Musical antecedents to "Little Red Rooster" appear in earlier songs by blues artists Charlie Patton and Memphis Minnie.

American soul music singer Sam Cooke adapted the song using a more uptempo approach and it became a successful single on both the US rhythm and blues and pop record charts in 1963.

Their rendition, which remains closer to the original arrangement than Cooke's, became a number one record in the UK and continues to be the only blues song to reach the top of the British chart.

[1] The theme reflects early twentieth century folk beliefs in the American South that a rooster contributes to peace in the barnyard.

[5][6] In the post-war era, Margie Day with the Griffin Brothers recorded a song in 1950 titled "Little Red Rooster" in an updated jump blues style.

Although Dixon biographer Mitsutoshi Inaba notes it as a twelve-bar blues,[17] the changes in the first section vary due to extra beats.

[20] Interpretations of his verses range from the "most overtly phallic song since Blind Lemon Jefferson's [1927] 'Black Snake Moan'"[21] to an innocuous farm ditty.

"[22] The lyrics are delivered in Howlin' Wolf's distinctive vocal style; music writer Bill Janovitz describes it as displaying a "master singer's attention to phrasing and note choice, milking out maximum emotion and nuance from the melody".

[24] Described as "slinky" by Janovitz[23] and "sly" by music historian Ted Gioia,[25] it weaves in and out of the vocal lines and is the stylistic foundation of the song.

[23] The other musicians include Johnny Jones on piano, Willie Dixon on double bass, Sam Lay on drums,[16] and possibly Jimmy Rogers on guitar.

[29] On February 23, 1963, American soul singer Sam Cooke recorded his interpretation of Willie Dixon's song, calling it "Little Red Rooster".

[32] Sam Cooke chose to forgo Howlin' Wolf's gutbucket approach and came up with an arrangement that music writer Charles Keil describes as "somewhat more relaxed and respectable".

[23] Cash Box described it as "an infectious blues allegory that Sam and the Rene Hall-led (organ-spotlited) instrumentalists shuffle thru in engaging style.

In 1962, before they had recorded as a group, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, and Keith Richards attended the first American Folk Blues Festival, whose performers included Howlin' Wolf.

[21] Willie Dixon, another Festival player, later recalled "When the Rolling Stones came to Chess studios, they had already met me and doing my songs, especially 'Little Red Rooster'".

I remember "300 Pounds of Joy", "Little Red Rooster", "You Shook Me" were all songs Willie passed on at that time ... Jimmy Page came often, the Yardbirds, [and] Brian Jones.

[1][d] Biographer Stephen Davis adds, "It was his [Jones'] masterpiece, his inspired guitar howling like a hound, barking like a dog, crowing like a rooster"[6] (similar to Billy Preston's "playful organ vocalizing").

[51] "Little Red Rooster" was released on Friday, November 13, 1964,[43] and reached number one on the Record Retailer chart on December 5, 1964, where it stayed for one week.

[45] Wyman noted that it "realized a cherished ambition [of Jones] to put blues music at the top of the charts, and meant his guilt of having 'sold out' completely to pop fame was diminished".

[e] In 1964 and 1965, the Rolling Stones performed "Little Red Rooster" several times on television, including the British programs Ready Steady Go!

[56] Although often reported that the Stones would only agree to appear if Howlin' Wolf (or Muddy Waters) also performed,[57][58] Keith Richards later explained that the show's producer, Jack Good, was in on the idea to present an original blues artist on prime time network television.

[47] During the group's concerts in 1965, Charlie Watts, who did not normally address the audiences, was often brought from behind the drum kit to the front of the stage to introduce "Little Red Rooster" from Jagger's microphone.

[45] Bill Wyman later wrote in his book Stone Alone that "on December 18, 1964, news came from America that 'Little Red Rooster' was banned from record release because of its 'sexual connotations'".

[61] This has been repeated and embellished to include that it had been banned by or from American radio stations; however, Sam Cooke's version with nearly the same lyrics had been a Top 40 crossover pop hit one year earlier.

[63] Radio personality Bob Eubanks wrote in his weekly Record Review column for January 1, 1965, "'Little Red Rooster', by the Stones, is still KRLA's exclusive ... Don't fret, though, it may still be released in this country".

A review by Tim Sendra for AllMusic called it "a ferocious cover of the Howlin' Wolf classic dripping with noise and menace".