House of the Rising Sun

The Animals’ 1964 hit “House of the Rising Sun” took a traditional folk blues and turned it into a dramatic rock classic. Eric Burdon’s soulful wails and Alan Price’s haunting organ lines retell the story of sin and regret in New Orleans. At about 4½ minutes long, it defied radio norms but still hit No. 1 worldwide – notably becoming the first British Invasion chart-topper in the US that wasn’t by the Beatles – and it remains a cornerstone of rock music.