Big Mama Thornton

Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984) was an American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter. She was the first to record the hit song "Hound Dog" in 1952. The record was #1 on the Billboard R&B charts for seven weeks in 1953; the single sold almost two million copies. Its B-side was "Night Mare." Three years later, Elvis Presley recorded his even more broadly successful rendition of "Hound Dog," based on a version performed by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. Similarly, Thornton wrote and recorded "Ball 'n' Chain", which became a hit for her, yet Janis Joplin's later recording of it made a bigger impact in the late 1960s.

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Albums by Big Mama ThorntonSort:By AlbumA - Z

Song	Album	Duration
Act 2. Hound Dog	Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller 1995	1:58
Act Two: Hound Dog	Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller	1:58
Baby Please Don't Go/Got My Mojo Workin'	The Way It Is 1970	5:25
Baby Please/Mojo Workin'	The Way It Is 1970	5:30
Ball 'N' Chain	Essential Texas Blues [Platinum] 1997	4:31
Ball 'N' Chain	Jail 1975	7:27
Ball And Chain	The Blues... A Real Summit Meeting 1973	7:43
Ball N' Chain	Step Right Up!	4:29
Ball and Chain	Vanguard Visionaries 2007	7:15
Ball and Chain	Birth of the Blues [Box Set] 2000	7:42
Ball and Chain	After Hour Blues [Bonus Tracks] 2000	7:42
Ball and Chain	The Best of the Blues: Live at Newport in New York 1989	7:42
Ball and Chain	50 Rockin' Hits, Vol. 84 2013	2:59
Ball and Chain	Mighty Crazy 2002	7:44
Ball and Chain	The Blues [Direct Source] 2000	7:44
Ball and Chain	Birth of the Blues [Direct Source] 2000	7:44
Ball and Chain	Vanguard: Roots of the Blues 2002	6:52
Ball and Chain	Live at Newport 1993
Ball and Chain	Trust in Me [Direct Source] 2000	7:45
Ball and Chain	Late Night Blues: Soulful Blues Classics 2017	7:28
Ball and Chain	Sassy Mama [Justin-Time] 2005	7:28
Ball and Chain	The Rising Sun Collection 1994	7:34
Ball and Chain	The Complete Vanguard Recordings 2000	7:15
Ball and Chain	After Hours [Columbia River] 2000	7:47
Ball and Chain	Great Tomato Blues Package 1989	7:00
Ball and Chain	Blues Live at Newport: Story Songs and Voices of T 2005	7:43
Ball and Chain	Make It Your Sound, Make It Your Scene: Vanguard Records & the 1960s Musical Revolution 2012	7:24
Ball and Chain	Stronger Than Dirt 1969	4:42
Ball and Chain	Hear Me Howling! Blues, Ballads & Beyond 2011	5:34
Ball and Chain	Vanguard 50	7:15
Ball and Chain	Leavin' Chicago 2001	6:58
Ball and Chain	Blues Revue of 20th Century, Vol. 1 2001	6:58
Ball and Chain	Women in Blues [Direct Source] 2000	7:44
Ball and Chain	Newport in New York 2000	7:48
Ball and Chain	The Encyclopedia of Early Blues Classics [2 Disc] 2001	7:29
Ball and Chain	Unknown Album	7:43
Ball n' Chain	Ball n' Chain 1968	4:31
Catfish Blues	Mighty Crazy 2002
Catfish Blues	Four Classic Albums: Second Set 2017
Hound Dog	MVP Vintage Blues, Vol. 2 1997	2:50
Hound Dog	Vanguard Visionaries 2007	3:00
