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Creedence Clearwater Revival Greatest Hits
On The Acoustic

Creedence Clearwater Revival Greatest Hits

Welcome to my Creedence Clearwater Revival greatest hits page where you'll find many top songs you can learn on the acoustic guitar from both CCR and John Fogerty. Below you'll find several demos, chord sheets, rhythm tips and some background info to help you play some of these classic from CCR.

There are also purchase links to pick up the full instructional tutorials if you need those.

Jump menu to quickly access the sections.


Creedence Clearwater Revival Greatest Hits
Chords, Lyrics, Demos, Tutorials

1. Bad Moon Rising

bad moon rising guitar lesson

Bad Moon Rising was the lead off single from the bands Green River album which was released in the spring of 1969, four months before the album came out.

The song reached #2 in the US and #1 in the UK. The inspiration came to John Fogerty after watching a 1941 film called The Devil And Daniel Webster.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: root down root up down and repeat
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: D, A, G
Chords & Lyrics

 

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2. Before You Accuse Me

beforeyouaccuseme

Before You Accuse Me was covered by CCR  but never released as a single. It's an old Bo Diddley song from 1957. 

The track appears on their debut album Creedence Clearwater Revival album.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: down up down up and repeat
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: E, B7, A
Chords & Lyrics

 

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3. Born On The Bayou

born on the bayou guitar lesson

Born On The Bayou was a single from the 1968 album Bayou Country.

Surprisingly this song never charted anywhere. The only other single in the 60s and 70s that failed to chart somewhere was their very first single called Poterville. 

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: some arpeggio - down up down up and repeat and down-strokes in the picking
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: E7, D, A, E
Chords & Lyrics

 

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4. Down On The Corner

downonthecorner

Down On The Corner was one of two singles from the 1969 album "Willy And The Poor Boys".

The song made it to #10 in the US and was a top 10 in several other countries.

  • Drop D Tuning:  No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: a steady up and down shuffle with some riffs
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: C, G, F
Chords & Lyrics

 

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5. Fortunate Son

fortunate son guitar lesson

Fortunate Son was the other single released from the Willy And The Poor Boys album.

This single managed to reach #3 in the US and #2 in Australia but never quite made it to the top.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: down-strokes for the most
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: G, F, C, D
Chords & Lyrics

 

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6. Green River

greenriver

Green River was without a doubt the bands most successful for single releases. Bad Moon Rising, Lodi, Green River and Commotion all came from that record.

And this song was a top 10 in several countries.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: down up down up with some riffs blended in throughout
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: E, C, A
Chords & Lyrics

 

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7. Have You Ever Seen The Rain

have you ever seen the rain guitar lesson

Have You Ever Seen The Rain was the first of two singles released by CCR in 1971 from their Pendulum album.

And this song was a huge hit across several countries and did make it to #1 in Canada. This is probably one of the first CCR songs most people learn on guitar because it's a simple play and a great tune.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: down down up down up down up and repeat
  • Picking: No just a few riffs
  • Chords: Em, C, G, D, D/Gb, Em/D
Chords & Lyrics

 

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8. Hearts Of Stone (Fogerty)

heartsofstone

Hearts Of Stone was a #37 in the US and a #35 when it was released as a single back in 1973 from John Fogerty's first solo album after the breakup of CCR.

The track can be found on The Blue Ridge Rangers album.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: 2nd fret
  • Rhythm: root down root up down up and repeat
  • Picking: Yes a little
  • Chords: E, A, B7

Chords & Lyrics

 

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9. Hello Mary Lou

marylou

Mary Lou to my knowledge was never released as a single.

It was a track from their last album in 1972 called Mardi-Gras. This is an old Gene Pitney song that was first recorded by Johnny Duncan and then in 1961 by Ricky Nelson.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: root down up down up down up and repeat
  • Picking: Yes blended into the rhythm
  • Chords: A, D, E, Db7, Gbm, B7
Chords & Lyrics

 

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10. Hey Tonight

hey tonight guitar lesson

Hey Tonight charted in three countries when it was released as a single in 1971 from the Pendulum album.

It hit #1 in Belgium and Denmark and #9 in Australia.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: down-strokes
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: E, A, B, Gb, B7
Chords & Lyrics

 

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11. I Ain't Never (Fogerty)

iaintnever

I Ain't Never was a track from the 1973 album "The Blue Ridge Rangers" which was released in 1973.

The song was never released as a single.

