Chuck Berry Hits Album Headed for Billboard Chart

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A 30-song collection of Chuck Berry’s classic recordings, The Definitive Collection, is likely to become his highest-charting album in decades when it debuts on the Billboard album chart next week, the trade magazine reports. The Definitive Collection, although released in 2006, was logging insignificant weekly sales up until Berry’s death.

Now, says Billboard, the two-CD set, which includes all of the original recordings of Berry’s biggest hits, from “Maybellene” to “My Ding-a-Ling” (with, of course, “Johnny B. Goode,” “Rock and Roll Music,” “Sweet Little 16,” “Carol,” etc., along the way), “is on course to debut on the tally dated April 8, with perhaps around 10,000 to 15,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending March 23. That sum, up from a negligible amount, could enable the album to debut somewhere inside the chart’s top 50.”

Berry “was last higher on the list way back in early 1973,” the article continues, “when his album The London Chuck Berry Sessions wrapped a chart run after peaking at No. 8 the previous year.”

Chuck Berry’s forthcoming Chuck album

In addition, Chuck, the album of all new material by Berry that was announced shortly before the seminal rocker’s death on March 21, is officially set for release on June 16, on the Dualtone label. As it will be the first wholly new Berry album in 38 years, the sales for this album will also likely be stronger than they would have been had Berry survived.

On March 21, the first track from the new album was released—Berry’s first single in 40 years. Titled “Big Boys,” it’s described as “an upbeat rock and roll song about a teenager wanting to do all the things that grownups do.” Berry sings on the track and the lead guitar line is in the classic Chuck Berry style. Pre-order Chuck here.