---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Chuck Berry's 'Maybellene' hit the…"
description: "\"Chuck Berry's 'Maybellene' hit the airwaves at about the time Alan Freed got to New York, and it was definitely a song I really loved and related to.\" ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/robert-christgau-9660_chuck-berry_chuck-berry-s-maybellene-hit-the-airwave_249121.jpg"
---

#  Chuck Berry's 'Maybellene' hit the airwaves at about the…

![“Chuck Berry's 'Maybellene' hit the airwaves at about the time Alan Freed got to New York, and it was definitely a song I really loved and related to.” quote by Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/robert-christgau-9660_chuck-berry_chuck-berry-s-maybellene-hit-the-airwave_249121.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/robert-christgau-9660_chuck-berry_chuck-berry-s-maybellene-hit-the-airwave_249121.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/robert-christgau-9660_chuck-berry_chuck-berry-s-maybellene-hit-the-airwave_249121.jpg)

> “Chuck Berry's 'Maybellene' hit the airwaves at about the time Alan Freed got to New York, and it was definitely a song I really loved and related to.”

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The song's release coincided with the rise of rock 'n' roll radio, marking a cultural shift toward youthful energy and rebellion.

**In simple terms:** Maybellene symbolized early rock excitement.

Key Takeaway

Embrace emerging trends early.

Themes

music history cultural change youth

Mood

nostalgic energetic

Type

historical cultural

When to use this quote

- radio programming
- concerts
- music festivals
- personal playlists

Key Concepts

rock 'n' roll media influence

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you recognize pivotal cultural moments?
- What role does music play in your identity?

A Different Perspective

May not capture the song's lyrical depth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Berry Maybellene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/berry-maybellene-2482561/) [Chuck berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chuck-berry/) [Definitely Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definitely-song-2482562/) [Loved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [Really Loved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-loved-313420/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Song Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song-really-486132/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm definitely not a song-and-dance guy, and if you've ever heard me sing, you would understand that, 'No, maybe that's not your thing.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-priestley/i-m-definitely-not-a-song-and-dance-guy-and-if-you-ve-ever-heard-me/)

[Jason Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-priestley/)

> [If you get a song which really cracks it for you, it is fantastic, as people, more than watching your film, watch you on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prachi-desai/if-you-get-a-song-which-really-cracks-it-for-you-it-is-fantastic-as/)

[Prachi Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prachi-desai/)

> [I have no shame in making music that maybe, if you listen to it long enough, you'll realize you've heard this or that part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-no-shame-in-making-music-that-maybe-if-you-listen-to-it-long/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It's true that I can write a song and not really be sure what the meaning of it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/it-s-true-that-i-can-write-a-song-and-not-really-be-sure-what-the/)

[James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/)

> [The way 'Coming Home' uses music in general is incredible, but the final song that really kind of crescendos all of the emotion that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/the-way-coming-home-uses-music-in-general-is-incredible-but-the-final/)

[Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/)

> [You wind up listening to one song that you really like 30 times on YouTube and then you're done with it. That's the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-shields/you-wind-up-listening-to-one-song-that-you-really-like-30-times-on/)

[Kevin Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-shields/)

> [“And I was reminded once again how a song really can change the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-peter-hughes/and-i-was-reminded-once-again-how-a-song-really-can-change-the-world/)

[Mark Peter Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-peter-hughes/)

> [We haven't started playing it live yet but we're going to. And then 'Warpaint' is a song that's really, really close to me because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-wayman/we-haven-t-started-playing-it-live-yet-but-we-re-going-to-and-then/)

[Theresa Wayman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-wayman/)

> [“This song is about when you really like a beautiful person and they don’t like you back. I know. But there’s a happy ending!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tegan-quin/this-song-is-about-when-you-really-like-a-beautiful-person-and-they/)

[Tegan Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tegan-quin/)

> [Hearing a song you really like on the radio and trying to remember part of the lyrics so you can Google it when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hearing-a-song-you-really-like-on-the-radio-and-trying-to-remember/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I would feel really dishonest writing a song that was really sassy, or really confident, because I'm not a supremely confident being. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shura/i-would-feel-really-dishonest-writing-a-song-that-was-really-sassy-or/)

