actually learn his craft from Berry? Or at least how to play the Blues? Yeah, Berry is the man. )))))))))))))))))))))))))) )))))))))))))))))))))))UPDATE: I wanna say something else about the Cleveland thing because it gets me so hot. For those who claim that, ALL American music came from the south. From jazz to blues, etc. From the Appalachians to New Orleans. And I don't say that because I'm from the South - it's just a fact. People in the South have been picking banjos, guitars, etc since before Cleveland knew these instruments existed. And really, I don't even like the notion that this or that form of music was simply invented. All music evolves from other m... Read more

  • by

    leodekruis

    Fri May 20 2005

    he's the one who invented it!

  • by

    dylan55

    Wed May 18 2005

    The real king of rock and roll!

  • by

    sfalconer

    Fri Apr 29 2005

    Every rock guitarist since should send Chuck 10% of what ever they make. A legend in his own time!

  • by

    the_icon_of_sin

    Tue Mar 15 2005

    Pioneer of the classic guitarist image, and is just so damn cool!

  • by

    underspin

    Sun Feb 13 2005

    Everyone from Keith Richards to the Sex Pistols to Joan Jett to Green Day owe a sizable chunk of their paychecks to this man. The ultimate showman, he was more than a guitarist, he was everything a performer could be - and still is. Roll over Beethoven!

  • by

    chalky

    Sun Nov 28 2004

    asides from being a pervert, all his songs seem to have a similar simplistic 3 chord riffs

  • by

    saronix

    Sat Nov 27 2004

    Chuck berry is good, but no guitar hero. Excellent songwriter, but i found his guitar parts to be less then adequate.

  • by

    jfkcf79b

    Tue Nov 23 2004

    He's simply a true genius of popular music. He invented rock and roll culture and described the U.S.A. in a few lines better than anybody else. He was the first rock songwriter and has established the guitar as the icon of rock. He was too smart to be black in the 50's and he paid for the colour of his skin. For the same things he did a white was judged in a very different way. He would deserve more respect.

  • by

    lord_baltimore

    Mon Sep 20 2004

    No doubt. He is the true king of rock music...The first and still the ultimate guitar hero.

  • by

    stockjazz

    Tue May 11 2004

    Chuck Berry revolutionized rock guitar playing as we know it, and, in the process, became the most influential and widely imitated guitarist of all-time.

  • by

    jamestkirk

    Wed Sep 10 2003

    An innovator and first-rate showman.

  • by

    alty6905

    Sun Sep 07 2003

    He's the Godfather of Rock, what more can you say.

  • by

    wayland

    Fri Aug 29 2003

    I just discovered Chuck Berry! How come no one told me about this genius! I love rock and roll!

  • by

    getback

    Fri May 09 2003

    a person who with time I blelieve is being forgotten a shame a true poet of rock and roll

  • by

    jason1972

    Mon Oct 28 2002

    He could be a four star but his too many run-ins with the law kind of tarnishes his legendary image.

  • by

    loneusfullhous_efan

    Sat Oct 19 2002

    While he is a classic, some of his songs... Well, he wrote a song called My Ding-a-ling. I can't in good faith give him a fourth star because of this song. I beleive it was supposed to be about a musical instrument, but even if that is true, am I safe in assuming that anybody could take this song out of context? I think so because I found a parody of this song on the internet entitled Good bye Ding-a-ling about John and Lorrena Bobbit.

  • by

    killerqueen

    Sun Jul 21 2002

    chuck berry was waaaaayyyy over rated and is just an old pervert now

  • by

    hyperc25

    Wed Jul 03 2002

    UH??

  • by

    molfan

    Wed May 29 2002

    I like some of Chuck Berrys songs. such as Johnny B. Goode, Rock and Roll Music. He has a fairly good singing voice. but I really like the way he can play a guitar. For the 1950s his guitar music was groundbreaking for Rock N Roll.