I agree, there is nothing more rockin than Chuck Berry music.

I guess it depends how you define "King." True, Elvis didn't invent rock-n-roll. I wouldn't even credit Chuck Berry with that. But Elvis did take control of it, and helped make it popular.

Keep in mind, the King doesn't necessarily discover a land. He merely rules it, which Elvis clearly did for some time. Then came the pills in one hand...pork chops in the other...Vegas, baby...and then the King dies on his throne. Shakespeare couldn't have written it any better.

Elvis Presley IS the true King of Rock 'n Roll.
I love Chuck Berry too, he was a great pioneer and founding father of Rock, but he was no where near as diverse a performer as Elvis. No fucking way.
Chuck Berry never, ever, strayed far from the rhythm and blues format. He was a brilliant writer and lyricist, but he stayed with what was comfortable. Remember, his pianist Johnny Johnson had a hand in writing a lot of that material. If you don't believe me, go watch "Hail Hail Rock 'n Roll" again.
Nothing before existed like what Elvis did, because he was white, and because what music forms he fused together. Country, Rhythm and Blues, Gospel, and most importantly, his biggest vocal inspiration "Dean Martin" and Italian vocalist "Mario Lanza." No one ever would have thought to put all of this together into what we knew as Elvis. The King's brilliance was that he brought all that he loved in music, into his music. As a performer, he oozed like a volcano and exploded like napalm, just watch his performances on early television in "Elvis '56."
That's what gave credability to his best music, he was sincere because he LOVED what he did. Even when he was fucked up, he loved music. He still would have sang even if he lived under a bridge.
Elvis was the ultimate rocker because for a time, he believed what he did, and he was larger than life because of that, not because a bunch of bull-shit rock journalists said he was great.
Too many people choose to believe in the MYTH of Elvis, fuck that, listen to the music. If anyone here can listen to Elvis' Sun Records collection, or killer tunes like "Little Sister" "King Creole" and anything he did before his stint in the army, if this material doesn't kick you in the ass, then there's no hope for you.
There's a reason why everyone from The Beatles to Led Zeppelin WORSHIPPED Elvis.
-Eric

I think you make a great point. I have always wondered how he seems to get left out of lists of Top So-and-So rockers. And Chuck Berry is still very much alive. A living legend.

I'd like to add that somehow, Little Richard -- self-proclaimed Architect of Rock n Roll -- is so often overlooked, when he broke so much new ground with his style and flamboyance. I think he deserves more props for being one of the first most outrageous rockers! He very much foreshadowed the glam rockers to shock the public like Bowie and Iggy.


Have you seen Little Richard in one of those new Geico commercials? ... cracks me up! It's probably on YouTube somewhere.

Check out "Guitar Slim", especially his reputation for solos and stage performance. Here's but one link

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_Slim

But en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Berry also pretty much credits CB with integrating all the elements

BUT... we're only talking about guitar-players. At least one piano rocker would make the claim...... over and over... Richard Pinniman - Little Richard. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Richard

Some say it's Jerry Lee Lewis... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Lee_Lewis

What do you consider the difference between Rock&Roll and Boogie-Woogie?

Note: Wikipedia articles can be authored and submitted by anyone, so take their "facts" with a grain of salt.