Chuck Berry’s “Rock and Roll Music” is one of those songs that helped shape the sound of rock. Both The Beatles and The Beach Boys covered it, but only one version found major success in the U.S. While The Beatles never released their rendition as a single, The Beach Boys turned it into a hit. Brian Wilson, the mastermind behind The Beach Boys, has always been open about how much Berry’s music influenced him.
Chuck Berry’s Influence on Brian Wilson
In a 2011 interview with Goldmine, Wilson reflected on the artists who shaped his musical style. “Burt Bacharach, Phil Spector, and Chuck Berry, those are the three people who really inspired me,” he said. “Bacharach inspired my approach with chords, Motown inspired the bass notes, Phil Spector inspired the harmony and echo on the drums.”
But Berry’s influence went beyond rhythm—he also shaped Wilson’s approach to songwriting. “He taught me a lot about how to make use of instruments,” Wilson explained. “I knew about guitars and pianos and organs and bass and drums, and he taught me to blend things together so you could have leakage. Chuck Berry inspired the rhythm and the lyrical thoughts.”
Wilson even studied Berry’s playing style closely. “What I would do is if I heard Chuck Berry on the radio, I’d listen to it and go, ‘Now, wait a minute, what did he play there?’ and I’d analyze what he played,” he recalled.
The Beatles vs. The Beach Boys: Who Made It a Hit?
While both bands paid tribute to Berry with their covers, only The Beach Boys’ version made waves on the charts. The Beatles’ take on “Rock and Roll Music” appeared on multiple albums, including Beatles ‘65, which held the top spot on the Billboard 200 for nine weeks and remained on the chart for a total of 71 weeks. However, since the song was never released as a single, it didn’t land on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Beach Boys, on the other hand, turned their version into a success. Released as a single, it climbed to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, spending 17 weeks on the chart. It became the band’s only top 10 hit of the 1970s. The song also appeared on their album 15 Big Ones, which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 27 weeks.