[Shura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shura/)

> [What's really cool about 'This is Me' is that our friends loved the song. Older punk rock fans don't know 'The Greatest Showman,' haven't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-gilbert/what-s-really-cool-about-this-is-me-is-that-our-friends-loved-the/)

[Chad Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-gilbert/)

> [It takes us a long time to write a song that we all really like, so it makes sense that it would take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-berninger/it-takes-us-a-long-time-to-write-a-song-that-we-all-really-like-so-it/)

[Matt Berninger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-berninger/)

> [Every day somebody comes up to me and says, 'That song really helped me through a difficult time,' or 'That's me and my wife's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rzeznik/every-day-somebody-comes-up-to-me-and-says-that-song-really-helped-me/)

[John Rzeznik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rzeznik/)

> [Like, a song could be really tricky and intricate and be really intellectually stimulating, but I don't think that's the song that that I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-wayman/like-a-song-could-be-really-tricky-and-intricate-and-be-really/)

[Theresa Wayman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-wayman/)

## More by Robert Christgau

> [The idea with a collection is sort of to begin with a kind of bang.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/the-idea-with-a-collection-is-sort-of-to-begin-with-a-kind-of-bang/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [People believe that criticism should be objective, whatever that means, but I really don't understand what people mean by that. I guess if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/people-believe-that-criticism-should-be-objective-whatever-that-means/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [“One concept the non-old have trouble getting their minds around is the difference between taste and judgment. It's fine not to like almost anything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/one-concept-the-non-old-have-trouble-getting-their-minds-around-is/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [You know, criticism began as the province of amateurs, of wealthy men who liked the arts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/you-know-criticism-began-as-the-province-of-amateurs-of-wealthy-men/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [I believe that writing on music is experienced inside your head, is not a physically present in the world, it has a different kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/i-believe-that-writing-on-music-is-experienced-inside-your-head-is/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [I don't think it's such a bad idea that people learn the same history in school. I think it tends to ground people and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/i-don-t-think-it-s-such-a-bad-idea-that-people-learn-the-same-history/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [My wife is more important to me than anything in the world - including music. She's a great editor and companion for all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/my-wife-is-more-important-to-me-than-anything-in-the-world-including/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [You can only adjust to so much history in your life. I still have trouble texting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/you-can-only-adjust-to-so-much-history-in-your-life-i-still-have/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [I've always been a jazz fan, but I don't write much about jazz, because I don't have the chops. But it's really, really hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/i-ve-always-been-a-jazz-fan-but-i-don-t-write-much-about-jazz-because/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [There's a musicologist named Peter van der Merwe whose theory is that the blues generates tune families, and that their similarity to each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/there-s-a-musicologist-named-peter-van-der-merwe-whose-theory-is-that/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [Anyway, you know, when Richard Meltzer said rock and roll died in '68, what he means is Jefferson Airplane were no longer his buddies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/anyway-you-know-when-richard-meltzer-said-rock-and-roll-died-in-68/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [I basically believe that all pop stars create personas and manipulate them. What we relate to are not their real selves; they are projections,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/i-basically-believe-that-all-pop-stars-create-personas-and-manipulate/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [My personal experience has been that in my free bohemian subculture, I'm not unique.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/my-personal-experience-has-been-that-in-my-free-bohemian-subculture-i/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [If you wanna write non-fiction you have to be interested in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/if-you-wanna-write-non-fiction-you-have-to-be-interested-in-the-world/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a canonizing institution. Jann Wenner has worked to make Rolling Stone the keeper of the canon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/the-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-is-a-canonizing-institution-jann/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

[Explore all 71 Robert Christgau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

## More Chuck berry quotes

> [If you're going to do Chuck Berry, you got to, you know, go all out, and the duck walk is just kind of you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/if-you-re-going-to-do-chuck-berry-you-got-to-you-know-go-all-out-and/)

[Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/)

> [I'm influenced by Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelly, Roland Kirk, John Coltrane, B.B. King, and then by bluegrass. But when I was 16, bluegrass wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dickey-betts/i-m-influenced-by-django-reinhardt-stephane-grappelly-roland-kirk/)

