Peak success (1969–1970)
After their breakthrough, CCR began touring and started work on their second album, Bayou Country (released January 1969), at RCA Studios in Los Angeles. A number-seven platinum hit, the record was their first in a string of hit albums and singles that continued uninterruptedly for two years. The single "Proud Mary", backed with "Born on the Bayou", reached number two on the national Billboard chart. The former eventually became the group's most covered song, with some 100 versions by other artists to date, including the number-four 1971 hit by Ike & Tina Turner, two years to the week after the original peaked. John cites this song as being the result of high spirits on gaining his discharge from the Army Reserve. The album also featured a cover of the rock and roll classic "Good Golly, Miss Molly" and the band's nine-minute live-show closer, "Keep On Chooglin'".
Months later, during April 1969, "Bad Moon Rising" backed with "Lodi", was released and peaked at number two in the US. In the United Kingdom, "Bad Moon Rising" spent three weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart during September and October 1969, becoming the band's only number-one single in the UK. The band's third album, Green River, which followed in August 1969, was their first album to top the Billboard 200, and went gold, along with the single "Green River", which also reached number two on the Billboard charts. The B-side of "Green River", "Commotion", peaked at number 30, and the band's emphasis on covers of old favorites continued with "Night Time Is the Right Time".
CCR continued to tour constantly, with performances in July 1969 at the Atlanta Pop Festival and in August 1969 at the Woodstock Festival. At Woodstock, the band took the stage in the early morning, hours after their scheduled start-time. They followed the Grateful Dead, who John said had put the audience to sleep. As he scanned the audience he saw a "Dante scene, just bodies from hell, all intertwined and asleep, covered with mud". In addition to the low-energy crowd, the band also experienced issues with their equipment and lighting, resulting in John vetoing their inclusion in the Woodstock film or soundtrack. Cook, however, praised their set, saying, "The performances are classic CCR and I'm still amazed by the number of people who don't even know we were one of the headliners at Woodstock '69."
Creedence Clearwater Revival ... were progressive and anachronistic at the same time. An unapologetic throwback to the golden era of rock and roll, they broke ranks with their peers on the progressive, psychedelic San Francisco scene. Their approach was basic and uncompromising, holding true to the band members' working-class origins. The term "roots rock" had not yet been invented when Creedence came along, but in essence, they defined it, drawing inspiration from the likes of Little Richard, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and the artisans of soul at Motown and Stax. In so doing, Creedence Clearwater Revival became the standard bearers and foremost celebrants of homegrown American music.
After Woodstock, CCR were busy honing material for a fourth album, Willy and the Poor Boys, their second top-three LP, released in November 1969. "Down on the Corner" and "Fortunate Son", both of which they performed on The Ed Sullivan Show on November 16, 1969, climbed to number three and number 14, respectively, by year's end. The album was CCR in standard mode, featuring Fogerty originals and two reworked Lead Belly covers, "Cotton Fields" and "Midnight Special". The year 1969 had been remarkable for the band - three top-10 albums, four hit singles (three charting at number two and one at number three) with three additional charting B-sides.
CCR released another double A-side hit, "Travelin' Band"/"Who'll Stop the Rain", in January 1970. The speedy "Travelin' Band", with a strong Little Richard sound, however, bore enough similarities to "Good Golly, Miss Molly" to warrant a lawsuit by the song's publisher; it was eventually settled out of court. The song ultimately topped out at number two. The band also recorded its January 31, 1970, live performance at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, which was later marketed as a live album and television special. In February, CCR was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, although only John was interviewed in the accompanying article.
In April 1970, CCR were set to begin their first European tour. To support the upcoming live dates, John wrote "Up Around the Bend" and "Run Through the Jungle"; the single reached number four that spring. The band returned to Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco in June to record Cosmo's Factory. The album contained the earlier top-10 hits "Travelin' Band" and "Up Around the Bend", plus popular album tracks such as the opener "Ramble Tamble".
Cosmo's Factory was released in July 1970, and it was number one in the US for nine weeks. It was released along with the band's fifth and final number-two national hit, "Lookin' Out My Back Door"/"Long as I Can See the Light". Although they topped some international charts and local radio countdowns, CCR have the distinction of having had five number-two singles without ever having had a number one on the Hot 100, the most of any group. Their five number-two singles were exceeded only by Madonna (six), Taylor Swift (ten), and Drake (thirteen), and tied with Elvis Presley and the Carpenters. Conversely, on station WLS-AM, the band had three number ones, four number threes, and two number fours, but no number two singles, with "Down on the Corner" the only top-10 CCR single registering the same peak position (number three) on the Hot 100 and on WLS.
Other cuts on the Cosmo's Factory album included an 11-minute jam of Marvin Gaye’s 1968 cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (a minor hit when an edited version was released as a single in 1976), and a nearly note-for-note homage to Roy Orbison's "Ooby Dooby". The album was their biggest seller, going to number one on the Billboard 200 album charts and number 11 on Billboard Soul Albums chart.
Pendulum, released in December 1970, was another top seller, spawning a top-10 hit with "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?". John played the Hammond B3 organ on many of the Pendulum tracks, notably on "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?", in recognition of the deep respect and influence of Booker T. & the M.G.'s, with whom the members of the band had jammed. The single's flip side, "Hey Tonight", was also a hit.
