Chuck Berry is a true rock legend. He literally created rock and roll and made it popular worldwide. He shaped the musical style of generations and so many great musicians that we know today were followers and admirers of him.
He had a hard younghood, but his career in rhythm and blues luckily began after Muddy Waters introduced him to Chess Studios in the early 50s. Thanks to Waters, we now have a great history of rock music and a chance to see such a guitar player.
Berry was a great showman. Besides how he played and his musical style, watching and listening to him perform on stage is amazing. He had a talent for hypnotizing the audience with every step he took.
He played with many great musicians along the way, and it is worth checking his history of musical releases to witness his beautiful collaborations. You can find all these talented musicians who grew up through Chuck Berry’s career in his live performances and records.
If you are a beginner or an intermediate guitar player, you should study his music, and you have a lot to learn from Chuck Berry. Even if you are an expert math-metal player, you still have something to discover in his playing style. I made this list of great songs from him to play. So have fun with it, and Hail! Hail! Rock and roll!
Johnny B Goode
Johnny B Goode is one of the most famous and greatest blues songs in music history! It is a milestone in the evolution of guitar music. In 1958, the tune was released and featured on Berry’s album Chuck Berry Is On Top. The legendary song was recorded at the Chess Studios in Chicago.
The tune was written in the key of Bb. Johnny B Goode has the main blues structure; it is played faster than traditional blues songs. Here in this aggressive and distorted fast blues playing style lies Chuck Berry’s mysterious guitar playing.
Memphis Tennessee
Chuck Berry is a great showman. You can witness it on his live performance video of Memphis, Tennessee. The legendary song was released in 1958 as a single. There are also famous Beatles versions of the song, and the band recorded it for BBC Radio.
Memphis, Tennessee, is an intermediate song played in standard tuning. There are mainly two guitar parts for this song. One plays the main bluesy riff throughout the tune, and the other plays some licks and solos along the sections.
Sweet Little Sixteen
Here is one of the earliest releases of Berry. Sweet Little Sixteen was released in 1958. Chuck Berry recorded this rock and roll tune again in Chess Studios, Chicago, and Leonard and Phil Chess were the producers of it.
His album One Dozen Berrys featured the legendary song. Later in 1963, The Beatles played their version of the tune at a live performance, and this version was later released in 1994.
This intermediate song is played in a 4/4 time signature with many two-note chords like every old rock and roll riff. There is a beautiful piano solo for the tune that you can easily change to an electric guitar solo if you like.
Sweet Little Sixteen Guitar Tabs
School Days
School Days is a great rock and roll, rhythm and blues song by the legend. In March 1957, Chess released this beautiful tune. Berry’s album After School Session featured the song. The great bass player Willie Dixon is playing on the recordings. There are so many cover versions of this tune in music history.
This song is a 12-bar bluesy rock tune written in the key of G. The main chord progression is shifting between G, C, and D, but he is playing them as two-note chords throughout the song. His style of strumming and picking is amazingly fast and crazy for his generation, in my opinion.
Carol
You can see how energetic Chuck Berry can be on the stage and how passionate he is about the music. This tune is another famous Berry song that was released in 1958. Carol was released as a single and later featured on Berry’s first compilation album in 1959.
Again played in a 4/4 time signature, this tune’s tempo is faster than the traditional Berry songs. There is a lead guitar and a rhythm guitar for this song. He is playing classic rock and roll stuff here, but in his way, and even though these classic structures are played by many, you can hear who is playing on this one.
Run Rudolph Run
This tune is a song that Berry is written for Christmas. In 1958, Run Rudolph Run was released as a single. The 12-bar blues song is similar to other classic Berry songs like Johnny B Goode. Other artists over the years made cover versions of this tune.
Run Rudolph Run is easy to play if you are familiar with the 12-bar blues or rock and roll style of guitar playing. There is a little intro part, and it has a simple and fun guitar solo and a main blues riff throughout the tune.