Hound Dog	Vanguard Blues Sampler 1996	3:00
Hound Dog	Roots of Rock and Roll 1952, Vol. 8 2003	2:52
Hound Dog	American Folk Blues Festival '62-'65: Highlights 1997	3:17
Hound Dog	Jimi Hendrix's Jukebox 2007	2:50
Hound Dog	The Best Of Blues Classics 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection 2003	2:50
Hound Dog	Time Life Treasury of the Blues [Promo] 2003	2:51
Hound Dog	Blues Gold [Hip O] 2006	2:49
Hound Dog	The Vintage Collection: Blues 2015	2:51
Hound Dog	We're Gonna Rock We're Gonna Roll: Blues & Rhythm 2005	2:51
Hound Dog	We're Gonna Rock: We're Gonna Roll 2005	2:51
Hound Dog	Vanguard Collector's Edition 1997	2:50
Hound Dog	Got the Blues 2018	2:50
Hound Dog	The Best Of Rhythm & Blues: Hits R&B 1952-1953 2005	2:54
Hound Dog	In Europe 1965	2:58
Hound Dog	Hot Hundred: Hits of the 50s 2015	2:49
Hound Dog	Jump, Jive & Swing [Rhino] 1999	2:51
Hound Dog	The Original Hound Dog 1990	2:52
Hound Dog	Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues 2003
Hound Dog	R&B Caravan, Vol. 2 1950-1952 2003	2:56
Hound Dog	Fever: A Rhythm & Blues Trilogy 2011
Hound Dog	The Sun Years Plus 2008	2:54
Hound Dog	A Brief History of the Blues 2008	2:51
Hound Dog	The R&B No. 1's of the '50s 2013	2:51
Hound Dog	Hound Dog: Leiber and Stoller Collection 2009	2:49
Hound Dog	Rock'n Roll Fever [Music & Melody] 2015	2:51
Hound Dog	Sweethearts and Stolen Kisses: From the Movies 2014	2:49
Hound Dog	Blowing the Fuse: 29 R&B Classics That Rocked the Jukebox in 1953 2005	2:50
Hound Dog	American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1969, Vol. 2 2004	2:26
Hound Dog	Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: A Musical Journey 2003	2:50
Hound Dog	American Folk Blues Festival: 1965	3:21
Hound Dog	Blues Masters [Time Life Music]
Hound Dog	Blues Story [Shout! Factory] 2003
Hound Dog	The Blues Had a Baby...They Called It Rock 'N' Roll 2006	2:51
Hound Dog	They Call Me Big Mama [MCA] 1991
Hound Dog	Solid Gold Blues 2007	2:50
Hound Dog	The Essential Recordings 2017	2:54
Hound Dog	Triple Best of Blues	2:50
Hound Dog	The King's Record Collection, Vol. 1 1998
Hound Dog	Pure Blues, Vol. 3 2013	2:50
Hound Dog	Pure Blues, Vol. 2 2013	2:50
Hound Dog	Pure Blues, Vol. 1 2013	2:50
Hound Dog	The Leiber-Stoller Songbook 2012	2:51
Hound Dog	Rhythm & Blues Classics 2013	2:50
Hound Dog	That's All Right: The Dawn of the Rock & Roll Era 2005	2:51
Hound Dog	Oldies But Goldies [Documents] 2006	2:50
Hound Dog	Buddy Holly & the Rock 'n' Roll Giants 2010
Hound Dog	101 Essential Blues Tracks 2011	2:48
Hound Dog	The Roots of Frank Zappa 2009	2:47
Hound Dog	Routes of Rockabilly 2009	2:53
Hound Dog	Hound Dog: The Peacock Recordings 1992	2:52
Hound Dog	Mighty Crazy 2002	6:07
Hound Dog	The Fifties
Hound Dog	There's a Riot Goin' On! The Rock 'N' Roll Classics of Lieber and Stoller 1991	2:52
Hound Dog	Blues & the City [TMC] 2011	2:52
Hound Dog	The History Of Rhythm And Blues 1952-1957	2:52
Hound Dog	Call Me Big Mama 2011	2:50
Hound Dog	Collector's Box Set 2008	2:47
Hound Dog	Simply Blues [2012] 2012	2:50
