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Feb 12, 2024 · From Muddy Waters to B.B. King and Koko Taylor to Shemekia Copeland, discover the records that made it onto our list of the best blues albums ever.
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I have collected over a dozen lists of ‘best blues albums’ that I found in books, magazines and websites and compiled them into a single meta-list. This list is organized by rank, that is, with the albums on the most lists at the time.
- Albert King - Born Under a Bad Sign. August 1, 1967. Electric Blues. Score. 100. Source → Amazon. iTunes. Music. Spotify.
- Skip James - Devil Got My Woman. May 0, 1968. Delta Blues. Score. 100. Source → Amazon. iTunes. Music. Spotify.
- B.B. King - Live in Cook County Jail. January 1, 1971. Electric Blues. Score. 100. Source → Amazon. iTunes. Music. Spotify.
- Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues Singers. January 1, 1961. Delta Blues. Score. 100. Source → Amazon. iTunes. Music. Spotify.
- Texas Flood – Stevie Ray Vaughn
- Born Under A Bad Sign – Albert King
- At Last! – Etta James
- Let’s Dance Away and Hide Away – Freddie King
- I Am The Blues – Willie Dixon
- Hard Again – Muddy Waters
- The Real Folk Blues – John Lee Hooker
- King of The Delta Blues Singers – Robert Johnson
- Moanin’ in The Moonlight – Howlin’ Wolf
- Live in Cook County Jail – B.B. King
Tragically robbed of his life at the peak of his technical skill, Stevie Ray Vaughn was a guitarist that rivaled Eric Clapton as a blues rock guitarist. His ‘Texas blues‘ music was a flawless blend of hearty rock music and old-school blues, the perfect example of which would most certainly have to be Texas Flood, released in 1983 under Epic Records...
Albert King was a massively influential blues musician during his time (as with most of the ‘Kings’). He was best known for his wailing Flying-V guitar playing and howling voice, culminating at a peak with his 1967 album Born Under A Bad Sign, and its title track, which have become almost synonymous with the blues since the album’s release under St...
Far and away from most styles of blues on this list, Etta James had one of the most soulful and emotional voices of her time. Although the album is somewhat of a mashup of blues, R&B and jazz (even containing a couple of standards), James was able to effortlessly capture the blues on her album At Last! The 1960 album was Etta James’ debut studio al...
As one of the “Three Kings of the Blues Guitar”, Freddie King’s influence can be heard in the playing of many later guitarists and bluesmen, such as Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. While Freddie did possess the powerful, soulful voice required to be such a hallmark of the genre, his blues guitar playing was really what made...
Although I Am The Blues contains a lot of content previously performed by the likes of Howlin’ Wolf (with bass work by Dixon himself), it remains a treat to hear Dixon’s take on the songs, all of which are his compositions (barring “You Shook Me”, which was written with the help of J.B. Lenoir). Dixon was a legendary behind-the-scenes bluesman, on ...
When Chess Records was sold in 1975 to All Platinum Records, reducing itself to reissues only, Chicago blues legend Muddy Waters decided to leave the label behind. For a short time, he recorded no new material, at least until he signed to Blue Sky (founded by Johnny Winter) in 1976. The first studio album he recorded was Hard Again, released in 197...
John Lee Hooker’s electric Delta blues style and deep, wallowing voice are exceptionally unique in the saturated genre. Hooker’s voice is bellowing, and undeniably blue. The Real Folk Blues is a truly blue album, plodding and passionate and sorrowful, carried by the sheer weight of Hooker’s voice. Released in 1966 under (you guessed it) Chess Recor...
It is utterly integral that anyone first approaching the blues should go back and listen to the Delta blues, which got its name from its place of origin – the Mississippi Delta. Its blend of acoustic guitar, harmonica, and slide, is a pure and soulful sound. Delta blues singerRobert Johnson is perhaps both the most widely known and regarded, and fo...
This compilation album, released in 1959 under legendary Chess Records, was the debut album from the equally legendary Howlin’ Wolf. It contains some of Wolf’s most popular singles, such as “Smokestack Lightning”. In 2020, Rolling Stone placed the record as 477th on their list of “the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. The album features performance...
BB King was undeniably one of the most influential and unique blues performers of his time, though his influence has continued on to this day. Throughout his career, he had plenty of passionate and skillful performances; both with his guitar Lucille and his own voice, but B.B. himself believed that one of his best performances was inside of Cook Co...
- Moanin’ In The Moonlight – Howlin’ Wolf. “This compilation album, released in 1959 under legendary Chess Records, was the debut album from the equally legendary Howlin’ Wolf.
- King Of The Delta Blues Singers – Robert Johnson. “A pall of myth and legend has clouded the public’s perception of Johnson, a mysterious figure who supposedly sold his soul to the devil in a Faustian pact and died from poisoning aged 27.
- The Real Folk Blues – John Lee Hooker. “John Lee Hooker’s electric Delta blues style and deep, wallowing voice are exceptionally unique in the saturated genre.
- At Fillmore East – The Allman Brothers Band. “A legendary group who at their peak represented the pinnacle of southern blues-rock, the Allman Brothers Band was formed in Florida in 1969 and thanks to the dueling guitars of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts quickly made a name for itself.
I have collected over a dozen lists of 'best blues albums' that I found in books, magazines and websites and compiled them into a single meta-list. This list is organized in chronological order, based on the earliest recording on the album.
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Sep 15, 2021 · The 120 Best Blues Albums: Classic Records You Need To Hear Collection. By aj_zahn updated 12 months ago. From Muddy Waters to B.B. King and Koko Taylor to Shemekia Copeland, discover the records that made it onto our list of the best blues albums ever.
