100 Lost or Underappreciated Songs

This is the last of several articles that I really wanted to write, articles that would dig music from the grave. One of the best periods of my young life was digging around for songs by these artists. My search is still ongoing, but I've found most of what I'm looking for. Much of it is out of print, so I had to look in basement record stores, pawn shops, garage sales, and so on-over several years and cities. These are, to me, the best of what I found.

They are songs that you probably won't hear on many radio stations, you probably can't find in any jukebox, you'd be hard pressed to find in a record store, and of which only a few musicians still play. It can be done, but it takes a little work-and it is well worth it. Some of them are better known than others, and some are actually well know but don't get nearly enough credit. Songs like these are nearly forgotten now, and so, with what little resources I have, I want to try and spread the word, keep them around a little longer. If you love music and would like to know about some of the roots of it, look around for them. Play them at parties. Pass them around…

Elvin Bishop-"Let it flow"
Billy Bragg-"Against the law"
Big Bill Broonzy-"Crawdad song"
Richard "Rabbit" Brown-"James Alley blues"
Sonny Burgess-"Hell yes I cheated"
Leroy Carr-"Papa's on the house top" and "How long has that evening train been gone?"
Big Lucky Carter-"You'd better mind"
Johnny Cash-"Give my love to Rose"
Alex Chilton-"Thank you John," "I can dig it" and "Sugar, sugar"
The Clancy Brothers-"Brennan on the Moor" and "Whiskey, you're the devil"
Ry Cooder-"Crow black chicken"
G.L. Crockett-"It's a man down there"
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup-"That's all right mama"
Jim Dickinson-"John Brown"
Willie Dixon-"Spoonful"
Mark Dufresne-"Seasoned veteran"
Champion Jack Dupree-"Bring me flowers while I'm living"
Jesse Fuller-"San Francisco Bay Blues" and "Old Man Mose"
Paul Geremia-"My kinda place" and "Jones, oh Jones"
Robert Gordon & Danny Gatton-"Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache"
Ramblin Jack Elliot-"1913 Massacre," "Pastures of Plenty" and "Fifteen cents and a dollar"
Jack Guthrie-"This troubled mind o' mine" and "There are more pretty girls than one"
Woody Guthrie-"Talking fishing blues" and "We shall be free"
Merle Haggard-"Misery and gin" and "Big Bad Bill (is Sweet William now)"
John Hammond-"Can't beat the kid"
Tim Hardin-"Blues on the ceilin'" and "Lady came from Baltimore"
Dan Hicks & his Hot Licks-"Waiting for the 103"
Al Hopkins (& his Buckle Busters)-"West Virginia gals"
Lightnin Hopkins-"Darling, do you remember me?"
Howlin Wolf-"Oh Red"
Mississippi John Hurt-"Frankie"
Skip James-"Crow Jane" and "How long"
Waylon Jennings-"John's back in town"
Lonnie Johnson-"Tomorrow night"
Coley Jones-"Drunkard's special"
George Jones-"The window up above" and "Relief is just a swallow away"
Bradley Kincaid-"Dog and gun"
Albert King-"She caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride"
Spider John Koerner & Willie Murphy-"Bill & Annie"
Jim Kweskin (& his Jug Band)-"Don't you leave me here"
J.B. Lenoir-"I feel so good"
Ewan MacColl-"My old man," "Dirty old town," and "Brother did you weep?"
Uncle Dave Macon-"Uncle Dave's Travels, Pt. 1 (Misery in Arkansas)"
Taj Mahal-"Cakewalk into town"
John Mayall (& the Bluesbreakers)-"Walking on Sunset," and "The Death of J.B. Lenoir"
Delbert McClinton-"Two more bottles of wine"
Blind Willie McTell-"The dyin' crapshooter's blues"
Mississippi Sheiks-"I've got blood in my eyes" and "Jail bird love song"
Moon Mullican-"Hey Mr. Cotton Picker" and "Pipeliners blues"
Charlie Musselwhite-"Fell on my knees"
Fred Neil-"Little bit of rain"
Buck Owens-"Dang me"
Washington Phillips-"Denomination blues - Parts 1 & 2"
Professor Longhair-"Stagger Lee"
Dave "Snaker" Ray-"Fannin Street"
Jimmy Reed-"The sun is shining"
Jim Ringo-"I like this kind of music"
Tex Ritter-"Saginaw, Michigan" and "Rye whiskey"
Robert & Johnny-"You're mine"
Jimmie Rodgers-"Gambling bar room blues"
Dave Van Ronk-"Tell Old Bill" and "That song about the midway"
Tom Rush-"Mobile-Texas line"
Eric Von Schmidt-"Baby let me lay it on you" and "Cold gray dawn"
Pete Seeger-"Los Quatros Generalas" and "Those three are on my mind"
Lightnin Slim-"Hello Mary Lee"
Hank Snow-"The Blue Velvet Band"
Frank Stokes-"'Tain't nobody's business if I do"
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee-"Rock Island Line"
Bob Wills (& his Texas Playboys)-"The girl I left behind me" and "Bring it on down to my house"
Jesse Winchester-"The Brand New Tennessee Waltz"
Hank Williams, Sr.-"Howlin at the Moon," "Dear John" and "Lost Highway"
Big Joe Williams-"Baby please don't go"
Sonny Boy Williamson-"Don't start me to talkin'"
Link Wray-"All because of a woman"