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King of the Delta Blues Singers 1961
Album · by Robert Johnson ↗ View artist

King of the Delta Blues Singers

The album Robert Johnson's *King of the Delta Blues Singers*, released in 1961 by Columbia Records, is a compilation that captures the essence of Delta blues. This work brings together sixteen mono recordings, thirteen of which had previously been released as 78 rpm records on the Vocalion label. The recording sessions took place in 1936 and 1937, and although sales were limited, with a maximum of 5000 copies, some of his songs, such as "Terraplane Blues," became regional hits.

Year
1961
Songs
16
Duration
43 min 42 seg

16 song|s

Song list

# Title Available ⏱
01

Crossroads Blues

2:34
02

Terraplane Blues

3:04
03

Come On In My Kitchen

2:55
04

Walking Blues

2:33
05

Last Fair Deal Gone Down

2:43
06

32‐20 Blues

2:56
07

Kindhearted Woman Blues

2:55
08

If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day

2:39
09

Preaching Blues

2:55
10

When You Got a Good Friend

2:41
11

Rambling on My Mind

2:54
12

Stones in My Passway

2:32
13

Traveling Riverside Blues

2:48
14

Milkcow’s Calf Blues

2:20
15

Me and the Devil Blues

2:36
16

Hellhound on My Tail

2:37

About the album

King of the Delta Blues Singers, according to DoReSol

The album's production was driven by John Hammond, who had sought out Johnson in 1938 to include him in his famous *From Spirituals to Swing* concert at Carnegie Hall. During the 1960s, amidst the folk revival, Hammond convinced Columbia to release this compilation, which became one of the first retrospectives of blues and folk artists from the 1920s and 30s. Although the album did not chart, its musical quality caused Johnson's reputation to grow, making him a symbol of good taste in the counterculture of that era. The cover, which features a faceless musician, reflects the lack of precise information about Johnson's life at the time.

The album was reissued in 1998, adding an alternate version of "Traveling Riverside Blues" as a bonus track. Over the years, *King of the Delta Blues Singers* has been recognized for its impact on the Delta style, influencing the sound of Chicago blues. In 1980, it became the first album to be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame by the Blues Foundation. Its legacy has endured, being mentioned in lists of seminal recordings and recognized for its role in revitalizing interest in the blues for subsequent generations.