Blue Yodel No. 4 (California Blues)

The "Singing Brakeman" was the first true superstar of country music, but his foundation was the blues. Rodgers learned guitar phrasing and structure from Black railroad workers in his youth. "Blue Yodel No. 4" strictly follows the AAB lyric structure and 12-bar format of a traditional blues. Rodgers simply layered his signature Swiss yodel over the top. His relaxed, rhythmic guitar playing and blues-centric melodies had a massive influence on later blues musicians like Howlin' Wolf, who famously tried to imitate Rodgers' yodel.