50 Blues Guitar Players and the Songs that Define their Sound
The root of almost all rock and roll music stems from the blues. Whether you listen to this genre of music or not, that is something that must be understood. The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, the list goes on and on—were all inspired by early blues music.
I’ve been a fan of the blues for a long time. For a number of years, I hosted a radio show called Blues Power where I would play two hours of blues music every week, and most of it was blues guitar based music. I’ve also had the privilege of meeting and or interviewing some of the artists on my list--It was humbling to say the least.
I’ve gone through and chosen for you my Top 50 blues guitar players and the songs that define their sound. For someone who wants to get into the blues, this is a great jumping off point. If you already appreciate it as much as I do, I’m certain you’ll agree with me on many of the artists and songs that I have selected.
NOTE: This list is in alphabetical order by first name.
Albert Collins – I Aint Drunk
Albert King – Crosscut Saw
Ana Popovic – U Complete Me
B.B. King – The Thrill Is Gone
Billy F. Gibbons – Missin’ Yo’ Kissin’
Bonnie Raitt – Love Me Like A Man
Buddy Guy – Damn Right, I’ve Got The Blues
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – Long Distance Woman
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown – Okie Dokie Stomp
Coco Montoya – Back in a Cadillac
Doyle Bramhall II – Green Light Girl
Earl Hooker – Wah Wah Blues
Elmore James – Talk To Me Baby
Eric Clapton - Layla
Eric Gales – Whatcha Gon’ Do
Freddie King – Going Down
Gary Clark Jr – Next Door Neighbor Blues (LIVE)
Gary Hoey – Boxcar Blues
Gary Moore – Still Got The Blues
Hound Dog Taylor – Kansas City
Hubert Sumlin – Pickin’
Jimi Hendrix – Bold As Love
Jimmie Vaughan – Dengue Woman Blues
Joanne Shaw Taylor – In The Mood
Joe Bonamassa – I Gave Up Everything For You, ‘Cept The Blues
John Mayer – Out Of My Mind
Jonny Lang – A Quitter Never Wins (LIVE)
Josh Smith – First Hand Look (At Down And Out)
JW Jones – Moanin’ At Midnight (LIVE)
Keb Mo – The Worst Is Yet To Come
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Heat Of The Sun
Kirk Fletcher – Blues For Antone
Lightning Hopkins – Once A Gambler
Magic Sam – I Need You So Bad
Marcus King - Boone
Matt Schofield – Don’t Know What I’d Do
Mike Bloomfield - Really
Mike Zito – Crazy Legs
Muddy Waters – Good Morning Little School Girl
Otis Rush – You’re Breaking My Heart
Robert Cray – Side Dish
Robert Johnson – Stop Breakin’ Down Blues
Ronnie Earl - Skyman
Rory Gallagher – Don’t Start Me Talkin’
Roy Buchanan – John’s Blues
Shuggie Otis – Gospel Groove
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Pride and Joy
Tinsley Ellis – Kiss Of Death
Tommy Castro – The Devil You Know
Walter Trout – The Sky Is Fallin’ Down
For those of you who really want to dive deep into blues guitar music, I have put together this HUGE Spotify playlist called Best of the Blues.
Jason Landry is a musician, artist, and radio DJ. He creates electronic music and writes about music and art. www.jasonlandry.com