Hound Dog	The Blues: A Smithsonian Collection of Classic Blues Singers 1993	2:51
Hound Dog	The Rock 'N' Roll Era: Roots of Rock - 1945-1956 1990	2:51
Hound Dog	Blues Collection [Madacy] 2004	2:50
Hound Dog	Blues Gold [Universal] 2017	2:50
Hound Dog	Jail 1975	3:00
Hound Dog	Men Are Like Street Cars: Women Blues Singers 1928-1969 1999	2:52
Hound Dog	Duke-Peacock's Greatest Hits 1992	2:50
Hound Dog	The Blues Effect 2013	2:50
Hound Dog	Best of the Blues, Vol. 1 [Excalibur] 2012	2:50
Hound Dog	Rock 'N' Roll Roots: The Blues Influence 2005
Hound Dog	Tequila and More No. 1 Hits 2012	2:48
Hound Dog	The R&B Box: 30 Years of Rhythm & Blues 1994
Hound Dog	Pure Blues 2001	2:50
Hound Dog	Plug It In! Turn It Up! Electric Blues - The Definitive Collection, Pt. 1: Beginnings 1 2012	2:50
Hound Dog	Back to Black: 1900-1999 2001	2:51
Hound Dog	29 R&B Classics That Rocked the Jukebox in 1953 2005
Hound Dog	Living the Blues: Blues Greats [1999] 1999
Hound Dog	The Hit Songs of Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, 1952-62 2016	2:46
Hound Dog	They Call Me Big Mama [Proper] 2005	2:51
Hound Dog	Vintage Music, Vol. 14 1986
Hound Dog	100 Blues Classics & Greatest Blues Hits 2013	2:50
Hound Dog	The Roots of Rock 'n' Roll: 1946-1954 2004	2:49
Hound Dog	101 Hits of the 50's 2013	2:50
Hound Dog	Hits im Doppelpack, Vol. 2 2013
Hound Dog	Pioneers of Rock 'N' Roll 2006	2:50
Hound Dog	Living the Blues [Time-Life 2001] 2001
Hound Dog	The Blues Effect, Vol. 3: 100 Essential Tracks 2013	2:50
Hound Dog	Songs That Made Elvis Famous 2002	2:50
Hound Dog	Great Rock N Roll: 58 Original Jivin Hits 2005	2:50
Hound Dog	Simply 50's Rock 'n' Roll, Vol. 1 2013	2:50
Hound Dog	The Complete Vanguard Recordings 2000	3:00
Hound Dog	Rumba Blues, Vol. 1: How Latin Music Changed R&B 1940-1953 2010
Hound Dog	1950-1953 2004	2:51
Hound Dog	Rhythm & Blues: The Golden Era 2006	2:50
Hound Dog	R&B Jukebox Hits 1953, Vol. 1 2005	2:49
Hound Dog	100 Rhythm & Blues Classics 2005	2:51
Hound Dog	Rolling Stone Women in Rock 1998	2:51
Hound Dog	Topcat Records 20th Anniversary Extravaganza 2012	3:06
Hound Dog	Good Rockin' Tonight: 28 Original Rock 'N' Roll Hits 2004	2:50
Hound Dog	Blues Classics [MCA] 1996	2:50
Hound Dog	The First Rock and Roll Record 2011	2:48
Hound Dog	Many Faces of Chuck Berry 2017	2:50
Hound Dog	Elvis Inspiration 2004	2:54
Hound Dog	Ball n' Chain 1968	3:01
Hound Dog	The Blues [Blue City] 1993	2:50
Hound Dog	Rock-A-Bye Baby 2014	2:53
Hound Dog	Shake, Rattle And Roll: R&B's Greatest Hits 1953-1958 2009	2:51
Hound Dog	American Folk Blues Festival: 1962-1965 1995	3:17
Hound Dog	Tom Waits' Jukebox 2006	2:50
Hound Dog	Original Versions of the Beatles Club
Hound Dog	ABC of the Blues: The Ultimate Collection from the Delta to the Big Cities 2010	2:51
Hound Dog	The Johnny Otis Story, Vol. 1: Midnight at the Barrelhouse (1945-1957) 2011	2:50
Hound Dog	Blues Masters, Vols. 1-5 1995	2:50
Hound Dog	The R&B Years 1953 2004	2:50
Hound Dog	Stronger Than Dirt 1969	2:26
Hound Dog	Hear Me Howling! Blues, Ballads & Beyond 2011	4:55
