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Creedence Clearwater Revival
American rock band (1959–1972)
Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), or simply Creedence, was an American rock band formed in El Cerrito, California, in 1968. The band consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty; his brother, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty; bassist Stu Cook; and drummer Doug Clifford.
These members had played together since 1959, first as the Blue Velvets and later as the Golliwogs, before settling on Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1968. The band's most prolific and successful period, between 1969 and 1971, produced 14 consecutive top-10 singles and five consecutive top-10 albums in the United States, two of which—Green River (1969) and Cosmo's Factory (1970)—topped the Billboard 200 chart.
The band performed at the 1969 Woodstock festival in upstate New York and was the first major act signed to appear there.
members: John Fogerty, Stu Cook, Tom Fogerty, Doug Clifford
formed in: El Cerrito
labels: Fantasy
genres: roots rock, hard rock, swamp rock, country rock, rock music, rock and roll
awards: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Facts from Wikidata and Discogs, free to use.
swamp rockrockcountry rockroots rockblues rocksouthern rock
The Static TimesExtra
Early career: The Blue Velvets (1959–1964)
John Fogerty, Doug Clifford, and Stu Cook met at Portola Junior High School in El Cerrito, California. Calling themselves the Blue Velvets, the trio predominantly played instrumental covers of acts such as The Ventures and Duane Eddy, coupled with a selection of "jukebox standards" that Fogerty sang on. The Blue Velvets backed John's older brother Tom at recordings and performances before he joined the band, at which point the band was renamed Tommy Fogerty & The Blue Velvets. The band also released three singles, the second of which was picked up by Casey Kasem, who worked at KEWB in Oakland. In 1964 they signed with Fantasy Records, an independent jazz label in San Francisco. The band was attracted to the label after hearing Vince...
Name change to Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968–1969)
In 1967, Saul Zaentz bought Fantasy Records and offered the band a chance to record an album. Having hated the name "the Golliwogs" from the start, the band decided on their own name, Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), which they formally assumed in January 1968. According to interviews with the band members, the name's elements came from three sources: Tom Fogerty's friend Credence Newball, whose name they changed to form the word Creedence (as in creed); a television commercial for Olympia Brewing Company ("clear water"); and the four members' renewed commitment to their band. Rejected contenders for the band's name included "Muddy Rabbit," "Gossamer Wump," and "Creedence Nuball and the Ruby;" the last was the starting point, though,...
Despite hailing from California, Creedence "mythologized the American South with an exotic mixture of blues, New Orleans R&B, and rockabilly," according to NPR. According to AllMusic, CCR "created a unique synthesis of punchy rock & roll, swamp pop, blues, and country." Creedence has been credited for pioneering swamp rock, roots rock, and country rock. The band also played blues rock, Southern rock, Americana and blue-eyed soul. After their seminal album release, the band became firm in their swamp and blues sound, as witnessed on tracks like "Born on the Bayou" and "Proud Mary." Their sound utilized musical traits like raspy vocals with a southern-drawl sound from Fogerty, a blues-style harmony, cowbells, and a twangy guitar sound.
Creedence Clearwater Revival (often known as "CCR") were an American rock band, active 1967–1972, formed by John Fogerty (Vocals And Guitar), Tom Fogerty (Rhythm Guitar), Stu Cook (Bass), and Doug "Cosmo" Clifford (Drums). Despite being from Berkeley, California, the band's music usually invoked imagery of the American South.
John Fogerty, Stu Cook, and Doug Clifford initially joined forces in 1959 as The Blue Velvets and later backed John's older brother, Tom, as Tommy Fogerty and the Blue Velvets. The group later changed their name to the Golliwogs and released several unsuccessful singles. In 1967, they changed their name to Creedence Clearwater Revival and John Fogerty took total control of the group. CCR was extremely prolific, releasing 6 albums and various singles between 1968 and 1970. However, the other members of the band chafed under John Fogerty's domination and in 1971 it was announced that Tom Fogerty had left the band. CCR made one more album, 1972's "Mardi Gras", as a trio. In the wake of Tom's departure, John, responding the other members' requests to have more say in band matters, stipulated that both Cook and Clifford had to contribute equally to the writ
Also known as: "Криденс" Вокально-Инструментальный Ансамбль, C C R, C C Revival, C. C. R., C. C. Revival
From Discogs (free to use). Their entry
Liner notes
Creedence Clearwater Revival, the records, oldest first
Creedence Clearwater Revival
1968 album
Willy and the Poor Boys
1969 album
wanted
Green River
1969 album
wanted
Bayou Country
1969 album
wanted
Cosmo’s Factory
1970 album
wanted
Pendulum
1970 album
wanted
Mardi Gras
1972 album
Records from MusicBrainz; covers from the Cover Art Archive.
