Maps of Music

Memphis Blues (2010)

Where the lyrics of Memphis Blues take you, and where it was really made.

Cyndi Lauper's blues album, a set of classic blues covers recorded in Memphis, went on to become Billboard's biggest selling blues album of 2010.

Key places

Electraphonic Studios, Memphis (2010)

Recording site Ardent Studios — Sessions for the album were held in March 2010 at Electraphonic Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The map pin marks the city centre rather than the studio building itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Memphis Blues: eleventh studio album by American singer Cyndi Lauper
• Contains cover versions of classic blues songs
• Released on her 57th birthday, June 22, 2010
• Released through Downtown Records
• Regarded as a continuation of her 2008 comeback
• Nominated for the Grammy Awards 2010

Background

• Lauper announced in December 2009 on her official Twitter account that she would record a blues album
• Sessions held in March 2010 at Electraphonic Studios in Memphis, Tennessee
• Producer Scott Bomar and her frequent collaborator Bill Wittman worked on the record
• Special guests B. B. King, Charlie Musselwhite, Ann Peebles and Allen Toussaint appeared on the album
• Promoted with the Memphis Blues Tour, her biggest tour ever, with more than 140 shows

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper, born June 22, 1953 in Brooklyn, New York, is an American singer, songwriter and actress.
• Known for an eccentric image and a four-octave vocal range; dubbed the "Queen of Quirky Pop".
• Has sold over 50 million records worldwide.
• Debut solo album She's So Unusual (1983) produced four top-five Billboard Hot 100 hits, a first for a female debut artist, and won Best New Artist at the 27th Grammy Awards.
• Won the Tony Award for Best Original Score for Kinky Boots (2013), the first woman to win the category solo.
• Received two Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy, a Tony, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2015).
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2025.
• Has been a prominent LGBTQ rights advocate, founding True Colors United in 2008 to address LGBTQ youth homelessness.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Critical response was mixed, with a Metacritic score of 45 out of 100
• Thom Jurek of AllMusic gave two and a half stars out of five, writing that the singer's voice remained excellent while the album offered only some good moments
• The New York Post gave three and a half stars out of five, called the album stellar, and picked Early in the Mornin as the best track
• Melissa Maerz of Rolling Stone gave three and a half stars out of five

Reappraisal

• Some critics praised Lauper's courage in venturing into territory rarely visited by a pop star, while others said it was a step she should not have taken
• Songs best received by critics were Early in the Morning and Romance in the Dark

Records

• Debuted at number one on the US Billboard Top Blues chart and at number 26 on the Billboard 200
• Remained at number one on the Billboard Blues chart for thirteen weeks, with 40 weeks on the chart in total
• Lauper's third-highest charting album on the Billboard 200, behind She's So Unusual and True Colors
• Sold 600,000 copies worldwide by November 2010, according to O Globo
• Sold 76,000 copies in the US as of May 2016
• Double silver certification from IMPALA in 2011, indicating at least 40,000 copies across Europe
• Seven songs in the Top 25 of Billboard's Blues Digital Songs chart

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album was Lauper's first full blues project, and the Memphis Blues Tour became her biggest tour ever.
• Lauper performed songs from the album on the Late Show with David Letterman on June 14, the first of several promotional TV appearances.
• Seven songs from the album ranked in the Top 25 on Billboard's Blues Digital Songs chart, with Crossroads at number one.
• The Japanese release came only on 9 February 2011 on Mercer Street Records, in a limited edition that included a DVD of studio behind-the-scenes footage.
• The album's session guests were B. B. King, Charlie Musselwhite, Ann Peebles and Allen Toussaint.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

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