The Thrill Is Gone - Live (1981/Royal Festival Hall, London)

This was written and originally recorded by the blues musician Roy Hawkins in 1951. In the 1950s, King was a Memphis radio DJ who played the Roy Hawkins original on the air. The song is about moving on from a relationship that has gone bad.

King recorded the song several times but didn't like any of the results. Producer Bill Szymczyk (most famous for producing the Eagles) called King at 4:00 a.m. and suggested the addition of strings (King later said that he'd agree to just about anything at that time of the night). The addition polished up the recording that gave King his first million-selling record.

This was B.B. King's biggest hit. He didn't have much success on the charts, but became a blues legend who influenced a generation of musicians. King passed away in 2015 at age 89.