Howlin’ Wolf Songs Ranked
Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910 – January 10, 1976), known as Howlin’ Wolf, was a Chicago blues singer, guitarist, and harmonica player. Originally from Mississippi, he moved to Chicago in adulthood and became successful, forming a rivalry with fellow bluesman Muddy Waters. With a booming voice and imposing physical presence, he is one of the best-known Chicago blues artists. The musician and critic Cub Koda noted, “no one could match Howlin’ Wolf for the singular ability to rock the house down to the foundation while simultaneously scaring its patrons out of its wits.” Producer Sam Phillips recalled, “When I heard Howlin’ Wolf, I said, ‘This is for me. This is where the soul of man never dies.’” Several of his songs, including “Smokestack Lightnin’”, “Killing Floor” and “Spoonful”, have become blues and blues-rock standards. In 2011, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 54 on its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. Here are all Howlin’ Wolf songs ranked.
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12. I Walked from Dallas (The Chess Box, 1991)
“So Dixon is unlike pretty much all the other major figures in post-war blues in that he rarely led groups. He was more of a songwriter and producer (and, of course, bassist). He’s only the frontman on something like 5 or 6 of these songs. But he’s behind all the rest of them in the other ways.”
11. Built for Comfort (The Howlin’ Wolf Album, 1969)
“It is somewhat surprising to be exposed to The Wolf’s unearthly growl in full-on brass-heavy surroundings, with some hip-swivelling’ New Orleans-sounding syncopations to boot, but the results are pretty devastating, like a more abrasive prototype to Dr John’s hoodoo. Guaranteed to be the life of any self-respecting groover’s party.”
10. The Red Rooster (The Red Rooster, 1961)
“Accompanying Wolf’s belligerent yet anxious vocal the musicians play at slow pace, Sumlin’s slide guitar generating a marvellous undertow, Johnny Jones supplying rolling piano, the drums being inconspicuous yet laying a firm rhythmic foundation”
9. Evil (Moanin’ In The Moonlight, 1959)
“What a great song! It grabs you from the start. “If you’re a long way from home, can’t sleep at night! Call on your telephone, something just ain’t right. That’s evil! Evil is going’ on!”
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8. Shake for Me (Howlin’ Wolf, 1962)
“The sterling “Shake for Me” is mid to uptempo rhythm & blues with a repetitive, ringing guitar phrase and effective drums, a highlight being a fine guitar solo as Wolf extols the praises of his woman urging her to shake for him like jello and like a willow tree.”
7. Who’s Been Talkin’ (Howlin’ Wolf, 1962)
“The magnificent, bluesy performance is played at midtempo and features Wolf’s wailing harp, Earl Phillips’ wonderful subtle, minimalistic yet rhythmically perfect drumming, and a fine harp break, as Wolf vehemently demands to know who has spilled the beans about his cheating behaviour, which has led to his woman leaving him”
6. Moanin’ at Midnight (Moanin’ In The Moonlight, 1959)
“Moanin’ at Midnight” has Wolf’s wordless, primeval moaning on the intro of a fast tempo highly rhythmic performance, Wolf’s great harmonica, Willie’s Johnson’s guitar and the ultra-tight rhythm section all contributing strongly to a fine musical accompaniment as Wolf’s vocal expresses his blues feelings, before the growling moaning returns, the emotional intensity of the record never flagging for a moment.”
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5. Back Door Man (Back Door Man, 1990)
“Even better is the superlative “Back Door Man”; played at a slow, loping tempo with Sumlin’s biting guitar and Below’s backbeat drums, Wolf delivers a domineering, leering, lascivious declaration of his overwhelming carnal power and attraction to married women, slipping in the rear entrance of their houses to sexually satisfy them as their men go out the front door”
4. How Many More Years (Moanin’ In The Moonlight, 1959)
“The equally strong “How Many More Years” has Ike Turner”s thumping piano on an uptempo setting, Johnson’s effective guitar work and Wolf’s searing harmonica and anguished vocal, as he bewails his woman’s mistreatment of him”
3. Killing Floor (The Real Folk Blues, 1966)
“I was going to say that ‘Killing Floor’ has a fantastic rhythm section, but that would be an understatement. Despite appearing in 1965 from a man associated with gruff electric blues, this song is FUNKY.”
2. Spoonful (Howlin’ Wolf, 1962)
“The beyond awesome “Spoonful” has a midtempo, one chord structure with Sumlin’s stinging guitar leads dominated by extremely forceful, insistent single notes, and runs up and down the frets and a superb brief guitar break, Below’s rhythmic drumming and wonderful rolling piano from Otis Spann. Another highlight and key feature of the record is Wolf not singing the word “spoonful” at the end of many of the lines, leaving Willie Dixon to complete the lines with a thunderous two note phrase on his double bass.”
1. Smokestack Lightning (Moanin’ In The Moonlight, 1959)
“Smoke Stack Lightning” drains the human spirit with its emotional vehemence, yet simultaneously regenerates the human spirit to a higher plane with its unadulterated magnificence. His voice is very powerful, direct, and emotional. You can hear that electric blues was already getting heavier and ‘grungier’ before White rockers got their hands on it.”