On This Day in 1954, This Legend From Mississippi Recorded a Blues Standard That Would Later Influence the Biggest Names in the Rock

The biggest names to come out of the Chicago blues scene are Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Koko Taylor, Elmore James, and Willie Dixon. Another name that is a part of that list is the one and only Muddy Waters. Without Muddy Waters, the sound of The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and frankly, most guitar-heavy bands and musicians would sound entirely different. He was a crucial player in the development of popular rock and roll, and one of the many songs that established his position in the genre was recorded on this day, January 7, 1954.

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When it comes to the blues, people often reference four epicenters all within a couple of hundred miles of each other. Those four epicenters are Chicago, Memphis, Baton Rouge, and Clarksdale, Mississippi. Prior to his passing in 1983, the Mississippi-native, Muddy Waters, walked, talked, and did his thing in both his home state and Chicago. For the song recorded on this day, Muddy Waters took to the iconic Chess Studios on Michigan Avenue just outside of the heart of downtown Chicago.

The Enduring Legacy and Chart Performance of Muddy Waters’ Blues Pillar

If you are a fan of either the blues or British rock ‘n’ roll, then you are certainly aware of Muddy Waters. In addition to his single, “Hoochie Coochie Man”, which Waters recorded on this day, other notable Muddy tracks include “Manish Boy”, “Baby, Please Don’t Go”, and “Rollin’ Stone”. Fun fact, The Rolling Stones found their name because of the Muddy Waters song.

Written by fellow bluesman Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters recorded “Hoochie Coochie Man” on this day in 1954. Subsequently, Waters released the track on March 13, and it went on to peak at No. 3 on the Billboard R&B Juke Box chart and No. 8 on the Best Seller chart.

The song became a core track in the development of blues rock, and consequently, in 2004, the National Recording Preservation Board added it to the National Recording Registry. When it comes to mainstream blues music, there are only a few names that swing as hard as Muddy Waters, and without him, the bands of England would have crossed the pond armed with a much different sound. In addition to influencing British rock bands, this song in particular inspired Bo Diddley’s hit “I’m a Man”, as well as Chuck Berry’s “No Money Down”.

Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns