Singers: Creedence Clearwater Revival

 

CCR didn’t have a long career – their first single (“Suzie Q”) made the charts in 1968, and they disbanded in 1972. But their lack of longevity was offset by the uniqueness of their sound and their amazing run of hits – nine consecutive top 10 songs from 1969-71.

Their musical genre is often called “swamp rock”, which is ironic considering that the band was from the San Francisco area. Their style was even more remarkable when you remember that San Francisco was ground zero for the psychedelic music that took the world by storm in the late 60s. But John Fogerty had a distinctive voice that was perfect for CCR’s music, and was  instantly recognizable on the radio. As his brother Tom said, “I could sing, but John had a sound.”

Creedence Clearwater Revival (a much better name than their original choice, The Golliwogs) received induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame’s website says this about CCR: “The term “roots rock” had not yet been invented when Creedence came along, but in a real way they defined it…”

Here are CCR’s biggest hits, with the highest position each reached on the Billboard chart. (Note: Creedence should have been more careful about releasing singles. Many of their most famous songs were B-sides.)

• “Proud Mary” (#2 – b/w “Born on the Bayou”)
• “Bad Moon Rising” (#2 – b/w “Lodi”)
• “Green River” (#2)
• “Down on the Corner (#3 – b/w “Fortunate Son”)
• “Travelin’ Band” (#2 – b/w “Who’ll Stop the Rain”)
• “Up Around the Bend” (#4 – b/w “Run Through the Jungle”)
• “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” (#2 – b/w “Long As I Can See the Light”)
• “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” (#8 – b/w “Hey Tonight”)
• “Sweet Hitch-Hiker” (#6)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAVhKjsImeI&feature=related]