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Berry, Chuck
Ask the early rock and rollers who their favorite artist is and you'll usually get the same reply. Elvis, Little Richard, and even Jerry Lee Lewis have all agreed that Chuck Berry is the standard bearer. In the movie Hail, Hail, Rock and Roll, Lewis tells the story of when his mother told him, "You may be good, but you're no Chuck Berry." She was probably the only person on the planet who could have said those words to Jerry Lee without getting a black eye, but deep down he knew that his mama was right.
"Johnny B. Goode" is timeless in the sense that it is difficult to imagine a time when it didn't exist. There aren't many songs that have more universal acclaim. The guitar intro became a classic part of our musical heritage, and the lyrics ("Go! Go, Johnny, Go!") are permanently etched into our collective brains. Most of us have heard this song so often that it is almost impossible to listen with fresh ears, but if you do manage to escape it for a while (avoid wedding bands and bars with overaged deejays), it will sound as good as new the next time you hear it.
In the late ‘70s NASA launched a pair of space vehicles to explore the outer reaches of our solar system. Known as the Voyager program, these technical wonders sailed away from earth with the explicit purpose of sending back information and photographs of the planets, as well as anything else that might be encountered along this intriguing journey. As the Voyager spacecrafts completed their primary mission (and they had done admirably well), an interesting possibility remains. With no practical means of propelling the spacecrafts back toward earth, they will continue to travel on a blind path to the ends of the universe (theoretically). On the outside chance that other life forms might some day discover these odd space travelers, a two-hour recording was placed on board to convey to convey what life on earth was like at the time these vehicles were launched. Included on the recording was a greeting in nearly four dozen languages, something by J.S. Bach, and a recording of “Johnny B. Goode.” Perhaps in seven or eight thousand years, an alien culture will intercept the Voyager and examine the contents. Once they finish laughing at the ridiculously obsolete technology of our planet, the word “hello” will probably sink in, and perhaps they will be impressed by the thoughtful artistry of J.S. Bach. “Johnny B. Goode,” however, ought to be the surprise hit of the package. Imagine, a rock and roll revolution on Alpha Centauri; “Go, Johnny Go!” indeed.
As a postscript, honorable mention should be made of the many great songs that Chuck Berry (and subsequently hundreds of others) recorded but that never reached the Top 40. Here are a few: "Little Queenie", "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man", "Around And Around", "You Can't Catch Me" and so many more. Somebody ought to make a movie and utilize these songs. I'm sure that at least the soundtrack would be a hit.
 
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