"Up Around the Bend" is a song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by the band's frontman John Fogerty. It was composed and recorded only a few days prior to the band's April 1970 European tour and was included on the album Cosmo's Factory.
Released as a single, with "Run Through the Jungle" on the flipside, the double-sided single climbed to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring of 1970.
"Fortunate Son" is a song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by the group's frontman John Fogerty. It was released as a single with "Down on the Corner" as its B-side in September 1969, and appeared on the band's fourth studio album, Willy and the Poor Boys, released on October 29, 1969.
Background
The song, released during the peak period of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, is critical of the unfairness of the draft:
Reception
"Fortunate Son" reached number 14 on the United States charts on November 22, 1969, the week before Billboard changed its methodology on double-sided hits. That week, "Fortunate Son" and its flipside "Down on the Corner" were at number 14 and number 21 respectively on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. The tracks combined to climb to number nine the next week, on the way to peaking at number three on December 20, 1969. Billboard-licensed music historian Joel Whitburn assigns a peak Hot 100 chart position of number 14 to "Fortunate Son" and number three to "Down on the Corner".
Legacy
Pitchfork Media placed it at number 17 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s". Rolling Stone placed it at number 99 on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list in 2004 and 2010; it was moved down to number 227 in the 2020 edition. In 2013, the song was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." In 2025, Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 13 on its list of "The 100 Best Protest Songs of All Time." In June 2026, CBS News included the song in its list of the 250 essential American songs of the past 250 years.
"Lookin' out My Back Door" is a song recorded by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. Written by the band's lead singer, guitarist and songwriter John Fogerty, it is included on their fifth album Cosmo's Factory (1970), and became their fifth and final number-two Billboard hit, held off the top by Diana Ross's version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".
It was their only Cash Box Top 100 number-one hit.
"Who'll Stop the Rain" is a song written by John Fogerty and originally recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) for their 1970 album Cosmo's Factory. Backed with "Travelin' Band", it was one of three double-sided singles from that album to reach the top five on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and the first of two to reach the No. 2 spots on the American charts, alongside "Lookin' Out My Back Door"/"Long As I Can See the Light".
In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 188 on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.
Reception
The song was acclaimed by critics. Billboard called it a "blockbuster side" that "has the beat and feel of [Creedence's] hits." Cash Box said that it spotlights Creedence's "originated river-rock style." Record World called the single a "two-sided smash."
"Bad Moon Rising" is a song written by John Fogerty and performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was the lead single from their album Green River and was released on April 16, 1969, four months before the album.
The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 28, 1969, and reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in September of that year. It was CCR's second Gold single.
Composition
"Bad Moon Rising" uses weather imagery to make the point that something bad is lurking "out there."
Reception
In 1969, the American music and entertainment magazine Billboard described the single as being "loaded with rhythm and drive" and predicted it "[couldn't] miss going
"Down on the Corner" is a song by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was the B-side of the "Fortunate Son" single and appeared on their fourth studio album, Willy and the Poor Boys (1969).
The combined single peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on 20 December 1969.
Composition and lyrics
The song depicts the fictional band Willy and the Poor Boys, and how they play on street corners to cheer people up and ask for nickels.
"Green River" is a song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was written by John Fogerty and released as a single in July 1969, one month before the album of the same name was released.
"Green River" peaked at number two for one week, and was ranked by Billboard as the No. 31 song of 1969.
Background
The song was based on a childhood vacation spot of John Fogerty's. In an interview Fogerty gave to Rolling Stone in 2012, Fogerty stated:
Reception
Billboard described the single as "a driving rocker in the same vein as" Creedence Clearwater Revival's previous single "Bad Moon Rising." Cash Box described it as developing "the bayou-rock style of the CCR in a slower than 'Bad Moon Rising' track that could steal the spotlight." Cash Box ranked it as the No. 19 single of 1969. Record World said it was "great." Ultimate Classic Rock critic Cliff M. Junior rated "Green River" as Creedence Clearwater Revival's 7th greatest song.
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain" is a song by the American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by John Fogerty and released as a single in January 1971 from the album Pendulum (1970). The song charted highest in Canada, reaching number one on the RPM 100 national singles chart in March 1971.
In the U.S., it peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart the same year.
Lyrics
In his review of the song for AllMusic, Mark Deming suggests that "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" is about the decline of the countercultural political idealism of the 1960s during the Nixon administration, in light of events such as the Altamont Free Concert and the Kent State shootings. However, John Fogerty has said in interviews and prior to playing the song in concert that it concerns tensions within Creedence Clearwater Revival themselves and the imminent departure of his brother Tom Fogerty from the band.