Little Queenie
Chuck Berry and Keith Richards are on the same stage performing Little Queenie. What a performance! In 1959, the tune was released, and it appeared on Berry’s album Go, Johnny, Go! It is a great rock and roll song, for sure. There are also great cover versions of the tune from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones that are worth checking.
Little Queenie has a moderate rock tempo that is pretty fast for the late 50s. With a 4/4 time signature, the tune has a main bluesy rock and roll riff throughout the song. Chuck Berry plays certain two-note chords in between lyrics and plays an amazing solo.
My Ding-A-Ling
This tune was written originally by Dave Bartholomew and covered by the legend. The tune was released in 1972, and the album The London Chuck Berry Sessions featured My Ding-A-Ling. Here is a very fun stage performance of Berry for you. It is so amazing to see him engaging with the audience, don’t miss it.
The song is considered to be a pop-rock novelty tune. There are only 3 chords to play My Ding-A-Ling. It has a very simple structure that goes throughout the tune. The guitars are mostly there to elevate the amusing lyrics of the song.
Maybellene
This tune is one of the earliest hits of the legend. Some also say this tune has the first rock and roll guitar ever in music history. It was recorded at the Universal Recording studios in Chicago and was released in 1955. Maybellene appeared on the legends album Chuck Berry Is on Top. With only a 2.19 length, this song rocked the late 50s world!
Here you can discover the main rockabilly style of Berry’s guitar playing. It can be heard how he strums and plays the riffs and the solos on this one. It is a lesson for rock and roll players out there.
Route 66
Another known as Get Your Kicks On, Route 66 was released in 1946. It was originally a King Cole Trio tune, and Berry had covered it in 1961. It is a very famous R & B tune from the 40s. Route 66 is one of the most popular highways in America that you can travel between Chicago and Los Angeles, and the tune narrates this highway.
Berry’s version of Route 66 has a fast, fun piano basis, and the guitar follows the main piano progression. You can find both the Rhythm and the solo guitar tabs in the link below. Chuck plays very creative blues solos on this one.
You Never Can Tell
Also known as C’est La Vie, You Never Can Tell is one of the other famous songs by Chuck Berry. It was released in 1964 and featured on his album St. Louis to Liverpool, and this tune especially became very popular in Canada back in the day. The label was again Chess for this tune.
The song starts with a rock n roll guitar intro by the legend then the piano progressions come into the scene. Even the piano plays the solo part, but you can play its guitar version by following the tabs below. Chuck is in the foreground, mostly with his vocal performance on this one.
You Never Can Tell Guitar Tabs
Roll Over Beethoven
Here is another earliest hit by Chuck Berry. Roll over Beethoven, which also has the famous cover by The Beatles, was released first in 1956 and featured on the legend’s album Chuck Berry Is on Top. The Beatles’ version was from the year 1963.
This tune is a fast rock and roll song with one of the greatest rock and roll guitar compositions. There is a great long guitar intro part till the lyrics. And then the legend plays crazy solos here and there.
Roll Over Beethoven Guitar Tabs
Promised Land
This tune is written on the main melody of an old folk song from America. Promised Land was released in 1964. The beautiful album of the legend St. Louis to Liverpool featured a great tune. Chess Records was again the label to release this great rock and roll song.
Amazingly, Chuck Berry can rock the world in only 2 minutes. The tune has a rockabilly guitar intro and plays a main rock and roll riff throughout the song. He plays the riffs very melodic and different on this one. It is worth checking.
No Particular Place To Go
The tune, No Particular Place To Go, was released in 1964, and only after 2 months has it been recorded. Chuck Berry released great songs in the early 60s and shaped the musical style of generations. St. Louis to Liverpool featured the legendary tune.
Here is an intermediate song to play from Chuck Berry. Again it is a great example of the earliest rock and roll playing. It is not a coincidence that he is a rock and roll legend and is considered to be one of the creators of this music. There are certain fillings and the main rhythm that goes throughout the song. The intro part is just a simple chord.
No Particular Place To Go Guitar Tabs
Back In The USA
This rock and roll tune was out in 1959. Chess Records was again the releasing label, and Back In The USA was one of the other big hits by the legend. There are a lot of cover versions of this tune, such as from The Beatles, MC5, Gene Summers, The Black Crowes, and Bruce Springsteen.
