During an extended family vacation in about 1976-ish, we spent a lot of time in the car, listening to the radio as we traveled down the highways of Montana and Wyoming. One song that was played very frequently was a cover of Chuck Berry’s ‘Rock and Roll Music.’ It wasn’t the Beatles, and it wasn’t the Beach Boys. My poor old brain recalls that it was slightly faster than the Beach Boys’ version, and a bit more, um, techno? I can’t think of a good adjective. Maybe it was just a more pronounced beat or louder drums.
Anyway, I can’t seem to find the artist. Any guesses? Thanks in advance!
1976 would be about the right time frame for the Beach Boy’s version. I do recall hearing it all over the radio that summer. I had an outdoor job then and was permitted to bring a radio with me to listen to, so I heard it a lot.
Thanks, everyone, for your replies and suggestions. The Beach Boys’ version always sounds too slow to me, so I am fairly certain that’s not it. The Beatles’ version is closer to how I remember it, but that’s not it either. I’d never heard the REO Speedwagon nor Manic Street Preachers versions before yesterday. The ELO song is one I like, but that’s not the one I’m thinking of - it was definitely ‘Rock and Roll Music,’ 'cause my brother and I used to ham up certain lines all the time when we sang it together in the backseat of the car.
I love the song (being a big ELO fan), but it’s not from the right time. “Rock ‘n’ Roll is King” was from the album Secret Messages, released in 1983, 7 years after the OP’s estimated time frame.