Chuck Berry discography | |
---|---|
Studio albums | 20 |
EPs | 8 |
Soundtrack albums | 2 |
Live albums | 12 |
Compilation albums | 31 |
Singles | 50 |
American rock and roll musician Chuck Berry's discography includes 20 studio albums, 12 live albums, 31 compilation albums, 50 singles, 8 EPs, and 2 soundtrack albums.
Berry's recording career began in 1955, with the release of his single "Maybellene", and spanned a total of 62 years, although the latter 4 decades featured few or no releases. His most prolific and successful period spanned the 1950s and early 1960s, during which time he recorded for Chess. By 1960 he had released most of his hits, including "Maybellene", "Roll Over Beethoven", "Sweet Little Sixteen", and "Johnny B. Goode". Legal troubles, resulting in his imprisonment in 1961, caused a reduction in his output, but his release in 1963, combined with an interest in his songs thanks to the British invasion, rejuvenated his career. By the time Berry left Chess in 1966, he had released 36 singles, 5 EPs, and 12 albums, including the fake live album, Chuck Berry On Stage and 2 compilation albums, as well as having featured in the soundtrack album for the film Rock, Rock, Rock! .
Berry subsequently signed to Mercury Records, where he stayed until 1970. During his tenure at Mercury, he released 5 albums, including his first real live album, as well as 5 singles, before he returned to Chess, where he released a further 5 singles and albums each, including The London Chuck Berry Sessions, which became his best-selling album, supported by his only #1 single, "My Ding-a-Ling". After his release from Chess in 1975, Berry's releases became sporadic, briefly recording for Atco in 1979, resulting in his final studio album released during his life, Rockit . His final, posthumous, studio album was 2017's Chuck .
Berry's discography includes a large amount of unofficial live albums, as he performed without being signed to any label for most of his latter years, as well as a number of re-packaged or unofficial compilation albums, owing to Chess Records complicated ownership history.
Overseas, Berry's discography differed from that in the US, most notably in the UK, where his early work was released mostly by London Records until 1960, then Pye Records until 1965, before being issued directly by Chess or Mercury. This resulted in a number of exclusive British EP releases on the one hand, and a number of unissued LPs and singles on the other.
In the US, Berry saw a total of 25 charting singles and 4 charting B-sides, as well as 5 charting albums. Of these, 2 singles have been certified Platinum by the RIAA, as well as 1 Gold single and 1 Gold album.
Title | Album details [1] [2] [3] | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [4] | CAN [5] | FRA [6] | GER [7] | NL [8] | SWI [9] | UK [10] | |||
After School Session | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
One Dozen Berrys |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Berry Is on Top |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Rockin' at the Hops |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
New Juke Box Hits |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Two Great Guitars (with Bo Diddley) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
St. Louis to Liverpool |
| 124 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Chuck Berry in London |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Fresh Berry's |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Chuck Berry's Golden Hits |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Chuck Berry in Memphis |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
From St. Louie to Frisco |
| 185 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Concerto in B. Goode |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Back Home |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
San Francisco Dues |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
The London Chuck Berry Sessions | 8 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Bio |
| 175 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Chuck Berry |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Rock It |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Chuck |
| 49 | — | 39 | 31 | 61 | 14 | 9 | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [4] | CAN [5] | UK [10] | |||
Chuck Berry on Stage |
| 29 | — | 6 | |
Live at the Fillmore Auditorium |
| — | — | — | |
The London Chuck Berry Sessions |
| 8 | 6 | — | |
Chuck Berry Live in Concert |
| — | — | — | |
Alive and Rockin' |
| — | — | — | |
Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival 1969 Vol. II |
| — | — | — | |
Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival 1969 Vol. III |
| — | — | — | |
Live! |
| — | — | — | |
Live on Stage |
| — | — | — | |
Chuck Berry – In Concert |
| — | — | — | |
