Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin

“Piece of My Heart” is perhaps the song most famously associated with Janis Joplin, but she wasn’t the first to have a hit with it. The song was first recorded by soul singer Erma Franklin - yes, Aretha’s older sister - who had an R&B Top Ten hit with it in 1967.

That same year, the San Francisco-based Big Brother played the Monterey Pop Festival with Joplin, the Texas-born singer who’d only recently joined the band. Their performance was a sensation, with Joplin getting known as one of the festival’s most intense performers - no small feat, since the likes of Jimi Hendrix and The Who also played.

They were quickly signed to a major label, and their version of “Piece of My Heart” was recorded for their Cheap Thrills album. It was a bigger hit than Franklin’s version (going to #12 on the pop charts), and led to Joplin’s quitting the band for a solo career.

The cover of the Cheap Thrills album was done by legendary conics artist Robert Crumb.

On guitar, get the small trill in the two-note chord down if you don’t want to break your streak whenever it comes around.

On vocals, remember that you only have to follow the fairly straightforward melody — Emoting like Janis isn’t required, but don’t be afraid to give it a try.

Janis Joplin died of an overdose in 1970. The surviving members of Big Brother & the Holding Company are sill together, recently playing Woodstock anniversary shows with a new female singer.