American rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival, often known by the initials CCR, was founded in El Cerrito, California. John Fogerty, the band’s original lead singer, guitarist, and major songwriter was joined by his brother Tom Fogerty, who played rhythm guitar, bassist Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Before joining Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1967, these musicians had performed together since 1959, first as the Blue Velvets and then as the Golliwogs.
With 28 million records sold in the U.S. alone, CCR’s music remains a mainstay of classic rock radio airplay in the country. The 1976 compilation album Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits is still included on the Billboard 200 album chart and will have been in circulation for 500 weeks in December 2020. It has received a platinum rating of 10. On their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time, Rolling Stone ranked CCR 82nd. Green River was ranked 95th on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003, followed by Cosmo’s Factory at number 265 and Willy and the Poor Boys at number 392.
Rolling Stone ranked “Fortunate Son” at number 99, “Proud Mary” at number 155, “Who’ll Stop the Rain” at number 188, and “Bad Moon Rising” at number 355 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004. They are ranked as the 61st most renowned performer in the annals of popular music by Acclaimed Music. 2013 saw the addition of “Fortunate Son” to the National Recording Registry’s list of audio files that “are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important.” The Grammy Hall of Fame has honored Cosmo’s Factory, “Fortunate Son,” and “Proud Mary.” The song “Proud Mary” came in at number 39 on VH1’s list of the “100 Greatest Rock Songs.” The song “Bad Moon Rising” is numbered 363 in NME’s list of the 500 greatest songs ever.
