Epitomising the sense of injustice that so often fuels teenage rebellion, ‘Summertime Blues’ tells the story of a young boy’s dissatisfaction with the expectation that he will leave school at 15 and spend the rest of his days working in a factory. A masterpiece of 12 bar blues, this song remains a classic long after Eddie Cochran’s premature death in a taxi crash at the age of just 22.
Buy this song at iTunes or Amazon. The official band site is here.
Chuck Berry’s awesome upbeat tempo and catchy accompanying lyrics provide no better candidate for the acclaimed label of first rock ‘n’ roll guitar riff! Repeated throughout the song, the opening riff is punctuated by the bass and drums making this attention grabbing song one of Chuck’s signature classics. The song’s simple yet effective 12 bar structure has made it a favourite for budding guitarists and rock bands, preventing this invigorating riff from falling into musical obscurity!
Buy this song at iTunes or Amazon. The official band site is here.
The Ultimate Rock Riffs 