  • Drop D Tuning: Yes
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: down up down up down up and repeat
  • Picking: Yes blended into the chords
  • Chords: A, D, E

Chords & Lyrics

 

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12. I Put A Spell On You

iputaspellonyou

I Put A Spell On You was released on several albums. The first was in 1968 from the Creedence Clearwater Revival album and never cracked the top 40.

A re-release in 1972 fared better with the song reaching #12 and #3. The final release was in 1990 but the song only charted in The Netherlands at #64.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: down down down up down down and repeat 
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: Em, Am, B7, C, F, D, G, A
Chords & Lyrics

 

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13. Jambalaya (Fogerty)

jambalaya

Jambalaya was a single release back in 1973 and peaked at #5 in Canada and climbed to #16 in the US.

the song can be found on the album "The Blue Ridge Rangers".

  • Drop D Tuning: Yes
  • Capo: 2nd fret is their key
  • Rhythm: root down root up down up and repeat
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: D, A

Chords & Lyrics

 

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14. Long As I Can See The Light

long as i can see the light guitar lesson

Long As I Can See The Light was mainly a B-side to Looking Out My Back Door but still managed to reach #20 in the UK and went to #1 in Norway.

The song hails from the 1970 album Cosmos Factory and featured John Fogerty playing electric piano and sax on the track.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: down down up down up and repeat
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: G, C/G, Em, C7, D
Chords & Lyrics

 

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15. Proud Mary

proudmary

Proud Mary was another huge single from CCR in 1969 from their Bayou Country album.

This one made it to #1 in Austria and was a top 10 across several countries including a #2 in the US and Canada. CCR never had a #1 hit in the United States.

  • Drop D Tuning: Yes
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: down up stop up down up stop up
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: C, A, G, F, D, Bm
Chords & Lyrics

 

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16. Ramble Tamble

ramble tamble guitar lesson

Ramble Tamble is a popular CCR song but was never released as a single.

It appears on the Cosmos Factory album of 1970.

  • Drop D Tuning: Yes
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: root down up down up down up and down-strokes and some steady up and down
  • Picking: Yes a little
  • Chords: D, C, G, Am, G6, F some descending - see video
Chords & Lyrics

 

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17. Someday Never Comes

somedaynevercomes

Someday Never Comes was released as a single and appears on the last album from 1972 called Mardi Gras.

The song peaked at #25 in the US and was the last single ever released by CCR before they officially disbanded in 1972.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: 2nd fret = original key
  • Rhythm: down down up down up down up and repeat then later its a down down up down down up down up
  • Picking: No
  • Chords: A, E, Gbm, Dm, F, D, Bm, A#, F, Dm, D#m, F#, D#, Gm
Chords & Lyrics

 

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18. Southern Streamline (Fogerty)

southern streamline guitar lesson

Southern Streamline was a 1997 release from the album "Blue Moon Swamp".

The song charted at #67 on the US country charts.

  • Drop D Tuning: Yes
  • Capo: 2nd fret - original key has no capo
  • Rhythm: root down up down up down up and repeat
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: D, G, A7

Chords & Lyrics

 

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19. The Old Man Down The Road (Fogerty)

theoldmandowntheroad

The Old Man Down The Road hit #1 for John Fogerty in 1984, his first solo #1 song and his only #1 hit. CCR had no #1 hits in the US so this must have felt good.

The track can be found on the album, "Centerfield".

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: use down strokes . with the odd up stroke and a few riffs
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: E, G, C, D, E7

Chords & Lyrics

 

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20. Traveling Band

travellingband

Traveling Band was written by John Fogerty and was included on the 1970 album "Cosmos Factory".

The song peaked at #2 in the US and #8 in the UK.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: 2nd fret
  • Rhythm: down up down up down up 
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: E, A, B
Chords & Lyrics

 

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21. Up Around The Bend

up around the bend guitar lesson

Up Around The Bend was the A-side with the song Run Through The Jungle. The song reached #1 in Australia and The Netherlands and was a top 10 in several other countries.

It was released in 1970 from the Cosmos Factory album.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: down-strokes
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: D, A, D/Gb, G
Chords & Lyrics

 

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22. You're The Reason (Fogerty)

yourethereason

You're The Reason and an old Bobby Edwards number from 1961. John Fogerty put it on his album "The Blue Ridge Rangers" in 1973.

The song was never released as a single.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: root down up root up down up
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: C, G, C7, F, G7

Chords & Lyrics

 

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Thanks for stopping by my Creedence Clearwater Revival greatest hits page. I hope the info here was useful and helpful to you.


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