When John Fogerty – the singer, guitarist and songwriting mastermind behind Creedence Clearwater Revival – broke that band up in 1972, he single-handedly laid waste to one of the most successful and beloved groups on Planet Earth. Half a century later, it’s difficult to conceive just how massive they were back then; Creedence had accumulated ten million-selling singles, they dropped six albums on Fantasy Records that landed in the Billboard Top Ten (three in 1969 alone) and they topped charts all over the globe – although weirdly, they never hit number one in their native country.
Nonetheless, their instantly recognisable sound proved hugely popular with mainstream audiences. While some of their contemporaries looked forward to the consciousness-elevating possibilities of psychedelia, Creedence celebrated America’s verdant lineage of R&B, fusing it with the jammy excess of roots rock and the fuzzy power of electric blues. Even if you hadn’t heard the song before, you knew when you were listening to Creedence.
