Five of the Greatest Blues Guitarists in History
The electric guitar has served as the backbone of Western popular music for nearly a century, with solos and riffs providing the signature sounds for many of the most beloved songs of each generation. Various musical genres utilize the electric guitar, from rock and country to reggae and jazz, but perhaps no genre exemplifies the versatility of the instrument as well as the blues. The bending, meandering, perfectly improvised licks of blues guitarists laid the foundation for virtually all musical genres that use the electric guitar. The sounds of the blues also remain relevant nearly a century after the genre’s heyday.
Great blues guitarists have come and gone over the years—some pioneering the amplified version of the genre in the 1940s and 1950s, others bringing it mainstream by bridging blues and rock in the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, and beyond. Regardless of their era, these musicians have held true to the spirit of blues, building on the legacies of the improvisational virtuosos who came before them.
The following five blues guitarists are widely considered to be some of the best and most influential of all time. Their mastery of the fretboard was so compelling that it transcended generations, genres, and even eras, all while remaining committed to the aesthetic and simple beauty of American blues music.
Muddy Waters
The “father of modern Chicago blues,” Muddy Waters is arguably one of the most influential early blues artists of all time, laying the foundation for virtually everyone who came after him. Taking the Delta blues and revving it up with amplified guitar licks, Muddy Waters and his contemporaries shaped the Chicago blues into what most people think of when they envision the genre—and his music is as relevant today as it was in the post-war era. Not only influential in the US, Muddy Waters toured the UK in the 1950s and almost single-handedly sparked the British blues revival of the early 1960s. No list of great blues guitarists is complete without him, and he always ranks close to the top.
Albert King
Nicknamed “The Velvet Bulldozer,” Albert King was a pivotal figure in the golden age of blues music, renowned for his smooth, powerful voice and even more powerful guitar playing. One of the greatest to ever bend a note, King was a left-hander who played a right-handed guitar upside-down—often with his own unique tunings—and was known to hit notes with his thumb, among other idiosyncratic displays of innovation and genius. His album Born Under a Bad Sign is considered one of the greatest blues albums of all time, and his music was deeply influential for rock/blues stars such as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Albert King was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1983.
B.B. King
Perhaps the most famous blues artist of all time, B.B. King (no relation to Albert King) is known as “The King of the Blues,” and it’s hard to imagine a more influential figure in the genre. Performing prolifically until his death at the age of 90, he collaborated with virtually every important blues and rock/blues artist at some point in his career—with every collaboration serving as a high point in the other artists’ careers. His album with next-generation virtuoso Eric Clapton, Riding with the King, won a Grammy in 2001, went double platinum, and hit number one on Billboard's Top Blues Albums chart. By that time, he’d already been crowned a bona fide blues legend many times over, his genius on the electric guitar resounding decade after decade through most of the 20th century.
Freddie King
The third member of the “Three Kings of the Blues Guitar,” Freddie King was not related to either Albert or B.B., but he enjoyed similar renown as he drove the genre through the 1970s, keeping it fresh and relevant even as rock, disco, and pop began to dominate the contemporary music scene. Blending Texas and Chicago blues, he was known for his raw, energetic performances that electrified audiences. The blues community lost a legend when Freddie King passed long before his time, but his impact and influence live on, five decades after his demise.
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Several artists between the 1960s and early 2000s found success blending rock and blues, including legends such as Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. Perhaps the purest of the rock/blues icons was Stevie Ray Vaughan, who stayed true to his blues upbringing while rivaling the high-octane soloing of his contemporaries in the rock and hard rock genres. A true adherent of the artform, he blended traditional blues licks and riffs with modern rock showmanship, melting minds and hearts with his innovative scale explorations, flashy behind-the-back soloing, and absolute commitment to the music—he played until his fingers bled on more than one occasion. Every modern rock/blues musician who matters has studied, worshipped, and attempted to imitate Vaughan, yet no one has come close to matching him.