Not everyone is a blues fan, but great blues guitarists have a way of changing that. These are the best blues guitarists of all time, from the Delta pioneers to the players filling theaters today. Put them on while you read, then pick up your guitar and steal a lick or two.
The earliest rural blues was mostly vocal music. It wasn't built to tell a story so much as to express a deep sadness, born out of hard lives and hard labor. Work songs kept time to the plow and the cotton sack, and when the work was done, guitar, banjo and harmonica came out to entertain. That's where this story starts.
Delta blues guitarists
Charley Patton
Born in the 1880s or 1890s (the records are sketchy), Charley Patton is often called the Father of the Delta Blues. He sang with a gravelly voice that carried a long way and played an aggressive, percussive guitar style. He was a real showman, recorded around 70 songs including "Pony Blues" and "High Water Everywhere," and influenced Son House, Howlin' Wolf and Bukka White. He died in 1934. Patton was among the first inductees into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame recognized him in 2021.
Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson is known for masterful slide playing and an eerie, high voice. Early on, other musicians thought he was an average player. Then he left Robinsonville, Mississippi, and came back a master. Legend says he sold his soul at a crossroads; historians point to lessons from guitarist Ike Zimmerman instead. His songs were tight and lyrical: "Me and the Devil Blues," "Hellhound on My Trail," "Love in Vain," "Sweet Home Chicago" and "Ramblin' on My Mind." All of his recordings come from a handful of sessions in 1936 and 1937, and he died in 1938 at 27. Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Robert Plant all name him as an influence, and he was in the first class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
The "Godmother of Rock and Roll," Sister Rosetta Tharpe fused gospel and blues, took gospel into secular clubs, and was one of the first players to use distortion. Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Tina Turner and Eric Clapton were all influenced by her, and Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash counted her among their favorites. Her 1945 recording "Strange Things Happening Every Day" crossed over to the R&B chart and is often called one of the first rock and roll records. She was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
B.B. King
Self-taught and from the Mississippi Delta, B.B. King brought new sophistication to the blues with his string bends, singing vibrato and a voice as expressive as his playing. He switched to electric guitar after hearing T-Bone Walker, first hit the R&B charts with "3 O'Clock Blues" in 1952, and later crossed over with "The Thrill Is Gone." He played more than 200 shows a year well into his seventies. He won 15 Grammys and received the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. There's a reason they called him the King of the Blues.
Texas and modern blues guitarists
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan's major-label career lasted only seven years, but in that time he released four studio albums, won six Grammys, and led the blues revival of the 1980s. He taught himself by listening to blues, rock and jazz greats, quit school to play, and jammed with Buddy Guy, Albert King and Lightnin' Hopkins. After his band Double Trouble played Montreux in 1982, David Bowie asked him to play on Let's Dance. Texas Flood followed in 1983, with "Pride and Joy" and "Love Struck Baby." He died in a helicopter crash in 1990, at 35. He's in both the Blues and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame, and his sound still defines modern blues guitar. He also makes our list of the best guitarists of all time, in any genre.
Joe Bonamassa
At 12, Joe Bonamassa opened for B.B. King. That's quite a way to start a career. Decades later he's one of the most popular blues guitarists of his generation, with a long run of number one albums on the Billboard Blues chart, most released on his own independent label. He plays like a mix of every great who came before him, and he has shared the stage with most of them.
More blues guitarists to listen to
There are many more greats we could have included. Muddy Waters, Albert King, Freddie King, Buddy Guy and Albert Collins all deserve a deep listen. For the new generation, check out Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Ally Venable, Eric Gales, Jackie Venson, Joanne Shaw Taylor and Marcus King.
Want to chase that sound yourself? Most of these players got their tone from a small amp turned up loud, and a few of the best guitar amps under $500 get you surprisingly close.
FAQ
Who is the greatest blues guitarist of all time?
B.B. King is the most common answer. He shaped electric blues guitar more than anyone, and he played well over 200 shows a year for decades. Robert Johnson and Stevie Ray Vaughan are the other names that come up most.
Who are the most famous blues guitarists today?
Joe Bonamassa, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Gary Clark Jr., Eric Gales and Marcus King.