Back In The USA is another piano-guitar collaboration on rock and roll. Chuck Berry plays beautiful fills, licks, and great intro parts in every section that makes you dance. The song consists of only 3 chords: G, D, A, and D, as a progression.
Big Boys
Big Boys featured on the legend’s latest album, Chuck. This final album is his twentieth studio album. The album was released in 2017 after he died 90 years old. The album and the song Big Boys became a big success and a beautiful tribute to his amazing gift of music.
Big Boys consists of 3 chords: C, F, and G. This 12-bar rock and roll progression are very simple to play. He was still playing crazy stuff, even in his old age. Hearing him singing at that age is also very interesting.
Almost Grown
If you know the cult American movie American Graffiti from 1973, you’ll remember this rebel rock and roll song by Chuck Berry. The tune was originally released in 1959 and appeared on Berry’s album Chuck Berry Is on Top. Johnnie Johnson was on the piano, Willie Dixon on the bass guitar, and Fred Below on the drums. What an amazing band!
This tune is played while tuned in standard tuning and has a 4/4 time signature. The chord progression goes like G5, C5 to G5, then D5 to G5 again -an easy twelve-bar progression. It is a great song to practice two-note chords. Good luck!
Let It Rock
I love the piano playing on this tune! Johnnie Johnson was killing it again. In 1960, Let It Rock was released and featured on the legend’s Rockin’ at the Hops album. This song is short in length, but it is enough for Chuck Berry to rock you. The Rolling Stones performed this tune beautifully on the stage once in 1971.
It is very simple to play this tune. Have a slightly distorted 50s sound on your guitar and amp, and follow the rhythm and blues and the two-note chords of the legend. There is a beautifully simple guitar solo after the piano solo.
It Wasn’t Me
It Wasn’t Me is another classic rock and roll tune by the legend. Berry recorded the tune at the Ter Mar Recording Studios in Chicago. In 1965, the tune was released, and it was the first song on Chuck Berry’s album Fresh Berry.
The song has a similar bluesy rock and roll structure to Johnny B Goode. It is a beginner tune with 4 chords: C, C7, F, and G. Written in the key of C, and it is a very fun song to play. Follow the main riff and try to jam on it in the pentatonic scale. It is also very inspirational lyrically.
Brown Eyed Handsome Man
Brown Eyed Handsome Man is one of other greatest hits by Berry. It was released in 1956 and featured on this album, After School Session. A Buddy Holly version of the song also came out in 1963, which might be more popular than the original.
Have a beautifully distorted crunchy tone and set your rock and roll attitude! This tune is fun to play and is a beginner song. Consists of 4 chords, Brown Eyed Handsome Man has a twelve-bar rockabilly structure again.
30 Days
Another, known as To Come Back Home, 30 Days, was released in 1955. Berry wrote the tune for Hank Williams, the famous country musician. Berry’s album, Rock, Rock, Rock!, featured this great song. Later, Cliff Richard, Bill Black, The Tractors, and Ernest Tubb have their cover versions of the tune.
30 Days has a creative intro and guitar playing compared to the other rock and roll hits from the 50s and other Chuck Berry tunes. The song follows an easy chord progression and strumming pattern, and you will love the fillings and solo guitar parts on this one.
Wee Wee Hours
Chuck Berry is on stage with Eric Clapton and Keith Richards, performing Wee Wee Hours. It was already a great tune, and Clapton, Richards, and Johnnie Johnson on the piano took it to the next level. In 1955, the tune was originally released as a single.
This blues tune has a classic blues composition. The progression shifts between G, C, and D, so a bar blues in G. Get into it after setting up a beautiful blues tone on your guitar.
Around And Around
Around And Around is another rock and roll song covered by famous musicians and bands such as The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, The Animals, Meat Loaf, Pearl Jam, and so on. The tune was released in 1958 and appeared on Berry’s album Chuck Berry Is on Top.
