John the Revelator

Blind Willie Johnson was a street evangelist, and his recordings blurred the line between the holy gospel and the secular blues. During this 1930 Atlanta session, he was joined by his wife Willie B. Harris. They created a terrifyingly powerful call-and-response dynamic. Johnson growled out the apocalyptic imagery of the Book of Revelation in his signature, gravel-throated rasp, while Harris provided a sweet, piercing vocal counterpoint. Driven by his heavy, rhythmic guitar strumming, the track remains one of the most intense, chilling pieces of sacred music ever recorded, later covered and reinterpreted by numerous artists.