It is entirely a matter of taste which are the best Blues songs. However, it is possible to speculate on the most influential songs.
It can be argued that blues music became more aware of the plight of African Americans, as new audiences became interested in their origins and creators.
I remember him clearly as a Muddy Waters fan; Howlin Wolf and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, feeling outraged by news reports in the early 1960s that an entire town was subjected to such terrible discrimination. The anti-establishment sentiments so typical of my generation and empathy for subjugated black Americans would manifest in the aggressive British interpretation of their blues music.
The adoption of blues music by young British musicians and their successful introduction of that music to white America inspired an entire generation of white American musicians to rediscover the music and popularize it. This brought recognition to the black musicians who had created it.
The ten songs that most influenced the “discovery” of the Blues are the ones that I present here.
Blues music was introduced to Britain after the war. Records arrived via seaports, and well-informed successful jazz bandleaders financed visiting black artists to visit and play at their shows. Inevitably, his performance influenced young British musicians who were looking for something different from the pre-war dance band scene.
chimney lightening
Written and recorded by Howling Wolf.
Smokestack Lightening is based on a driving riff and has no chord changes. Released in Britain in 1964 on Pye Records, it reached the Top 50. In 1999, the song received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
boom boom
Written and recorded by John Lee Hooker, the first American blues artist to tour clubs in Britain. Boom Boom was released as a single in 1961.
Boom Boom is a classic example of Hooker’s unique chord structure and timing.
The Animals recorded “Boom Boom” for their 1964 UK debut album “The Animals”. His playing generally follows John Lee Hooker’s version, except that it conforms to a 12-bar sequence.
Sadness of worried life
The first song written and recorded by Maceo Merriweather in 1941
Inspired by “Someday Baby Blues”, recorded by Sleepy John Estes in 1935, however, “Worried Life Blues” has become a blues “standard”, and has reportedly been covered by more artists than any other song. of blues.
I have my mojo working
Written by Preston Foster and popularized by Muddy Waters. Possibly the most influential of the Blues artists to visit the UK. Many artists covered it, but of particular note were Alexis Korner, a pioneer and possibly the first British blues band with Blues Incorporated, and Manfred Mann, a highly successful commercial band. Both versions were released in 1964, itself a testament to the impact of Waters’s original.
Baby please don’t go
By Big Joe Williams, and covered by “Them”, becoming Van Morrison’s first “hit” record in 1964. It became the weekly feature tune on the hugely influential television show “Ready Steady Go”. The “B” side of the single featured the now legendary “Gloria”. It became a top ten hit in the UK and launched “Them” and Van Morrisson to worldwide fame.
coochie hoochie man
Written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Muddy Waters in 1957, but covered by almost every blues artist since! The verse and introduction are played over “stops” that would become a feature of many blues recordings. The first version was released in 1962 by Alexis Korner on his album “R&B from the Marquee”.
crossroads blues
Written and recorded by Robert Johnson in 1937 and largely unnoticed until Cream released their version in 1968. The song ranked No. 10 on the World’s Greatest Singles and contributed greatly to the worldwide fame of the band and Eric Clapton in particular.
This success brought Robert Johnson’s small but remarkable catalog of songs to the attention of the music world and has not earned him the acclaim he so deserves.
sweet home chicago
Robert Johnson 1937. This song has become the “anthem” of the Blues.
The list of artists who have covered the song is vast, including Magic Sam, Buddy Guy, Freddie King, Status Quo, Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Blues Band, and the 1980 film Blues Brothers.
Everybody needs someone to love
Written and recorded by Solomon Burke in 1964, for many years it was the opening act for the Rolling Stones’ live shows. They released a live version of the song on their 1965 EP “Got Live if you want it”. The Rolling Stones would go on to become the most successful rock band of all time, and have been instrumental in furthering awareness and appreciation of early blues artists. They took their name from a Muddy Waters song “Rolling Stone”. The song’s riff was “borrowed” for the first hit single from “Small Faces,” “What You Gonna Do About It,” also in 1965. Hit “soul” artist Wilson Pickett covered the song. song and entered the US charts in 1967. The song is also featured in the 1980 “Blues Brothers movie”. The song, like several of those mentioned, is ranked on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the top 500 songs of all time
Hunting dog
A twelve bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and originally recorded by Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton in 1952. In 1965 he toured Europe as part of the American Folk and Blues festival which had become an annual event and had become so influential to the rise of British blues. Elvis’ 1956 remake was his second No. 1 hit and is arguably the first blues song to become a No. 1 hit record.