"Folsom Prison Blues"

Written by Johnny Cash and recorded with the Tennessee Two for Sun in 1955, 'Folsom Prison Blues' tells a stark first-person tale from inside a prison. Its locked boom-chicka rhythm and Cash's grave baritone gave the Memphis roster a darker, more narrative voice. Though closer to country than to rockabilly, it was cut in the same studio during the same explosive years. The song became one of Cash's signature recordings and a touchstone of his Sun period.