For almost seventy years, the title of King of Rock ‘n’ Roll has been synonymous with Elvis Presley. His charisma, gyrating hips, and buttery voice made him an undeniable global icon. But, the more we delve into the world of rock ‘n’ roll, the clearer it becomes that the crown has never truly belonged to him, and he was merely the poster boy for getting blues and rock ‘n’ roll to the mainstream. The true master behind the youth-defining genre was, in fact, Chuck Berry. He was a guitar innovator, a cultural force, and actually wrote his own songs. Berry completely set the blueprint for rock ‘n’ roll and, in turn, modern music as we know it. Berry was the first to give music its youth-centred spirit, altering how music was, and still is, interacted with. I think it’s about time we reconsider who the crown truly belongs to.
The True King Defined Youth Culture
Rock ‘n’ Roll has an inherent presence of rebellion. It completely defines its appeal and why it became so cool and embedded in the youth culture of the 1950s. In that regard, the crown simply has to go to Chuck Berry. Berry is a true icon, and unlike Elvis, he wrote his own songs, channeling his talents as a writer as well as a performer. Berry’s well-rounded craftsmanship is something that goes overlooked in retrospect, and it’s simply not fair. In his songwriting, Berry wrote culturally relevant lyrics, and was actually a pioneer in creating what we now recognize as the modern guitar riff. The riff is such a staple of mainstream rock, pop, indie, and alternative music today. Berry really paved the way for modern song structure and expectations. The opening lines of “Johnny B. Goode” were truly the Big Bang of contemporary music, transforming blues into a whole new level of experimentation and success.
While Berry redefined how music was written and played, he was also a cultural powerhouse. He was acutely in tune with modern times in the era when the concept of teenagers was emerging, giving young people hopes of individual identity and expression. Berry was the perfect mirror for society, giving the newfound youth tunes about dancing, love, and cars. This was revolutionary, not only for music but for culture and society as a whole.
Chuck Berry gave the youth a voice and outlined who they were and what kind of people they wanted to be. His intelligence went far beyond crafting the sound of rock ‘n’ roll, but building the entire cultural attachment to the genre. Impressive stuff. It was truly revolutionary for Berry to give a fun voice to the youth who had always been expected to be silent. By encapsulating the post-war energy and urge to break free, Berry invented a movement to give the youth a reason to dance and express their newfound rebellion that simply would not exist without him.
Why Elvis Was Never the True King of Rock ’n’ Roll
Now, there’s no denying that Elvis was a remarkable performer. You can’t be recognized as the King without being able to pass for one. His smooth tones, stage presence, and charisma were truly unique and unmatched. But his greatness in the genre can’t be equated with being the head of a dynasty. Elvis did acknowledge Berry’s influence on him, with fellow crooner Tom Jones recalling watching Chuck Berry together with him, “Elvis turned to me and said, ‘There’s the real King of Rock and Roll up there right now.'” It doesn’t take a musical genius to notice how heavily Elvis drew from Berry’s style, and it seems he would be creatively rather lost without those reference points.
Berry has been coined the “Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Rolling Stone, but it’s just not good enough. It’s nice that he’s being recognized as the creator of the entire genre, but a parental title doesn’t seem fair; He was more of a deity. I’ve previously argued that The Beach Boys were better than The Beatles, partly because they beat the Brits to more innovative techniques. People weren’t happy, with the Dad Army calling my opinion “nonsense.” I get it, even if a certain musician came first, it doesn’t mean others can’t master that same craft, but for Rock ‘n’ Roll, it just isn’t the case. Berry invented the entire genre. Yes, Elvis was good at it, but there wouldn’t be anything to be good at if Berry hadn’t provided the entire musical and cultural framework.
Ultimately, Chuck Berry defined the genre, he ruled it, he owned it. Calling Berry the “Father” fairly places him at the beginning of the musical revolution, but it denies him the crown he deserves. Elvis was a genuinely incredible singer, and he did a wonderful job of rolling out Rock ‘n’ Roll to the masses, but the King? I don’t think so. Berry’s music wasn’t just popular, it totally redefined how people interacted with music, in turn preparing audiences for the cultural reset that was Elvis. Berry didn’t just perform music, he wrote it, wrote it well, and altered the trajectory of music as we know it. No guitar riffs would mean no Rolling Stones, no Hendrix, and that’s right, no Beatles. Let’s use the clear evidence to finally recognize that Chuck Berry is the true King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Elvis can be the Prince instead.