Chords for Top 10 Rock and Roll Pioneers

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It's only rock and roll, but we like it.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and [Bbm] today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 rock
and roll [F] pioneers. _
Number 10.
[Ab] Richie Valens
Even without a full-length album to his name, Richie Valens opened doors for Chicano and Latin rock.
All he needed was the number two hit Donna and a rocking rendition of the Mexican folk
song La Bamba to become one of rock and roll's first teen idols. _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ [Ab] Though [C] he died too soon in a plane crash [D] along with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper, Valens'
sound [Ab] continues to shape music today. _
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[N] _ _ _ _ Number 9.
Carl Perkins
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_ _ [Bbm] This _ [Bb] _ _ _
_ [F] country boy's dream became reality after the self [Bbm]-penned Blue Suede Shoes topped [Db] country charts.
Thanks to his superb [B] guitar licks and singing style, Carl Perkins became [Bbm] an expert at combining
rock and country music. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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The [Dbm] king of rockabilly was also an excellent [G] songwriter whose tunes [Gbm] were later performed
by greats like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jimi Hendrix.
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_ _ _ [Bb] Number 8. Fats Domino
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Credited with writing and performing one of history's first rock and roll records, [F] Fats
used his welcoming vocals and blues-influenced piano playing to score over 30 [Bb] top 40 hits.
He brought together electric guitar, drums, and saxophone and soon [Eb] became the best-selling
black rock and roll artist of the 1950s.
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By expanding on the New Orleans R&B sound, Fats Domino also inspired the later creation of ska. _
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_ _ _ _ [B] _ _ Number _ _ [A] _ 7.
[E] Bill Haley and his Comets _ _ _ _ _ _
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Accompanied by his Comets, Bill Haley unleashed rock and roll into the mainstream with the
hit Shake, Rattle, [F] and Roll.
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[B] He made sure rock and roll was here to stay with his chart-topping [E] Rock Around the Clock
and cemented himself as the genre's first white superstar in the process.
With 100 [Ab] million albums sold, [E] it's no wonder he's called the father of rock and roll.
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_ _ _ _ [B] _ _ [G] Number 6.
Bo Diddley _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ _ [G] _ He may have only had one album crack billboard and one top 40 hit, but Bo Diddley wasn't
dubbed the originator for nothing.
Along with his blues and R&B-tinged rock and roll driven by electric guitar, [A] he crafted
a rhythm that's been adopted [B] by countless rock and pop [E] musicians, the Bo Diddley beat. _
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Meanwhile, his booming voice and animated [A] playing on square guitars [B] made for very memorable performances.
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Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ _ _ 5.
Jerry Lee [G] Lewis
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Though he dabbled in blues and country, Jerry Lee [G] Lewis molded the sound of rockabilly with
his unique piano playing.
Add his fiery voice [F] and a whole lot of shaking on stage, and you've got rock and roll's first
great eclectic and first great wild man.
[C] Despite the backlash around his marriage to his [F] teenage cousin, the killer [G]
regained popularity
and earned [Am] a platinum certified record almost 50 years after his debut. _ _
[G] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ [C] Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4.
_ _ _ [Bb] _ Buddy Holly
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_ _ under two years, [C] Buddy Holly did more [E] for rock and roll than many [Bb] bands will in their entire careers.
As one of the first to write, [F]
produce and sing his [B] own songs, he appealed to both blacks
and whites with his rockabilly, country and R&B mix.
Holly also popularized the use of two guitars, a bass and [Bb] drums with the crickets.
Despite his [Eb] tragic death, he left us albums worth of material to discover [B] and enjoy.
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_ [Bb] _ _ _ _ Number 3.
Little [N] Richard _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ He _ _ _ [Bb] could wail, croon, moan, [F]
scream and shout.
_ _ _ By merging R&B and boogie woogie with mischievous lyrics, the architect of rock and roll [Fm] planted
the seed for soul and funk.
[B] He could also rip it [F] up at the ball with his lively moves and smooth personality. _ _
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_ _ Thanks to his secular and faith-based music, the wild and frantic Little Richard [Bb] remains
one of rock's most influential entertainers.
Good golly, Miss [G] Molly!
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Number 2.
Chuck [C] Berry
Roll over Beethoven, cause this is Chuck Berry.
[G] Roll over Beethoven, I [D] got to hear it again [C] today.
By introducing R&B and guitar solos to the genre, [Fm] he laid down the law when it [C] came to
playing rock and roll.
The sweet little rock and [F] roller's original beats, stage bravado and accompanying [C] dance
moves set the tone for the genre's growth and subsequent explosion.
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_ _ _ _ _ [F] _ [Cm] Even today, Chuck Berry continues to exude a rock and roll [A] attitude at his shows.
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_ Number 1.
Elvis Presley
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_ _ _ _ _ _ [Dm] After _ fusing R&B with country, Elvis [G] amped things up with electric guitars [D] and added
his emotional and versatile vocals to his rockabilly style.
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_ _ _ [C] _ Flaunting [D] _
good [G] looks, sexy [Dm] dance moves, and a rebellious image on stage and in film, [Bb] the
king of rock and roll had something for everybody.
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_ _ _ [Bbm] _ _ By selling more [Bm] records than any other solo artist, he also defined the genre and [D] transformed
pop culture and for that, we [G] love him tender.
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_ Who is your favorite rock and roll [F] pioneer?
Be sure to [G] subscribe to WatchMojo.com for more entertaining top [Fm] tens. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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