The Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time ranks “Bo Diddley” by Bo Diddley as the 62nd greatest song ever recorded.

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Bo Diddley - iTunes® downloaded calibrated bpm graph - MMLL

In the magazine’s special online version of the ranking the greatest songs of all-time, there is a section which answers the question: “Are you allowed to take someone else’s speed?” Short and long answer: ONE CANNOT COPYRIGHT SPEED.

“Diddley’s first single went to Number One on the R&B charts and immortalized the bedrock beat that would turn up everywhere from Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” to the Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now.” Diddley had studied violin as a child and built his own violins and guitars. His songs were deceptively simple, laden with rhythm play between the bass, drums and his tremolo guitar. But you can’t copyright a rhythm, and Diddley never got paid for his greatest rock innovation.” (my emphasis).

FROM ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE

A speed summary of “Bo Diddley” after 8 measurements were made as 27 contiguous groups of 10 beats were entered in spreadsheet software my Microsoft Excels’s spreadsheet and synthesizing the charts below.

/Ian Andrew Schneider/

Bo Diddley - iTunes® downloaded calibrated bpm graph

Bo Diddley - iTunes® downloaded calibrated bpm screen shot