The Robert Johnson legend is one of the most evocative in the history of 20th Century music. Dead by poisoning in 1938 aged 27, the shadowy figure claimed to have sold his soul to the devil at a Mississippi crossroads in exchange for otherworldly musical abilities will forever live on through the handful of recordings he made and his staggering influence on Western popular music.

Although Johnson is occasionally dismissed as unremarkable alongside Delta blues contemporaries Charley Patton and Son House, and there has been recent speculation regarding whether the King Of The Delta Blues Singers albums are even at the right pitch and speed, his impact on bluesmen and rock 'n' rollers that followed on both sides of the Atlantic is impossibe to deny.

Listen: Robert Johnson - Cross Road Blues

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“Robert Johnson.” (Thanks, Gallagher)

“Robert Johnson. Everything else is just copying.” (Thanks, Guitarmonkey)

“Robert Johnson: Imagine how many songs wouldn’t exist without his influence... artists like Clapton, Keith Richards and Jack White were highly influenced by this Delta blues master.” (Thanks, pleskoch)

“Delta Blues - Robert Johnson. Electric Blues - Eric Clapton” (Thanks, Pendragon)

“Robert Johnson - he influenced everybody else and has never been bettered.” (Thanks, dafuzz)

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“Robert Johnson is still the king.” (From Ed via Facebook, thanks)

“Freddie King, Mississippi Fred McDowell... Robert Johnson, the list goes on for days!” (From Kasey via Facebook, thanks)

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