Hound Dog	Dues Paid: The Bluestime Story 2013	3:20
Hound Dog	Spirit of Blues 1998	2:49
Hound Dog	Rock 'n' Roll Ladies	2:51
Hound Dog	Lost Blues Tapes/More American Folk Blues Festival 2004	3:32
Hound Dog	Blues: The Essential Album 2004	2:50
Hound Dog	The Best of Jukebox 2005
Hound Dog	Basic Blues, Vol. 4 2001	2:48
Hound Dog	Shout It Out Sister: The Great Female Blues Singers 2006	2:51
Hound Dog	Jumpin' Jive: Jump Blues Essentials 1999	2:50
Hound Dog	Leavin' Chicago 2001	4:03
Hound Dog	Classics from the Roadhouse 1996
Hound Dog	Express Yourself: Soul In The 20th Century 2006	2:49
Hound Dog	Ain't Nothin' But... The Blues 2017	2:54
Hound Dog	Elvis Pays Tribute to the Blues 2007	2:47
Hound Dog	So Begann der Rock 'N' Roll 2008	2:54
Hound Dog	Treat Me Nice: The Songs of Leiber & Stoller 2014
Hound Dog	Blues Masters, Vol. 5: Jump Blues Classics 1992	2:51
Hound Dog	Bring the Blues on Home 2006
Hound Dog	Ladies Sing The Blues [Union Square] 2009	2:50
Hound Dog	Music of My Life: Golden Decade, Vol. 12 (1953-1954) 2008	2:50
Hound Dog	The Guitar Sounds of James Burton 1971	2:25
Hound Dog	Everything's Chicken But the Gravey 2000	6:17
Hound Dog	Time Machine 2004	1:50
Hound Dog	30 Best Hits of the 50s 2010	2:19
Hound Dog	Super Hits [Australian Import] 2006
Hound Dog	The Shoop Shoop Song 1993	2:29
Hound Dog	Cyrus Plays Elvis 2007	4:37
Hound Dog	Unleashed 2004	2:32
Hound Dog	Crazy Man Crazy: The Roots of Rock 'N' Roll 2006	2:50
Hound Dog	Poison Ivy: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller 2003	2:48
Hound Dog	Unknown Album	2:50
Hound Dog	Alisa	2:52
Hound Dog	Heartbreak Hotel Hitmix	2:10
Hound Dog	Best of 1963-1967	3:26
Hound Dog	It's Now or Never	2:21
Hound Dog Roll	Super Cajun!: TBest of Cajun/Zydeco 1996	3:32
*Hound Dog [Alternate Take][#][]**	American Folk Blues Festival: 1962-1965 1995	3:31
Hound Dog [DVD]	American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1969, Vol. 3 [DVD] 2004
Hound Dog [Live]	From Hell To Gone and Back (Texas Blues) 2002	2:54
Hound Dog [Live]	The Complete Vanguard Recordings 2000	2:58
Hound Dog [Live]	Evidence Blues Sampler: Five 1996	3:19
Hound Dog [Outtake & Alternate Take] [Alternate Take]	Lost Blues Tapes/More American Folk Blues Festival 2004	3:32
Hound Dog [Single Version]	Blues Masters [Jazz Club] 2006	2:49
Hound Dog [Single Version]	The Best Rock n Roll Album in the World… Ever! 2014	2:50
*Hound Dog [Take 2][#][]**	Big Mama Thornton in Europe 1965	3:11
Hound Dog/Walkin' the Dog	Sassy Mama [Justin-Time] 2005	4:11
Houng Dog [Take 1]	Big Mama Thornton in Europe 1965	3:00
I Smell a Rat	Mean Old World: The Blues from 1940 to 1994 1996	1:40
I Smell a Rat	The Original Hound Dog 1990	1:43
I Smell a Rat	They Call Me Big Mama [MCA] 1991
I Smell a Rat	The Leiber-Stoller Songbook 2012	1:44
I Smell a Rat	Oldies But Goldies [Documents] 2006	2:40
I Smell a Rat	Hound Dog: The Peacock Recordings 1992	1:45
I Smell a Rat	Call Me Big Mama 2011	1:41
I Smell a Rat	The Essential Recordings 2017	2:36
I Smell a Rat	The R&B Years 1954 2005	1:41
