“The best rock and roller ever,” according to Joni Mitchell
Few are more equipped to speak about the history of music than the legendary Joni Mitchell.
Her journey began when she started performing as a teenager and surrounded herself with like-minded friends, who also shared her passion for singing folk songs and listening to jazz. It became the lifeblood of her existence, which first took her to Toronto before moving to New York City to follow her dreams.
As much as the folk scene in Greenwich Village welcomed Mitchell with open arms, the genre is not her first love. During a pivotal moment in her life, she felt a sense of liberation when listening to Chuck Berry, and in her mind, nobody else’s legacy comes close.
Following the release of ‘Johnny B. Goode‘ in 1958, Mitchell, who was 16 years old, became obsessed with the piece of music. She was on a mission to listen to it as much as humanly possible and played it until she was physically incapable of dancing anymore. This song took her to a different universe and provided a euphoric feeling that was akin to a drug.
Musically, Mitchell’s love of Berry doesn’t rise to the surface of her sound, but he was a significant influence. She once said of how he helped shape ‘Big Yellow Taxi’, “‘Big Yellow Taxi’ is a nursery rhyme. But it’s basically Chuck Berry but with my voice, and sometimes you wouldn’t recognise necessarily the influences because they’re not imitative per se. But rock and roll is just boogie woogie played on guitar”.
She later elaborated on this to ABC in Australia: “It’s like a Chuck Berry song in form and rhythm and everything, it’s basically that genre. Like [sings] ‘Maybellene, why can’t you be true?’ [Claps rhythm] ‘Oh Maybellene…’ Or [sings] ‘Way back up in the woods…’ ‘They paved paradise, put up a parking lot.’ I mean, it’s the same stuff.”
Years later, Mitchell again spoke about her love of Berry during a rare interview with Elton John in 2022. In the wide-spanning conversation, the singer-songwriter discussed her comeback at Newport Folk Festival earlier that year, as well as reflecting on her career and the most influential songs of her life.
When Elton broached the topic of ‘Johnny B. Goode’, Mitchell shared a poignant teenage memory of the song: “I used to go to the Avenue H swimming pool in Saskatoon [Canada],” she said. “They had a jukebox and a patio. I didn’t swim much, not at that pool, but I danced on the patio to ‘Johnny B. Goode’. It was one of the main, most played records there.”
She then delivered the ultimate compliment to the rock ‘n’ roll pioneer, adding, “He was the best rock and roller ever. He was a G.O.A.T. [Greatest of All Time]. The king of rock and roll.”
As there is no definitive greatest artist of all time due to the subjective nature of music, nobody can doubt Berry’s standing as a leading forefather of rock ‘n’ roll. He made it possible for bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and everyone else that came in his wake to thrive.
Berry was a relentless innovator who was among the first wave of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 due to his cultural contribution. Everyone from John Lennon to Bruce Springsteen to Bob Dylan has cited him as a major influence, which is proof of how far and wide his impact has been felt.
Whether Berry’s work occupies space in your record collection or not, his presence continues to be felt in all our daily lives.