Rockin' Rollin' New Year's Eve [12] |
| — [lower-alpha 1] | — | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [4] | FRA [6] | SWI [9] | UK [10] | |||
Chuck Berry Twist |
| — | — | — | 12 | |
More Chuck Berry |
| — | — | — | 9 | |
Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits |
| 34 | — | — | — | |
The Latest and the Greatest |
| — | — | — | 8 | |
You Never Can Tell |
| — | — | — | 18 | |
Chuck Berry's Golden Decade |
| 72 | — | — | — | |
Chuck Berry's Golden Decade, Vol. 2 |
| 110 | — | — | — | |
Chuck Berry's Golden Decade, Vol. 3 |
| — | — | — | — | |
Motorvatin' |
| — | — | — | 7 | |
The Great Twenty-Eight |
| — | — | — | — | |
Motive Series |
| — | — | — | — | |
Chess Masters |
| — | — | — | — | |
Rock 'n' Roll Rarities |
| — | — | — | — | |
More Rock 'n' Roll Rarities | — | — | — | — | ||
The Best of the Best of Chuck Berry |
| — | — | — | — | |
The Chess Box |
| — | — | — | — | |
Missing Berries: Rarities, Vol. 3 |
| — | — | — | — | |
The Collection |
| — | — | — | — | |
36 All-Time Greatest Hits |
| — | — | — | — | |
Let It Rock |
| — | — | — | — | |
The Best of Chuck Berry |
| — | — | — | 116 | |
Guitar Legends(with Bo Diddley) |
| — | — | — | — | |
His Best, Vol. 1 |
| — | — | — | — | |
His Best, Vol. 2 |
| — | — | — | — | |
The Best of Chuck Berry |
| — | — | — | — | |
Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller |
| — | — | — | — | |
20th Century Masters: The Best of Chuck Berry |
| 134 | — | — | — | |
Anthology |
| — | 175 | 48 | 110 | |
The Ultimate Collection |
| — | — | — | — | |
Blues |
| — | — | — | — | |
Chuck Berry |
| — | — | — | — | |
The Definitive Collection |
| 33 | — | 75 | — | |
Johnny B. Goode: His Complete '50s Chess Recordings |
| — | — | — | — | |
You Never Can Tell: His Complete Chess Recordings 1960–1966 |
| — | — | — | — | |
Have Mercy: His Complete Chess Recordings 1969–1974 |
| — | — | — | — | |
Rock And Roll Music – Any Old Way You Choose It - The Complete Studio Recordings... Plus! |
| — | — | — | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Title | Album details |
---|---|
Rock, Rock, Rock! | |
Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll |
|
Title | Album details |
---|---|
After School Session | |
Rock and Roll Music |
|
Sweet Little 16 |
|
Pickin' Berries |
|
Sweet Little Rock and Roller |
|
Chuck Berry |
|
This Is Chuck Berry |
|
The Best of Chuck Berry |
|
Berry Christmas |
|
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [15] [16] | US R&B [15] [17] | CAN [5] | FRA [6] | GER [7] | NL [8] | NOR [18] | SWI [9] | UK [10] | ||||
1955 | "Maybellene" "Wee Wee Hours" | 5 — | 1 10 | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | Rock, Rock, Rock! | |
"Thirty Days (To Come Back Home)" b/w "Together (We Will Always Be)" | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rock, Rock, Rock! After School Session | ||
1956 | "No Money Down" b/w "The Downbound Train" | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | After School Session | |
"Roll Over Beethoven" b/w "Drifting Heart" | 29 | 2 | — | — | 31 | — | — | — | — | Rock, Rock, Rock! After School Session | ||
"Too Much Monkey Business" b/w "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | After School Session | ||
"You Can't Catch Me" b/w "Havana Moon" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rock, Rock, Rock! After School Session | ||
1957 | "School Days (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell)" b/w "Deep Feeling" | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | After School Session | |
"Oh Baby Doll" b/w "Lajaunda" | 57 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | One Dozen Berrys | ||
"Rock and Roll Music" b/w "Blue Feeling" | 8 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
1958 | "Sweet Little Sixteen" b/w "Reelin' and Rockin'" | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | ||
"Johnny B. Goode" b/w "Around and Around" | 8 | 2 | — | 73 | — | — | — | 83 | — | Berry Is on Top | ||
"Beautiful Delilah" b/w "Vacation Time" | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
"Carol" b/w "Hey Pedro" | 18 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Berry Is on Top | ||
"Sweet Little Rock and Roller" "Joe Joe Gunne" | 47 83 | 13 — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | |||
"Merry Christmas Baby" "Run Rudolph Run" | 71 10 | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — 54 | — 36 | Non-album single | ||
1959 | "Anthony Boy" b/w "That's My Desire" | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Berry Is on Top Non-album track | |
"Almost Grown" "Little Queenie" | 32 80 | 3 — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | Berry Is on Top | ||
"Back in the U.S.A." "Memphis, Tennessee" | 37 — | 16 — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — 6 | Non-album singles | ||
"Broken Arrow" b/w "Childhood Sweetheart" | 108 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rockin' at the Hops | ||
