Minnie the Moocher

Cab Calloway took a minor-key jazz melody, heavily indebted to the blues standard "St. James Infirmary," and turned it into a massive pop culture phenomenon. Backed by his incredibly tight orchestra, Calloway sang a dark, drug-laced narrative about a tough girl from the streets and the King of Sweden. But it was the improvised, scat-singing "hi-de-ho" chorus that made history. The call-and-response allowed audiences to participate in the chaotic energy of the Harlem Renaissance. It is often cited as one of the first jazz records to sell a million copies, cementing Calloway as one of the era's greatest showmen.