100 Greatest Albums of All Time

59. Chronicle Vol. 1, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fantasy, 1976

Between 1968 and early 1972, CCR rolled out 13 Top 40 songs, which still stand as the most impressive run of hits made by an American band. Former Army reservist and Little Richard fan John Fogerty was the dance-band populist on the San Francisco ballroom scene, writing concise, catchy songs like “Down on the Corner” and “Proud Mary” that fused R&B boogie with long haired West Coast chooglin’. He also tapped into the spirit of the times, tackling the Vietnam War on “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and class politics on “Fortunate Son.” This compilation demonstrates over and over how much American possibility you can pack into two-minute blasts of car-radio heaven.