This week our hosts Brittany and Rob look at one of the longest, craziest stories in pop music: the never-ending saga of “Hound Dog.” Big Mama Thornton came out with this massive R&B belter in 1952 and was the first hit from the legendary writing team of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. The song comes in at #318 on the list, and instantly became a cultural phenomenon, inspiring countless cover versions, answer songs, rewrites and sequels in blues, pop, and country. The most notable was Elvis Presley’s version of Hound Dog” in 1956, but he wasn’t covering Big Mama Thornton’s song – these were two very different tunes with the same title, and the only thing they had in common was the opening line, “You ain’t nothing but a hound dog.”

In this episode, Brittany and Rob dive deep into the secret history of “Hound Dog” and why time has simplified the story to being between Big Mama and Elvis. Rolling Stone senior writer Angie Martoccio also joins us to look at the song and its complex cultural afterlife. Together we celebrate the greatness of Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, and the incredible power of her “Hound Dog”. For a song that’s continued to change constantly throughout the past 70 years after it first became a hit, there’s really no other story in music history like this one. From Jimi Hendrix to Doja Cat, we look at how “Hound Dog” keeps on inspiring sequels and likely will for the rest of history.

00:00 Introduction to the 500 Greatest Songs Podcast
00:15 Exploring the Evolution of the Rolling Stone List
00:53 The Shift in Public Sentiment Towards Elvis
01:35 The Diminished Presence of 50s Pioneers in Recent Lists
05:22 Rediscovering the Roots and Impact of 'Hound Dog'
06:34 The Legacy and Influence of Big Mama Thornton
09:14 The Cultural and Generational Dialogue of 'Hound Dog'
11:11 The Legal Battles and Financial Disparities in Music
12:02 The Resurgence of Interest in Big Mama Thornton
15:45 The Cyclical Nature of Music and Cultural Resurgence
20:22 The Impact of Recent Elvis Movies and Future Speculations
24:31 Closing Thoughts and Acknowledgements

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