Chuck Berry was the first great songwriter, guitar hero and, to be fair, villain of the Rock n’ Roll Era. And he was happy to play all of those roles. Chuck Berry is one of the greatest artists in rock music history, something that bands like AC/DC or The Beatles would’ve been happy to confirm.

Notoriously, Berry constructed his body of work early on. One of his collections is called “The Great 28” for a reason. Everyone knows those songs and very few others by him. And Berry toured those songs for nearly 70 years.

Well, these are the best Chuck Berry songs and, in my opinion, 10 of the best rock songs ever produced.

Top 10 Greatest Chuck Berry Songs

10. “Nadine (Is It You?)”

Chuck Berry was the first poet of the rock n’ roll generation. But it could’ve been easy to miss it why with the fast groove and Berry’s manic guitar playing.

“Nadine (Is It You?)” is a romantic misadventure. It’s storytelling to the beat of an electric guitar. It had a massive influence on Bob Dylan and other serious songwriters, a club of which Berry was certainly a member.

9. “Almost Grown”

Chuck Berry was the first singer-songwriter who truly understood who his audience was and what their concerns were. Berry’s earliest songs are all about teenagers and the lifestyle of 1950s youngsters in the U.S.

Berry is as charismatic as ever as he sings about working hard to walk the straight line. But it’s how well the lead vocals flow, along with the playful harmonies, that still make this a joy to hear.

8. “Rock And Roll Music”

“Rock And Roll Music” was an advertisement as much as it was a song. The U.S. teenagers were buying these jumping new records. And, as far as Berry was concerned, nobody could do this style better. Many agreed.

Berry proclaims the start of the era of rock n’ roll music. He assures his parents that classical and modern are just fine, but just not for him and his friends. “Rock And Roll Music” contains the brilliant, rolling piano lines of Johnnie Johnson.

The song was covered by The Beatles and The Beach Boys, both of whom practically built their early careers on playing (or ripping off) Chuck Berry songs.

7. “School Day (Ring Ring Goes The Bell)”

“School Day (Ring Ring Goes The Bell)” flows so naturally from Berry’s fingers and voice that you would have needed to forgive him if, a few years earlier, he’d used a very similar arrangement for the single “No Particular Place to Go.”

But “School Day (Ring Ring Goes The Bell)” is a clever jingle for all of the Berry fans still stuck in school and waiting for the bell so that they could go listen to some rock n’ roll. The song’s fun, entertaining and doesn’t talk down to the teenagers. It’s a trick that most modern songwriters haven’t quite picked up.

6. “Maybellene”

Chuck Berry could certainly play the blues. Judging by his fancy fretwork, he could even play jazz. But it was the rocking grooves that brought him an audience.

“Maybelline” would’ve been a blues number in the hands of any other artists. It is, after all, a song about a cheating girlfriend. The song contains, once again, Berry’s excellent lyrics, powered by a rhythm that helped make this a classic.

5. “Roll Over Beethoven”

“Roll Over Beethoven” was one of the songs that each and all early rock bands needed to know. What if Chuck Berry rolled into town? Berry was notorious for nearly never having a backing band of his own and just picking up local musicians eager to meet their hero.

“Roll Over Beethoven” is, once again, a tune about the joys of rock n’ roll. This one is a bit more mischievous, though, as it announces the death of classical in the wake of rock’s ascendency. Berry was right, too.

4. “You Never Can Tell”

Modern recording and production techniques have certainly evolved. But it’s very hard to get a better, warmer, more fun sound than “You Never Can Tell” now or ever.

The song is propelled by one of Berry’s most fun, catchiest vocals. The lyrics, once again, are a real highlight. As is the chorus punctuating every piece of the story.

3. “My Ding-A-Ling”

Chuck Berry was a man for whom the U.S. 1970s were invented. Suddenly cast in the free-love era and free from the burdens of censoring himself, Berry chose to cover “My Ding-A-Ling.”

“My Ding-A-Ling” is a naughty novelty song about the adventures of one’s private parts. It’s amazing that Berry didn’t write this one because it sounds entirely natural when he sings it. The public felt the same as they rewarded Berry with his only number 1 Billboard hit in the United States.

2. “No Particular Place to Go”

Teenagers in the 1950s U.S. had more freedom, in many ways, than any other generation before them. One of those freedoms, for many, involved owning an automobile and having a young romantic partner.

“No Particular Place to Go” is written for all teenagers enjoying this new way life. Why hasn’t this aged like some other 1950s novelty song about cars?

The lyrics are, once again, fantastic. The verses present a comical story. By the end, the driver is ready to try and take off the passenger’s seat belt (wink! wink!). It ends in tragedy when the belt won’t come off, and they need to drive back home.

1. “Johnny B. Goode”

“Johnny B. Goode” invented rock n’ roll guitar. Its opening riff is so memorable and so powerful that it has never been bettered.

“Johnny B. Goode” also proved the addictive potential of rock music. It’s a song that, even though it has been played millions of times, always seems to stroll by.

And it’s not just the riff that sells the song. Chuck Berry’s storytelling of a young man stunning passers-by with his ability to “play the guitar just like ringing a bell” talked about the entire fantasy of rock stardom.

If there’s a song that defines early rock n’ roll for most, it’s probably “Johnny B. Goode.” And even though so many bands have covered the tune, nobody seems to get it right quite like Chuck Berry.