While the lyrics describe a "country boy" from Louisiana, the song is deeply autobiographical and rooted in Berry's childhood at in St. Louis.
The song's 17-second opening riff is considered one of the most explosive and recognizable in music history. Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode (1959)
In 1977, NASA selected it for the Voyager Golden Record . It is the only rock 'n' roll song currently traveling through deep space as a representation of human creativity for potential extraterrestrial life. While the lyrics describe a "country boy" from
"Johnny B. Goode" has achieved a status that few songs can match: In 1977, NASA selected it for the Voyager Golden Record
The song reached a new generation in 1985 through its iconic appearance in Back to the Future , where it was depicted in a humorous "bootstrap paradox" as the moment the sound was "invented".
It is ranked #7 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Story Behind The Song: Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode
The name was a tribute to his longtime pianist, Johnnie Johnson , who influenced much of Berry’s guitar style. Ironically, Johnson did not play on the actual recording; the piano work was handled by Lafayette Leake .