After the Mississippi Sheiks original, renditions of "Sitting on Top of the World" were recorded by a number of artists.[3] Following a recording for Bluebird Records by Milton Brown and His Musical Brownies, the song became a staple in the repertoire of country and bluegrass artists, such as Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys and Bill Monroe.[1]
Howlin' Wolf reworked the song as a Chicago blues, which Chess Records issued as a single in 1957 and later included on the popular compilation series The Real Folk Blues [1966].[7] For the recording, he was backed by a typical blues ensemble consisting of electric guitar [Hubert Sumlin], piano [Hosea Lee Kennard], bass [Alfred Elkins], and drums [Earl Phillips].[7] During performances later in his career, Howlin' Wolf often closed his sets with "Sitting on Top of the World".[8] As with several of his songs, it was adapted by rock groups during the 1960s.[8] Some rock-oriented versions showed considerable variation: a version by the Grateful Dead was played at a very fast tempo of 252 beats per minute [bpm], while Cream performed it at a very slow 44 bpm.[9]
Jack White recorded an acoustic version for the soundtrack to the 2003 film Cold Mountain. An AllMusic review included "For the most part, the White Stripes frontman successfully transplants himself into the [traditional country and Americana] genre, utilizing his throaty warble on Howlin' Wolf's 'Sittin' on Top of the World' like a dust-bowl carny."[10]