Johnny Anthony

"Johnny B. Goode"
Single by Chuck Berry
from the album Chuck Berry Is on Top
Released	March 31, 1958
Format	vinyl record (7")
Genre	Rock and roll
Length	2:40
Label	Mca
Producer(s)	Blue Berry
Peak chart positions
#6 (USA)
Chuck Berry singles chronology
Anthony Boy (1958) Johnny B. Goode (1958) Little Queenie (1958)
Music sample
"Johnny B. Goode" (file info) Play in browser (beta) Problems? See media help.

"Johnny B. Goode" is a song by Chuck Berry.

Berry wrote the piece in 1955 and released it in 1958. It is a rock and roll telling of the American dream - a poor country boy becoming a star by hard work and his skill at playing the guitar. Although partly autobiographical, the inspiration for the song is said to have been Johnnie Johnson who played the piano and composed several songs with Berry, and is considered a major contributor to the unmistakable Berry sound. On earlier unreleased takes Chuck sang "colored boy" instead of "country boy", but the Chess brothers decided that that would not sell. In reference to the boy's name, Berry was also born on Goode Avenue in St. Louis.

Berry later wrote a sequel song called "Bye Bye Johnny". His instrumental "Concerto in B. Goode" is an extended instrumental exploration of "the Chuck Berry style" by its master and inventor.

Berry's recording of the song was included on the Voyager Golden Record, attached to the Voyager spacecraft as representing rock and roll among other cultural achievements of humanity.

In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Johnny B. Goode" at number 42 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. Rolling Stone ranked it as the seventh greatest song ever on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Cultural uses

• In the movie Back to the Future, Marty McFly performs this song at a high school dance where the original band's guitarist (named Marvin Berry) injures his hand. The unseen Chuck Berry (apparently) becomes inspired to write the song by Marvin, his cousin, who calls Chuck to hear the "new sound been looking for". This creates a paradox, specifically an ontological paradox, with "Johnny B. Goode" having never been written by anyone. The scene was also used in Back to the Future Part II.
• The Beach Boys copied the intro of the song for "Fun, Fun, Fun". They recorded the song live on December 21, 1963, in a version which would later be released on the album Beach Boys Concert.
• The song is one of two Berry recordings included on the American Graffiti soundtrack.
• "Johnny B. Goode" makes a cameo appearance in the Ricky Nelson song, "Garden Party", as a reference to Berry, who also played the concert commemorated in the Nelson song.
• "Johnny B. Goode" also makes a cameo in the Big Bopper song, "Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor".
• In 2004, Democratic nominee for United State's president John Kerry used the song as a theme song at most of his campaign events
• Australian band TISM once recorded a parody of this song entitled "The Ballad of Johnny To B. Or Not To B. Goode". Their independent record label is named "Genre B. Goode".
• "Johnny B. Goode" can be heard in many places, including in the makeshift hospital Ruth's daughter Jane visits in the British nuclear war film Threads.
• In the SNES game Earthbound (or Mother 2 in Japan), the music which plays when fighting the enemy identified as "New Age Retro Hippie" is based on "Johnny B. Goode".
• In the computer videogameTheme Park, the music of the simulator ride is the guitar riff of "Johnny B. Goode".
• On the soundtrack to the SNES game Final Fantasy III(Final Fantasy VI originally), there is a swing tune that's titled, "Johnny C. Bad", which may(or may not) be a parody of the song's title.
• The Kingdom Hospital television miniseries had a running gag where the hospital's janitor, Johnny B. Goode, was always absent from work and his duties performed by someone else. Eventually Goode does appear late in the series, and is played by novelist and series creator Stephen King.
• In the videogames Animal Crossing and its sequel Animal Crossing: Wild World, the song "Rockin' K.K." is heavily based on "Johnny B. Goode". This could also be a reference to Judas Priest's cover, and their guitarist K.K. Downing.
• "Johnny B. Goode" is featured on the Voyager Golden Record as one of three examples of USA music.
• On his 2006 Modern Times album Bob Dylan seems to use the speed and metric of "Johnny B. Goode" for his song "Thunder on the Mountain". In so far as this CD is about "modern times", it seems reasonable that he picks up this classic: the "spirit" (its rhythmic essence) of the song is transformed into the present, adding much vigor and lyrical variations to it.
• American NASCAR driver Johnny Benson is frequently referred to by television commentators as "Johnny B. Goode" when he's running well.
• Ironically, pianist Johnny Johnson was not on this recording; instead, Lafayette Leake did the keyboard honors.
• "Johnny B. Goode" has also been used in several hit musicals. The song is the finale in "Return to the Forbidden Planet" and also is the final song in the finale act of The Buddy Holly Story.
• In an Australian advertisement for The OC, "Johnny B Goode" is written "Johnny be good" as a caption while a character, Johnny, is robbing a convienience store.
• The DEVO song Come Back Jonee makes a reference to this song.
• The Histeria! episode "Hooray For Presidents" featured a Kid Chorus song about Susan B. Anthony sung to this song's tune.
• The Discworld novel Soul Music, by author Terry Pratchett, references the song multiple times through in-jokes and lyrics references. The main character, Imp Y Celyn, (whose name translates as "Small shoot of the Holly"), wins a music contest with a song named "Sioni Bod Da": Bod Da is Welsh for "Be Good, and Sioni the Welsh version of the name Johnny. Therefore, Sioni Bo Da is Johnny B. Goode. Imp's harp, which was won in the contest, is describe described as "The harp was fresh and bright and already it sang like a bell". The home of his birth, as well, is a reference to the song, for he describes it as "Made of earth and wood. Well, mud and wood really".
• One of the main characters in the 80's comedy adventure show Misfits of Science is a rock guitarist and singer, who goes by the name Johnny B (Johnny Bukowski). During the pilot episode of the series, scientist Dr. Billy Hayes attempts to get Johnny to join the team, by offering him a Chuck Berry greatest hits compilation, on audio cassette, as a peace offering. It is revealed that Johnny's non-stop playing of Chuck Berry (or "C The B" as Hayes puts it) had previously led to the two attacking each other. Johnny also later sings "Johnny B. Goode" while using his lightning powers to hold off the military, during a rescue operation.

Cover versions

This song has been covered by many artists including: