In July 1956, Chess Records issued what was arguably the hardest-hitting Chuck Berry LP of them all, Chuck Berry Is On Top, The man himself started the year appearing as both a performer and actor in the Hollywood feature film Go, Johnny, Go, which was named after a line in one of his own songs, The oldest song on the
album was from May 1955, the newest from February 1959, but nine out of the twelve came from 1958, and indeed, any Chuck Berry fan who had been religiously buying each Chess 45 and EP would have owned every track already, except for the instrumental, Blues For Hawaiians, Nevertheless, viewed as a collection of songs
it was one of the all-time great 1950s party LPs, Today what stands out is the sheer quantity of landmark hits contained here, many of which went on to become serious chart material a second time around in the hands of other artists.
