14. Cross Road Blues - Robert Johnson

One lonely dark Mississippi night, a young Robert Johnson took his guitar to a crossroads near Clarksdale and began playing a tune. Around midnight, as Johnson was strumming his instrument, he was approached by none other than the devil, himself. The melodic demon took Johnson's guitar, tuned it, and began to play a few songs. When the guitar was returned to Robert Johnson, he became a master blues musician--all for the price of his soul.

I cannot think of anyone in music who fits the word "legend" quite like Robert Johnson. His backstory is as much myth as it is fact. Did he sell his soul to the devil at the crossroads on a lonely Mississippi night? Was he actually poisoned to death by a lover's jealous husband? Where was he buried? Johnson died at the young age of 27, and never saw fame or fortune. It wasn't until the 1960s--when his music was re-released on vinyl--that his fame and legacy began to take shape. Musicians at the time such as Eric Clapton, Brian Jones, and Jimmy Page discovered his music and became enthralled with his sound. This particular tune was made famous because of Eric Clapton's electric version of it from the 1960s.

Knowing the myth, there is something eerie about hearing Johnson sing about the crossroads; even though the song has nothing to do with that fateful night in which he was diabolically imbued with musical talent. Johnson's sound would eventually help shape modern rock and roll, and it is easy to see the roots of rock in Cross Road Blues. Robert Johnson's legacy and history are fascinating, which makes me appreciate his music and this tune all the more. It is more than deserving of my 3rd Doc's Gold Seal of Approval.

Click the seal below to listen to the Robert Johnson's Cross Road Blues.

Doc's Gold Seal of Approval

8. Minnie the Moocher - Cab Calloway and His Orchestra

Cab Calloway was the sultan of smooth during his heyday in the 1930s.  And his mastery of the nonsensical singing known as "scatting" helped to seal his legacy in music history. "Hi-De-Hi-De-Hi-De-Ho" is the anthem oft repeated throughout his popular tune, Minnie the Moocher. Several drug references are also made in the song from cocaine to opium (kicking the gong around).

Minnie was wildly popular upon it's release in 1931. It has since been referenced/played in everything from The Marx Brothers ("You're willing to pay him a thousand dollars a night just for singing? Why, you can get a phonograph record of 'Minnie the Moocher' for 75 cents. And for a buck and a quarter, you can get Minnie.") to Betty Boop  and the Blues Brothers.

This song was alot of fun to listen to and gets stuck in one's head easily. I personally love it and don it with my second "Gold Seal".

Click the seal below to listen to Cab Calloway's Minnie the Moocher.

Doc's Gold Seal of Approval

6. St. James Infirmary Blues - Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five

St. James Infirmary Blues is a derivation of an old 18th century English folk song about a boy who dies from a venereal disease contracted from a prostitute. The modern version is much less lubricious; it tells the tale of a man visiting St. James Infirmary and finding his girl dead.

Louis Armstrong was on his way to becoming the legend he is today when he and his "Hot Five" recorded this lament in 1930. He worked his way from the back to be recording under his own name with his hot five. The book, 1001 Songs You Must Hear, likens the intro of St. James Infirmary to a funeral instrumental, an analogy I find appropriate, although it is more comparable to the famous New Orleans funeral marches that Armstrong must have witnessed while growing up in the impoverished streets of the Southern port-town.

This song is brilliant. And while I prefer the 1950s recording Louis did of this tune, the version the book recommends is worth listening to for the involvement of Armstrong's Hot Five, and the slightly more uptempo rhythm that they give the song. It is certainly a classic. I found myself replaying the song perpetually as I wrote this blog. Definitely deserves the seal.

Click the seal below to listen to Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five's St. James Infirmary Blues.

Doc's Gold Seal of Approval

Introduction

I am not, by any stretch of one's imagination, a musician. Nor am I an expert on music. I never found myself downloading thousands of songs or memorizing names of obscure band members and dreaming about "rocking out" with them on stage. I have no pressing desire to learn an instrument (except the triangle perhaps). Hell, I couldn't even tell you the difference between a C and a D note.

 Don't get me wrong, I certainly enjoy listening to the stuff (I mean who doesn't?). I am aware of most of the major bands and artists throughout the Twentieth Century, and  my tastes encompass many genres: everything from pop to punk, blues to big band, Sabbath to Sinatra. My involvement in the musical arts have just always been as a more detached and casual observer.



So, Why Create a Blog About 1001 "Must Hear Songs"?

Because I am hoping that this list will help to fill some of the gap in my knowledge of  musical pop culture. It is my goal to discover new bands and learn new facts and stories about the individuals who created the songs on the list.

I am a historian at heart, and pop-culture/entertainment history is the area I enjoy studying the most.
Essentially, I want to create this blog in order to share/catalog my thoughts on, not only the music, but also on those who made the songs and why they made them. Music is a powerful tool that can encapsulate the thoughts, mores, and emotions of an entire generation in just a few melodic chords. I plan on understanding the historical influences these tunes had on the music world and on culture as a whole. So, sit back and enjoy this rhythmic romp through time.


How It Will Be Done

• I will  try to keep each entry to a maximum length of about a short paragraph. They will hopefully be more akin to musical tweets that to full length blogs. 

• I hope to place a link to each song I listen to (if applicable).

• Rating System: Purely for my own amusement. I created four badges that will be given out based on my opinions of each song. I will try to rate the songs more on my listening enjoyment than I will for it's historical significance (although historical significance will have an influence)

Doc's Gold Seal of Approval: This badge is for the songs that I really enjoyed, and even returned to in order to listen again. A Highly Recommended Song.

 Worth Hearing: I found this song to be entertaining and enjoyable. It was either a solid representation of its genre or I found it historically interesting/significant enough to recommend.

Not Impressed: I did not find this song enjoyable or interesting. A tedious tune that I do not really recommend.

Garbage: I really did not care for this song. It was the equivalent of stabbing my eardrums with thousands of tiny needles, and about as entertaining as bathing in a grease trap.