Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry invented the electric guitar’s rock vocabulary, from double-string bends to the iconic duck-walk, influencing every guitarist after 1955. His single "Johnny B. Goode" sold over 10 million copies and remains a definitive riff—simpler than #3 Jimmy Page’s complex work but rhythmically seminal. Berry’s propulsive, story-driven solos set the template for #2 Eric Clapton and every lead player, proving that a few sharp notes can shape an entire genre. While Hendrix revolutionized sound, Berry’s foundational clarity and showmanship were 80% more copied in early rock than any other player’s style. He gave the guitar its defining language.