1960 | "Let It Rock" "Too Pooped to Pop" | 64 42 | 18 — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | — — | 6 — | ||
"Bye Bye Johnny" b/w "Worried Life Blues" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"I Got to Find My Baby" b/w "Mad Lad" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"Jaguar and Thunderbird" b/w "Our Little Rendezvous" | 109 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
1961 | "Little Star" b/w "I'm Talking About You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | New Juke Box Hits | |
"Go-Go-Go" b/w "Come On" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | Non-album singles | ||
1963 | "Diploma for Two" b/w "I'm Talking About You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | New Juke Box Hits | |
"Memphis" b/w "Surfin' USA" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Chuck Berry on Stage | ||
1964 | "Nadine (Is It You?)" b/w "O Rangutang" | 23 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | Non-album singles | |
"No Particular Place to Go" b/w "You Two" | 10 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | St. Louis to Liverpool | ||
"You Never Can Tell" b/w "Brenda Lee" | 14 | - | 11 | — | — | 9 | — | — | 23 |
| ||
"Chuck's Beat" b/w "Bo's Beat" (both by Chuck Berry & Bo Diddley) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Two Great Guitars | ||
"Little Marie" b/w "Go, Bobby Soxer" | 54 | 30 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | St. Louis to Liverpool | ||
"Promised Land" b/w "The Things I Used to Do" | 41 | 16 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | |||
1965 | "Dear Dad" b/w "Lonely School Days" | 95 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Chuck Berry in London Non-album track | |
"It Wasn't Me" b/w "Welcome Back Pretty Baby" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Fresh Berry's | ||
1966 | "Ramona Say Yes" b/w "Lonely School Days" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
"Club Nitty Gritty" b/w "Laugh and Cry" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Chuck Berry's Golden Hits Non-album track | ||
1967 | "Back to Memphis" b/w "I Do Really Love You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Chuck Berry in Memphis | |
"Feelin' It" (with Miller Band) b/w "It Hurts Me Too" (with Miller Band) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Live at the Fillmore Auditorium | ||
1968 | "Louie to Frisco" b/w "Ma Dear" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | From St. Louie to Frisco | |
1969 | "It's Too Dark in There" b/w "Good Looking Woman" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Concerto in "B Goode" | |
1970 | "Tulane" b/w "Have Mercy Judge" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Back Home | |
1972 | "My Ding-a-Ling" b/w "Johnny B. Goode" | 1 | 42 | 1 | — | 40 | 29 | 7 | — | 1 |
| The London Chuck Berry Sessions |
"Reelin' and Rockin'" b/w "Let's Boogie" | 27 | — | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | |||
1973 | "Bio" b/w "Roll 'Em Pete" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Bio Non-album track | |
1975 | "Shake, Rattle and Roll" b/w "Baby What You Want Me to Do" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Chuck Berry | |
1979 | "Oh What a Thrill" b/w "California" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rockit | |
2017 | "Big Boys" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Chuck | |
"Wonderful Woman" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"Lady B. Goode" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Billboard did not publish a separate R&B singles chart in 1964. For this year only, R&B chart positions are from Cash Box magazine. [17]
Year | Song | Year-End Position |
---|---|---|
1957 | "School Days" | 22 |
1958 | "Sweet Little Sixteen" | 29 |
1972 | "My Ding-a-Ling" | 15 |
"Johnny B. Goode" is a song by American musician Chuck Berry, written and sung by Berry in 1958. Released as a single in 1958, it peaked at number two on the Hot R&B Sides chart and number eight on its pre-Hot 100 chart. The song remains a staple of rock music.
"Promised Land" is a song lyric written by Chuck Berry to the melody of "Wabash Cannonball", an American folk song. The song was first recorded in this version by Berry in 1964 for his album St. Louis to Liverpool. Released in December 1964, it was Berry's fourth single issued following his prison term for a Mann Act conviction. The record peaked at #41 in the Billboard charts on January 16, 1965.
"Rock and Roll Music" is a song by American musician and songwriter Chuck Berry, written and recorded by Berry in May 1957. It has been widely covered and is one of Berry's most popular and enduring compositions.
"Back in the U.S.A." is a song written by Chuck Berry that was released in 1959 and was a top 40 hit. A cover version in 1978 by Linda Ronstadt was also a hit.
"Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 song written by Chuck Berry, originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to be as respected as classical music. The song has been covered by many other artists, including the Beatles and the Electric Light Orchestra. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 97 on its 2004 list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
"Maybellene" is a rock and roll song by American artist Chuck Berry, adapted in part from the western swing fiddle tune "Ida Red". Released in 1955, Berry’s song tells the story of a hot rod race and a broken romance, the lyrics describing a man driving a V8 Ford and chasing his unfaithful girlfriend in her Cadillac Coupe DeVille. It was released in July 1955 as a single by Chess Records, of Chicago, Illinois. Berry's first hit, "Maybellene" is considered a pioneering rock and roll song. Rolling Stone magazine wrote of it, "Rock & roll guitar starts here." The record was an early instance of the complete rock and roll package: youthful subject matter; a small, guitar-driven combo; clear diction; and an atmosphere of unrelenting excitement.
"Run Rudolph Run" is a Christmas song written by Chuck Berry but credited to Johnny Marks and M. Brodie due to Marks's trademark on the character of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It was published by St. Nicholas Music (ASCAP) and was first recorded by Berry in 1958, released as a single on Chess Records.
After School Session is the debut studio album by rock and roll artist Chuck Berry, released in May 1957 by Chess Records. With the exception of two tracks, "Roly Poly" and "Berry Pickin'", all selections had been previously released on 45 rpm singles. It is the second long-playing album released by the Chess label.
Rockin' at the Hops is the fourth studio album by rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry, released in July 1960 on Chess Records, catalogue LP 1448. With the exception of four tracks, "Down the Road a Piece," "Confessin' the Blues," "Betty Jean," and "Driftin' Blues," all selections had been previously released on 45 rpm singles.
"School Days" is a rock-and-roll song written and recorded by Chuck Berry and released by Chess Records as a single in March 1957 and on the LP After School Session two months later. It is one of his best-known songs and is often considered a rock-and-roll anthem.
"Memphis, Tennessee", sometimes shortened to "Memphis", is a song by Chuck Berry, first released in 1959. In the UK, the song charted at number 6 in 1963; at the same time Decca Records issued a cover version in the UK by Dave Berry and the Cruisers, which also became a UK Top 20 hit single. Johnny Rivers's version of the song was a number two US hit in 1964.
"Too Much Monkey Business" is a song written and recorded by Chuck Berry, released by Chess Records in September 1956 as his fifth single. It was also released as the third track on his first solo LP, After School Session, in May 1957; and as an EP. The single reached number four on Billboard magazine's Most Played R&B In Juke Boxes chart, number 11 on the Most Played R&B by Jockeys chart and number seven on the R&B Top Sellers in Stores chart in the fall of 1956.
"No Particular Place to Go" is a song by Chuck Berry, released as a single by Chess Records in May 1964 and released on the album St. Louis to Liverpool in November 1964.
"Brown Eyed Handsome Man" is a rock and roll song written and recorded by Chuck Berry, originally released by Chess Records in September 1956 as the B-side of "Too Much Monkey Business." It was also included on Berry's 1957 debut album, After School Session. The song title was also used as the title of a biography of Berry.
"Nadine " is a song written and recorded by Chuck Berry. It was released as a single in February 1964 and was the first music that Berry released after finishing a prison term in October 1963.
"Almost Grown" is a song written and recorded by Chuck Berry. It was released as a double A-side with "Little Queenie".
"Carol" is a song written and recorded by Chuck Berry, first released by Chess Records in 1958, with "Hey Pedro" as the B-side. The single reached number 18 on Billboard's Hot 100 and number 9 on the magazine's R&B chart. In 1959, it was included on his first compilation album, Berry Is on Top.
"Wee Wee Hours" is a song written and recorded by Chuck Berry in 1955. Originally released as the B-side of his first single, "Maybellene", it went on to become a hit, reaching number 10 in the Billboard R&B chart.
"Reelin' and Rockin'" is a song written and recorded by Chuck Berry. It was originally recorded in 1957 and released as the B-side of "Sweet Little Sixteen".
"No Money Down" is a song written and recorded by Chuck Berry in December 1955. The recording session at Universal Recording Corporation was organized by Chess Records following the success of "Maybellene" and "Wee Wee Hours" singles the same year. "No Money Down" was first released as a single in January 1956, with "Down Bound Train" on the B-side, reaching number 8 in the Billboard R&B chart. The song was later included into Chuck Berry's 1957 album After School Session.