Penning the perfect blues, jazz, soul, or R&B song is no easy feat. And these four songwriters managed to make it look easy. Let’s take a look at four of the most underrated blues songwriters of all time!
1. Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint was basically a magician when it came to blending pop sentiments with the grittiest blues tunes. Some of his best songs were “Ride Your Pony” and “Fortune Teller”, the latter of which has been covered by the likes of The Rolling Stones and The Who.
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He also wrote hit songs for a number of other artists, including Irma Thomas, Benny Spellman, Aaron Neville, and more. When this writer thinks of New Orleans, they think of Allen Toussaint.
2. Willie Dixon
Willie Dixon was quite a talented performer, but his songwriting was his true talent. Throughout the 1950s he wrote music for Chess Records and was a pioneer of the post-WWII blues sound in the United States. Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf were just a couple of artists who benefited from his talent. And his blues work influenced countless rock bands in the 1960s as well.
3. Al Green
Al Green is known for his stellar voice, but he’s also one of the most underrated blues songwriters ever. Green’s discography of songwriting credits is just as rich and powerful as his voice. He changed soul and R&B as genres and managed to capture the essence of romance in a spiritual way that hadn’t been done before. Songwriters don’t write quite the way he did anymore.
4. Dan Penn
Dan Penn was a pioneer of the Southern soul movement in Memphis, particularly when it came to his work with Spooner Oldham. Penn wrote a ton of music for other artists that became hits, from “I’m Your Puppet” for James & Bobby Purify to “Dark End Of The Street” for James Carr. “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” is essential listening if you want to get a feel for his talent.
Photo by Paul Natkin
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