Chuck Berry - Let It Rock: Greatest Hits 1955-60

Chuck Berry - Let It Rock: Greatest Hits 1955-60

Let It Rock: Greatest Hits 1955-60 is a vinyl LP compilation released in 2025 (via the Acrobat label, catalog ACRSLP 1674).

While the songs themselves come from the years 1955 through 1960, this collection gathers many of Chuck Berry’s biggest and most influential tracks in one place — making it an excellent entry point for his legacy.

  • Chuck Berry’s work during the late 1950s laid the foundation for rock music as we know it — guitar-led, rhythm-driven, teen-oriented yet musically rich.
  • This collection brings together seminal tracks such as Maybellene, Roll Over Beethoven, Johnny B. Goode, and more — songs that have been covered, referenced, and revered for decades.
  • By focusing on the 1955-60 window, the compilation presents Berry at the height of his early transformative period — when rock & roll was still new, and he was inventing much of the template.
  • The compilation’s recent release (2025) reflects the enduring importance of these tracks — even 70+ years later, they’re still packaged and celebrated.

📀 Track Listing

  1. Maybellene
  2. Wee Wee Hours
  3. Thirty Days (To Come Back Home)
  4. No Money Down
  5. The Downbound Train
  6. Roll Over Beethoven
  7. Too Much Monkey Business
  8. School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell)
  9. Oh Baby Doll
  10. Rock and Roll Music
  11. Sweet Little Sixteen
  12. Johnny B. Goode
  13. Carol
  14. Sweet Little Rock and Roller
  15. Almost Grown
  16. Back in the U.S.A.
  17. Let It Rock

📝 Musical & Cultural Highlights

  • Maybellene (1955) is one of the earliest rock & roll records — its fusion of country, R&B and up-tempo guitar makes it a landmark.

  • Roll Over Beethoven (1956) is iconic for its lyric “Roll over Beethoven / Tell Tchaikovsky the news” — a cheeky anthem of rock-superseding classical.

  • Johnny B. Goode (1958) remains one of the most covered rock songs ever; its guitar intro has become legendary.

  • The inclusion of tracks like Rock and Roll Music, Sweet Little Sixteen, and Back in the U.S.A. shows Berry’s versatility — fun teen-oriented lyrics, guitar heroics, national pride, and dance rhythms.

  • The compilation’s title, Let It Rock, nods to the track “Let It Rock” (1960) — a perfect encapsulation of Berry’s drive: pushing the rock beat, the guitar solos, and the youth energy.

  • Through his songwriting and guitar playing, Berry helped legitimize rock & roll as serious music, influencing countless later artists (from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones).