Song Clearance Sheet
3 sources citedHoochie Coochie Man
Blues1950s113BPM
D majKey
More around 110 BPM → · More in D major → · More “Cleared After Dispute” →
Tempo/key via GetSongBPM →
The verdict
Cleared After Dispute
A rare outcome that favored the creator: Willie Dixon’s 1977 suit against Arc Music let him found his own publisher — Hoochie Coochie Music, named for this very song. A confirmed songwriter of record with a resolved, satisfying legal history.
reportedly open to sampling
Used by independents?
Unconfirmed — the page doesn't yet document enough sampler detail to tell.
Quick Facts
Released1954
GenreBlues, Chicago Blues
LabelChess Records
ProducerWillie Dixon
Recorded atChess Records, Chicago
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriter — Willie Dixon's estate
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The publisher — Hoochie Coochie Music — the company Dixon founded from his 1977 win, named for this song (present-day status needs a Songview/Discogs lookup)
WBSS Media → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Yes — a blues standard covered and reused for 70 years; in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry (2004) and the Grammy Hall of Fame
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found, but a long record of legitimate licensing — and, unusually, the rights history favored the creator
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
Dixon separately sued Led Zeppelin (1987) over their use of his material
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Willie Dixon (estate, following his 1992 death)
The recording (current administrator)Hoochie Coochie Music
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
Dixon actually won his fight for fair compensation
In 1977, unhappy with the small royalties paid by Chess's publishing arm Arc Music, Dixon and Muddy Waters together sued Arc — and used the settlement to found their own publishing company, Hoochie Coochie Music.
WBSS Media · read it →
A second legal victory, against Led Zeppelin
In 1987 Dixon separately sued Led Zeppelin for plagiarism over their use of his material, reaching an out-of-court settlement.
WBSS Media · read it →
He turned his experience into reform for others
Dixon founded the Blues Heaven Foundation specifically to help blues musicians secure copyrights and royalties — channeling his own hard-won experience into structural change.
WBSS Media · read it →
Paid barely a living wage at his peak
Even while writing genre-defining hits for Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Little Walter and working as session bassist and recording manager, Dixon reportedly earned just $100 a week.
AllMusic · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
A blues standard — extensively covered
Covers
—
First flip
Who to Contact
WD
Willie Dixon's estate / Hoochie Coochie Music
The songwriter of record and his self-founded publisher
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
Don't Want the Hassle?
Sample something pre-cleared insteadCheck Tracklib →
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Deep Batch 2)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending a separate manual keyfinder pass