With a 4/4 time signature, this song has a slightly different vibe compared to other rock and roll songs by Chuck Berry. He strums differently, and you can hear him making his guitar dance with the drum beat.
Come On
Come On is a great late hit by Berry, mostly known for its Rolling Stones version from 1963. Come On was originally released in 1961 as a single. The song is already a great tune, but The Rolling Stones took it to another level.
There is a main riff/melody to play this song. It is very fun, and the guitar sounds amazingly beautiful on this one. The progression is mainly a bar blues in the key of G, and Berry plays great solos and fillings along the way.
Anthony Boy
Chuck Berry’s famous album Chuck Berry Is on Top features this perfect 50s rock and roll tune Anthony Boy. The fifth tune of the album has a length of 2.42 minutes, and Berry worked with great musicians for this album, like Bo Diddley, Johnnie Johnson, Willie Dixon, and Fred Below.
Anthony Boy is written in the key of C and consists of augmented chords for the intro and certain parts as a change. Follow the bar blues in C, and the legend fills; you’ll be good to go!
Bio
Bio is the first song of the same-titled album by Chuck Berry. The album was released in 1973 and is one of Berry’s latest releases. It is unbelievable that he can still make good-quality music after so many years. Berry recorded the beautiful album at Sound Exchange Studios in New York this time.
Bio is a perfect collaboration of the piano and the guitar, and the song’s chord progression consists of only 3 chords: B, E, and A. It has a classic rock and roll blues composition, like most of Berry’s songs.
Beautiful Delilah
This tune is a non-album single released in 1958 by the legend. Beautiful Delilah is one of his less-known songs. Yet, it is a great song.
Again, this is also a rock and roll song that is composed in a slightly different way than his other songs. It is almost experimental in his style of playing. Berry wrote the tune in the key of C.
Beautiful Delilah Guitar Chords
3/4 Time Enchiladas
3/4 Time Enchiladas was released in 2017 with Chuck Berry’s self-titled album. This album is the only album that the legend released in 40 years. On this tune, he collaborated with Tony Joe White.
This tune is a funny song played in 3/4 time signature and narrates Berry’s passion for Enchiladas. He hadn’t lost any of his humor until he died. That is remarkable!
3/4 Time Enchiladas Guitar Chords
Away From You
Away From You is the 4th song of Berry’s 1961 album New Juke Box Hits. This tune is, again, released by Berry’s faithful label Chess from Chicago. This song is also a less-known tune by him.
Away From You is an intermediate song to play. You can hear the piano and the guitar going perfectly together. Especially on his late releases after the 60s, they play from another level with Johnson.
Crazy Arms
Crazy Arms is originally a Ray Price tune from the year 1956. This country song was covered by many, including Willie Nelson, Marie Osmond, Patsy Cline, Linda Ronstadt, Louis Armstrong, Van Morrison, Jerry Garcia Band, and Chuck Berry.
Berry elevated the old country tune for sure. It turned out to be more rock and roll and rhythm and blues, but it still kept the base emotion of the original song. I especially loved how the guitar sounded in the intro section.
Conclusion
As you see, Chuck Berry had so many hits and records throughout his career. The true rock legend still had things to show and say with his guitar and his music until the day he died in 2017.
It is important to study different key players from the history of the guitar. And Chuck Berry is definitely in the top 5. You’ll hear the roots of his playing in the 60s, 70s, and 80s rock music.
I hope this list of Chuck Berry tunes finds you well and be a milestone for you on your way of playing the guitar. Once you get the rock and roll style of playing and the twelve-bar blues structure, you’ll be able to play most of the legend’s songs, for sure!
If you found this article useful, you may want to save this pin below to your Guitar board.
Recent Posts
Starting to play the guitar can be as exciting as it is daunting, but one surefire way to keep the motivation going is by learning to play songs by artists you love. If you're a fan of Justin...
Playing the guitar can be a heartening journey, especially when you strum along to songs by charismatic artists like Dua Lipa. Her unique blend of pop, disco, and soul has churned out tracks that...