Almost Hits: Chuck Berry and His Combo - Roll Over Beethoven (1956)
To celebrate the 4th of July, and to improve your mood if necessary, the rock 'n roll doctor is prescribing an extra dose of Almost Hits this month. Take it, it'll be good for you. "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956) is the oldest song to be featured so far in this fun series of posts. Chuck Berry's famous record dates back to a time before the Billboard Hot 100 existed. On the pop chart of the era the song peaked at #29. It made the top ten on the R&B chart, reaching #7. The single was one of fifty recordings to be added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress and Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at #97 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. "Roll Over Beethoven" was a very early Berry hit that struck a chord with kids who were among the first rock 'n roll fans. The new, hard-hitting music style was still in its infancy and had not yet achieved the mainstream, worldwide phenomenon it would become in...