Music video
For the band's 50th anniversary in 2018, a music video was released for "Have You Ever Seen the Rain". The video stars then up-and-coming actors including Jack Quaid, Sasha Frolova, and Erin Moriarty. The video was shot in Montana by director Laurence Harlan Jacobs who described it as "a coming-of-age story... something distinctly real that encapsulates identity. Not teenage years, but specifically your early 20s when you're still growing and trying to become someone." The story, co-written by Jacobs and Montana-born Luke Klompien, is of "three best friends hanging in Montana until one of them moves away". It includes scenes of the cast skipping rocks into the river, driving through the countryside in a vintage red Chevy pickup truck,...
"Lodi" is a song written by John Fogerty and performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Recorded in March 1969, it was released in April, four months before the album, as the B-side of "Bad Moon Rising", the lead single from Green River.
Background
The song describes the plight of a down-and-out musician whose career has landed him playing gigs in the town of Lodi, California. After playing in local bars, the narrator finds himself stranded and unable to raise bus or train fare to leave. John Fogerty explained the song's genesis in his autobiography:
Reception
Billboard described the single as having "an easy beat," being as powerful as its flip side "Bad Moon Rising" and as having a similar feel to Creedence Clearwater Revival's earlier single "Proud Mary." Cash Box similarly described it as "powerhouse material" that is similar to and as strong as the group's previous single "Proud Mary."
Cover version
In 1969, soul singer Al Wilson released a cover of "Lodi" that peaked at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and No. 51 in Canada.
"Run Through the Jungle" is a 1970 song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR). It was released as a double A-side single with "Up Around the Bend" and on the album Cosmo's Factory.
In popular culture
The song was recorded by punk blues-punk rock band The Gun Club, and is on Miami (The Gun Club album), released in 1982 on Animal Records.
"Bootleg" is a song by the American swamp rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released as the second track on the band's second studio album Bayou Country. Written by John Fogerty, the song is about the belief that things that are illegal are often great.
Background
"Bootleg" was written by John Fogerty and is about the belief that things that are bad for you are great. As Ray Rezos puts the song's subject; "“Bootleg” is a good, short number which explains how something often becomes more attractive when it is illegal." "Bootleg" was recorded with Tom Fogerty on a tuned down Fender King, though Tom's hand would cramp when learning how to play it. An alternate take of the song is included on the 40th anniversary edition of the album, and is almost twice as long as the final version. "Bootleg" is very similar to the album's closer "Keep On Chooglin'", specifically with its lead guitar riff.
Release and reception
Uncut magazine wrote in their May 14, 2014 special Creedence Clearwater Revival issue that "it’s a moonshine groove of the first order, its propulsive energy derived from the twin acoustic guitars (played by Tom and John) and John’s call-and-response vocal." In a ranking of every Creedence Clearwater Revival 1969 song from worst to best, Michael Gallucci placed it as number 13, calling it a "companion piece" to "Born on the Bayou", the opening track of Bayou Country. Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote in an AllMusic review that it "is a minor masterpiece, thanks to its tough acoustic foundation, sterling guitar work, and clever story." The song is included on compilations such as More Creedence Gold, Ultimate Creedence Clearwater Revival:...
"Long As I Can See the Light" is a song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, from the album Cosmo's Factory. Released as the flip side of the single "Lookin' Out My Back Door" in 1970, it reached number 57 on the Cash Box singles chart in the US, number 20 in the UK, and number one in Norway.
"Proud Mary" is a song famously performed by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by singer-songwriter John Fogerty. It was released as a single in January 1969 by Fantasy Records and on the band's second studio album, Bayou Country.
The song became a major hit in the United States, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1969, the first of five singles to peak at No. 2 for the group.
Background and recording
In a 1969 interview, John Fogerty said that he wrote it in the two days after he was discharged from the National Guard. In the liner notes for the 2008 expanded reissue of the Creedence Clearwater Revival album Bayou Country, Joel Selvin explained that the songs for the album started when Fogerty was in the National Guard, that the riffs for "Proud Mary", "Born on the Bayou", and "Keep On Chooglin'" were conceived by Fogerty at a concert in the Avalon Ballroom, and "Proud Mary" was arranged from parts of different songs, one of which was about a washerwoman named Mary. The line "Left a good job in the city" was written following Fogerty's discharge from the National Guard, and the line "rollin' on the river" was from a movie by Will...
Critical reception
Billboard described "Proud Mary" as a "driving blues item with a strong beat." Cash Box described it as "a steady moving mid-speed chunk of funk and rhythm that will make itself felt in both pop and underground spots." Cash Box ranked it as the No. 55 single of 1969.