[Dickey Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dickey-betts/)

> [Growing up, I never listened to English music. I was more into Motown, as well as early rock n' roll like Chuck Berry and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-winston/growing-up-i-never-listened-to-english-music-i-was-more-into-motown/)

[Alex Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-winston/)

> [I never liked blues music, and I really didn't like jazz. I liked Chuck Berry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-ramone/i-never-liked-blues-music-and-i-really-didn-t-like-jazz-i-liked-chuck/)

[Johnny Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-ramone/)

> [Blues is a big part of rock and roll. The best rock and roll got its birth in the blues. You hear it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-young/blues-is-a-big-part-of-rock-and-roll-the-best-rock-and-roll-got-its/)

[Angus Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-young/)

> [People always talk about good time rock and roll, Chuck Berry or whatever, like this liberating force for feeling good. But what I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/people-always-talk-about-good-time-rock-and-roll-chuck-berry-or/)

[John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/)

> [When Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee, Tommy and me were inducted to the Hall of Fame, it meant we were with the Beatles, The Who,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marky-ramone/when-johnny-joey-dee-dee-tommy-and-me-were-inducted-to-the-hall-of/)

[Marky Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marky-ramone/)

> [I would listen to Little Richard and Fats Domino and Chuck Berry, and I would listen to how they played their riffs, and after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-would-listen-to-little-richard-and-fats-domino-and-chuck-berry-and/)

[Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/)

> [When I was in high school in the '50s, all pop music - Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard - was aimed at teenagers. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hilburn/when-i-was-in-high-school-in-the-50s-all-pop-music-elvis-chuck-berry/)

[Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/)

> [When Chuck Berry came along, what he did was more rock &amp; roll than it was blues. It was more exciting. He was like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/when-chuck-berry-came-along-what-he-did-was-more-rock-roll-than-it/)

[Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/)

> [The best musicians in the world were raised on the same kind of music I was raised on and that is black, soulful, authoritative,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/the-best-musicians-in-the-world-were-raised-on-the-same-kind-of-music/)

[Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/)

> [My momma always said, 'You and Elvis are pretty good, but y'all ain't no Chuck Berry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-lee-lewis/my-momma-always-said-you-and-elvis-are-pretty-good-but-y-all-ain-t-no/)

[Jerry Lee Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-lee-lewis/)

> [When I started reaching teenage years, I listened to everything that was on the radio like everyone else did, which was Chuck Berry, Beach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-montrose/when-i-started-reaching-teenage-years-i-listened-to-everything-that/)

[Ronnie Montrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-montrose/)

> [Chuck Berry invented rock 'n' roll. He was one of the best songwriters of the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/chuck-berry-invented-rock-n-roll-he-was-one-of-the-best-songwriters/)

[Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/)

> [Berry's On Top is probably my favorite record of all time; it defines rock and roll. A lot of people have done Chuck Berry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-perry/berry-s-on-top-is-probably-my-favorite-record-of-all-time-it-defines/)

[Joe Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-perry/)

[Browse all 106 Chuck berry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chuck-berry/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Chuck Berry's 'Maybellene' hit the airwaves at about the time Alan Freed got to New York, and it was definitely a song I really loved and related to.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Christgau"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/chuck-berry-s-maybellene-hit-the-airwaves-at-about-the-time-alan/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Chuck berry"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/chuck-berry-s-maybellene-hit-the-airwaves-at-about-the-time-alan/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/robert-christgau-9660_chuck-berry_chuck-berry-s-maybellene-hit-the-airwave_249121.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/robert-christgau-9660_chuck-berry_chuck-berry-s-maybellene-hit-the-airwave_249121.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7a/robert-christgau-9660_chuck-berry_chuck-berry-s-maybellene-hit-the-airwave_249121.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Chuck Berry's 'Maybellene' hit the airwaves at about the time Alan Freed got to New York, and it was…” — Robert Christgau",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Robert Christgau",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Chuck Berry's 'Maybellene' hit the airwaves...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/chuck-berry-s-maybellene-hit-the-airwaves-at-about-the-time-alan/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/chuck-berry-s-maybellene-hit-the-airwaves-at-about-the-time-alan/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