I Smell a Rat	The Blues Effect 2013	1:41
I Smell a Rat	They Call Me Big Mama [Proper] 2005	2:42
I Smell a Rat	The Blues Effect, Vol. 6: 100 Essential Tracks 2013	1:41
I Smell a Rat	1950-1953 2004	2:42
I Smell a Rat	100 Greatest Burlesque Hits 2014	1:43
I Smell a Rat	Rock-A-Bye Baby 2014	2:39
I Smell a Rat	ABC of the Blues: The Ultimate Collection from the Delta to the Big Cities 2010	2:42
I Smell a Rat	The Leiber & Stoller Story, Vol. 1: Hard Times - The Los Angeles Years 1951-56 2004	1:44
I Smell a Rat	Leiber & Stoller: The Absolutely Essential 2014
I Smell a Rat	Treat Me Nice: The Songs of Leiber & Stoller 2014
I Smell a Rat	Unknown Album	1:44
Life Goes On	Big Mama Thornton & Chicago Band
Life Goes On	Big Mama: Queen at Monterey [LP] 1967
Life Goes On	The Queen at Monterey 1967	3:27
Life Goes On	In Europe 1965
Life Goes On	With the Muddy Waters Blues Band 1966 2004	3:28
Life Goes On	Unknown Album
Life Goes on	Ball n' Chain 1968	3:28
Little Red Rooster	Vanguard Visionaries 2007	6:23
Little Red Rooster	The Way It Is 1970	7:58
Little Red Rooster	In Europe 1965	4:26
Little Red Rooster	The Blues... A Real Summit Meeting 1973	6:18
Little Red Rooster	The Best of the Blues: Live at Newport in New York 1989	5:51
Little Red Rooster	50 Rockin' Hits, Vol. 58 2013	3:01
Little Red Rooster	Jail 1975	6:23
Little Red Rooster	Live at Newport 1993
Little Red Rooster	Big Mama Thornton in Europe 1965	4:28
Little Red Rooster	The Best of the Blues [Pair] 1988
Little Red Rooster	Classic Blues, Vol. 1 [Digimode] 2000	5:40
Little Red Rooster	The Complete Vanguard Recordings 2000	6:23
Little Red Rooster	After Hours [Columbia River] 2000	5:51
Little Red Rooster	Ball n' Chain 1968	4:28
Little Red Rooster	Blues Live at Newport: Story Songs and Voices of T 2005	5:51
Little Red Rooster	Great Women Blues Singers: Gold Collection 2004
Little Red Rooster	All the Blues You Need 2013	5:50
Little Red Rooster	Newport in New York 2000	5:51
Little Red Rooster	Best of Blues, Vol. 2 [Madacy] 2000	5:49
Little Red Rooster	Best of the Blues [Box] 2000	5:49
Little Red Rooster	Arhoolie 40th Anniversary Collection 1960-2000: The Journey of Chris Strachwitz 2000	4:27
Medley: Hound Dog/Rock Your Body	Alisa	3:47
Medley: Hound Dog/Walkin' the Dog	The Rising Sun Collection 1994	4:24
Medley: Hound Dog/Walkin' the Dog	Sassy Mama [Justin-Time] 2005	4:11
Oh Happy Day	Jail 1975	3:51
Oh Happy Day	The Complete Vanguard Recordings 2000	3:51
Oh Happy Day	Leavin' Chicago 2001	9:01
Oh Happy Day [Live]	The Complete Vanguard Recordings 2000	3:51
Rolling Stone	Vanguard Visionaries 2007	4:38
Sweet Little Angel	The Way It Is 1970	6:42
Sweet Little Angel	In Europe 1965	5:28
Sweet Little Angel	Unknown Album
Sweet Little Angel	Big Mama Thornton in Europe 1965	5:30
Sweet Little Angel	The Rising Sun Collection 1994	5:55
Sweet Little Angel	Ball n' Chain 1968	5:30
Trouble in Mind	Mighty Crazy 2002
Trouble in Mind	Blues Infusion, Vol. 3 (100 Essential Tracks) 2013	3:14
Wade in the Water	The Way It Is 1970	5:31

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