the ▁nation ' s ▁top - s elling ▁bl ues ▁record ", ▁and ▁it ▁to pped ▁the ▁charts ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁Chicago , ▁New ▁Orleans , ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁New ark , ▁M emph is , ▁Dallas , ▁C inc inn ati , ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁and ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁" By ▁mid ▁summer , ▁it ▁is ▁obvious ▁that ▁" H ound ▁Dog " ▁will ▁be ▁the ▁biggest ▁s eller ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁Pe ac ock ▁Records ." ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁named ▁as ▁the ▁Best ▁Rh ythm ▁and ▁Blues ▁song ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁by ▁C ash ▁Box ▁magazine , ▁and ▁was ▁ranked ▁number ▁three ▁on ▁Billboard ''' s ▁Best ▁S elling ▁Rh ythm ▁& ▁Blues ▁Chart ▁for ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁ ▁Don ▁Rob ey ▁estimated ▁that ▁Thor nt on ' s ▁version ▁of ▁" H ound ▁Dog " ▁sold ▁between ▁ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 7 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁copies , ▁and ▁would ▁have ▁sold ▁more ▁had ▁its ▁sales ▁not ▁been ▁dil uted ▁by ▁an ▁abund ance ▁of ▁cover ▁versions ▁and ▁" answer ▁songs ". ▁The ▁success ▁of ▁" H ound ▁Dog " ▁secured ▁Pe ac ock ▁Record ' s ▁place ▁as ▁a ▁major ▁independent ▁label . ▁However , ▁despite ▁its ▁success , ▁neither ▁the ▁compos ers ▁nor ▁artist ▁were ▁compens ated ▁well ▁for ▁their ▁efforts . ▁According ▁to ▁St ol ler , ▁" Big ▁M ama ' s ▁' H ound ▁Dog ' ▁went ▁to