Discography and Biography of Rufus Thomas. Listen to all their hits.
Rufus Thomas Songs

(with biography below if available)

Rufus Thomas, Jr. (March 26, 1917 - December 15, 2001) was an American rhythm and blues, funk, soul and blues singer, songwriter, dancer, DJ and comic entertainer from Memphis, Tennessee. He recorded for several labels including Chess and Sun in the 1950s, before becoming established in the 1960s and 1970s at Stax Records. He is best known for his novelty dance records including "Walking the Dog" (1963), "Do the Funky Chicken" (1969) and "(Do the) Push and Pull" (1970). His career began as a tap dancer, vaudeville performer, and master of ceremonies in the 1930s, and he later also worked as a disc jockey on radio station WDIA in Memphis, both before and after his recordings became successful. He remained active into the 1990s, and as a performer and recording artist was often billed as "The World's Oldest Teenager". He was the father of singers Carla Thomas (with whom he recorded duets) and Vaneese Thomas, and keyboard player Marvell Thomas.

Below is a list of Rufus Thomas songs, sorted by the most popular first. Place mouse on to see information about song. Click song title to play song and to read details about the song including lyrics (if available). Click year to list all songs from that year. Click label to list songs from that record label. Songs with chart position "---" either never made it into the US top 100 R&B or UK charts or we have no details of their highest chart positions if they did.

(Song are sorted in highest US R&B Top 100 and/or UK Top 100 chart position order)


showing 1-21 of 21 records
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record label
1 record label: Stax 140
chart position: RandB #4, US #10
weeksinr&bchart: 16
written by: Rufus Thomas
album: Walking The Dog
Rufus Thomas Walking The Dog
1963 Stax
2 record label: Stax 0059
chart position: RandB #5, US #28, UK #18
written by: Rufus Thomas
album: Do the Funky Chicken / Stax Greatest Hits
comments: [southern soul funk]
Rufus Thomas Do the Funky Chicken
1970 Stax
3 record label: Stax 0079
chart position: RandB #1, US #25
written by: Rufus Thomas
album: Did You Heard Me?
comments: (southern soul funk)
Rufus Thomas (Do the) Push and Pull
1970 Stax
4 record label: Stax 0098
chart position: RandB #2, US #31
written by: Eddie Floyd, Mack Rice & Rufus Thomas
album: Did You Heard Me?
comments: [funk]
Rufus Thomas The Breakdown (Part 1)
1971 Stax
5 record label: Stax 157
chart position: RandB #6, US #49
written by: Rufus Thomas
Rufus Thomas Jump Back
1964 Stax
6 record label: Stax 0112
chart position: RandB #11, US #44
written by: Jo Bridges, Rufus Thomas , Mack Rice and Tom Nixon
album: Did You Heard Me?
Rufus Thomas Do the Funky Penguin
1971 Stax
7 record label: Stax 144
chart position: RandB #12, US #48
written by: Steve Cropper and Rufus Thomas
album: Walking The Dog
Rufus Thomas Can Your Monkey Do The Dog
1964 Stax
8 record label: Stax 130
chart position: RandB #22, US #87
written by: Rufus Thomas
album: Walking The Dog
Rufus Thomas The Dog
1963 Stax
9 record label: Stax 149
chart position: US #86
written by: Steve Cropper and Rufus Thomas
Rufus Thomas Somebody Stole My Dog
1964 Stax
10 record label: Stax 0090
chart position: RandB #34
written by: Rufus Thomas
album: Did You Heard Me?
Rufus Thomas The World Is Round
1971 Stax
11 record label: Stax 0140
chart position: US #103
written by: Ronald Hayes and Toby King
Rufus Thomas Itch and Scratch (Part 1)
1972 Stax
12 record label: Stax 0129
chart position: Cashbox R&B #44, US #114
written by: Randy Stewart
album: Did You Heard Me?
Rufus Thomas Love Trap
1972 Stax
13 record label: Stax 0071
chart position: RandB #42
written by: Billy Ward, Rose Marks, traditional and Rufus Thomas (arrangement)
album: Do the Funky Chicken
Rufus Thomas Sixty Minute Man (Part II) -- The Preacher and the Bear
1970 Stax
14 record label: Stax 221
chart position: RandB #43
written by: Mack Rice (as Bonny Rice), Isaac Hayes, David Porter and Joe Shamwell
Rufus Thomas Sophisticated Sissy
1967 Stax
15 record label: Stax 250
chart position: Cashbox RandB #49
written by: R. Thomas, B. Rice, W. Sparks
Rufus Thomas The Memphis Train
1968 Stax
16 record label: Stax 0219
chart position: RandB #63
written by: Rufus Thomas
Rufus Thomas Boogie Ain't Nuttin' (But Gettin' Down) (Part I)
1974 Stax
17 record label: Stax 153
chart position: Cashbox RandB #63
written by: Rufus Thomas, Don Dortch
album: Crown Prince of Dance
Rufus Thomas Funky Robot (Part 1)
1973 Stax
18 record label: Stax 0236
chart position: RandB #74
written by: Rufus Thomas
Rufus Thomas Do the Double Bump
1975 Stax
19 record label: Art. of America 126
chart position: RandB #92
written by: George Jackson
album: If There Were No Music
Rufus Thomas If There Were No Music
1976 Art. of America
20 record label: Stax 0192
chart position: RandB #93
written by: Jo Bridges and Tom Nixon
album: Crown Prince of Dance
Rufus Thomas The Funky Bird
1974 Stax
-- record label: Stax 254
written by: Rufus Thomas
comments: [southern soul]
Rufus Thomas Jump Back 75 (part 1)
1975 Stax




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