What Was Chuck Berry’s Biggest Hit Song?

This post contains independently chosen affiliate links. See full affiliate disclosure.

*Chuck Berry performing in 2008, Image by docmonstereyes*

The legendary Chuck Berry, known as the “Father of Rock and Roll” had many songs on the charts but, his only number one his was a cover of a novelty song, 1972’s My Ding-A-Ling. It spent 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent two weeks at no. 1 in October of that year. The song had first been written and recorded in 1952 by Dave Bartholomew. This silly song is one long double entendre, telling the story of a gift of silver bells handing on a string given to a boy. The boy never let’s go of the bells no matter where he goes or what he does. The double-meaning in “I want you to play with my ding-a-ling” is obvious. While this may have been his biggest chart topper, it certainly wasn’t Chuck Berry’s greatest hit. In terms of chart success and content, that honor would have to go to Sweet Little Sixteen.

Sweet Little Sixteen was recorded on January 6, 1958 and debuted in February of that year. It spent three weeks at no. 1 on the R&B chart and 3 weeks at no. 2 on the Pop chart. It also went to no. 1 for two weeks in Canada. Berry, in his autobiography, said that the song was inspired by a little girl of 7 or 8 he saw in the Ottawa Coliseum. She was running around desperately trying to get autographs from the stars while most of the other girls were in their teens. Berry, who was 31 at the time, said although he was much older, he could understand how they must have felt and why they wanted to collect the signatures.

What 1966 Song Gave The Lovin’ Spoonful Their Name?

Others have less generous takes on the song’s meaning. Dave Marsh claimed that the inspiration for the song came from Berry’s “finely articulated obsession with the passions of young girls.” An obsession Marsh compared to Lewis Carrol. When Berry sings “all the cats wanna dance with Sweet Little Sixteen,” says Marsh, he includes himself in that group, and he doesn’t only mean dance. ¹

The Beach Boy’s 1963 classic Surfin USA is set to the music of Chuck Berry’s Sweet Little Sixteen. After Berry’s music publisher insisted, Brian Wilson gave the copyright, including his own lyrics, to Arc Music.

The Beatles also recorded a live version of the song on the Pop Go the Beatles radio show in 1963. This recording was never released until 1994, when it was featured in Live at the BBC.