Creedence Clearwater Revival Essentials

Creedence are the archetypal roots rock act: earthy tunes, deliciously twangy hooks and a gritty, soulful shouter in John Fogerty. Underneath their down-home sensibility is a rich stew of R&B, folk and country—“Born on the Bayou” is swampy choogle, “Travelin' Band” pounds ’50s revivalism and “Lookin' Out My Back Door” is bluegrass-tinged pop. As a lyricist, Fogerty is equally nuanced: while his list of hummable, feel-good foot-stompers is long, he also unleashed blue-collar rage with the riff-fueled “Fortunate Son”—one of the darkest political rockers of the hippie era.