Bring them together and let them show off their chops. 4: Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) He opened for BB King when he was 12 years old. Gary Moore, always overlooked I’ve always wondered if he was the unclaimed son of Stevie. No Duane Allman or Warren Haynes or Derek Trucks. He's also among the most melodic of guitarists, using his solos to move a song along instead of stopping it cold. No sign of Ry anywhere. After so many commenters recommending Peter Green’s addition to this list, I have now added him as well. Blues guitar is one of the most influential guitar genres, therefore the best blues guitarists had a significant impact and influence on our music today. I could go on and on. 9: Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple) Roy Buchanan’s ‘Wayfaring Pilgrim’…is the best blues tune ever. Never self marketed himself. Roy G. SRV Clapton Hendrix???? A seminal Delta blues figure, he remains influential today. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. I would rank Frank Zappa somewhere here. 2 Albert Collins This one always gets short shrift since itâs on the same album as the undeniably amazing power-ballad Sister Christian, but good olâ Ranger perfectly captured the plastic-fantastic mall-crawling faux-fun of mainstream 80âs America on this one.Night Ranger was never cool, and neither is this song, really, but not everybody was cool back then. Ever since the end of the 19th century when the African-American communities of the Southern US started playing and singing the blues, it has affected and shaped other musical genres as well, including Jazz and Rock and Roll. “Wouldn’t know blues if it bit him on the arse” . He was definitely great, but I don’t feel he contributed enough to music to be on this list of the best and most influential blues guitarists. sure he was accused of plagarism, maybe it was a tribute to all the blues guitarists he formed his style after. Do you understand the meaning of INFLUENTIAL or are you say unable to look past your bias to understand what the word means? Got to have him on every blues guitar list….somewhere Gatemouth Brown? * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. He sang in a loud whisper, to a melodious finger-picked guitar accompaniment. Magic SaM? Here is a thorough, but by no means complete list of the best blues guitarists who helped shape and influence music. One thing that he has that other blues guitarists don’t have is an incredible voice. All of these blues artists in this list are the best. If one includes all the ABB guitarists, most of whom were great (influential can be argued), but besides Duane, Dickey, Trucks, and Haynes, can’t help giving a shout out to Jack Pearson and Jim Hall. What about Samantha Fish, Alvin Lee, Mike Zito? Jorma Kaukonen…granted he’s from Mars, but he’s gotta be up there with the best of ’em ! Listen to Mike Bloomfield’s “Altar Blues” where he sings/lists a large number of guitarists and folks who influenced him. And afterward, go ahead and start learning blues guitar! Derek Trucks is pretty special now, Modern Blues prodigy Joe Bonamassa…played with all the “Kings” as a child.., Perhaps Gary Moore (RIP God bless you) was just an oversite. My list would include the sadly ignored Peter Green, Otis Rush, Freddie King and Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Can someone tell me what guitar Muddy waters is playing in the picture above? Walter Trout Listen to Jimi Hendrix songs on Amazon >>. Big Bill Broonzy was better than Leadbelly IMO. On “All Over Again” he made that guitar speak what his soul was feeling. Johnny Copeland, Shemeka Copeland, Ruthie Foster, Samantha Fish, Gary Clark Jr, Joe Bonamassas, Rhianna Giddens, Danielle Nicole, Dana Fuchs, Anthony Gomes, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Beth Hart, Alabama Shakes, Ida Mae, Larkin Poe, Ana Popovic and so on. If I gotta tell u then u dont know guitars! Blues is an independent entity and thank the Lord for that. Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18, 1926 - March 18, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With a booming voice and looming physical presence, Burnett is commonly ranked among the leading performers in electric blues. Do you know who I’m talking about? He was known as The King of the Slide Guitar and had a unique guitar style, noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice. Duane Allman obviously is the greatest influence of the greatest living blues guitarist. How ’bout Gary Moore. The guy was insanely good. The looks on their faces told the story. Listen to Robert Johnson songs on Amazon >>. OK, enough trying to explain…just listen to the Allman Brothers “Live at Fillmore East” and the leftovers from the concerts on “Eat A Peach”. Hailed by Washington Post as âamong the most gifted guitarists on the planetâ Polish guitarist, Marcin Dylla is a rare phenomenon in the recent history of Classical Guitar. Maybe not the top but his work covers lots of blues and influences from Howlin Wolf and a few that also should be ranked ie Clarence Gatemouth Brown. Magic Sam? Yeah, he can’t make this list, but it’s awesome that he is influencing and motivating you, and probably many other people as well, to play the blues. Nonetheless, I’m putting in my two cents. You can unsubscribe at any time. He assumed a unique multi-voice style produced solely with his thumb and index finger, playing not only ragtime and blues tunes, but also traditional and original tunes in four-part harmony. Ever heard SRV interview when asked who he thought was greatest & why? It covers so many greats from beginning to end! His catalogue can be repetitive, but jump blues wouldn’t be the same without him. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was similar to the early Delta blues, his music was metrically free. Certainly, one of the great blues guitarist of our time. Many music critics, connoisseurs, and music lovers certify that Marcin Dylla is among the worldâs elite of ⦠I would have included Mick Taylor someplace on the list. I may have missed it but I didn’t see Duane Allman of the Allman Bros band listed. I wish someone out there would put on some cutting head shows . Subscribe for just 99¢. Kenny Wayne shepherd plays well, but he’s a Stevie ray wannabe clone. He was known for bending strings on his, formally owned by Peter Green, 1959 Les Paul. Lets face it.. most if not all of the greats and the general playing public have borrowed or copied either licks styles or whatever from someone else. i doont know about major influence but Billy Gibbons and his boys Dusty Hill and Frank Beard (ZZ TOP) all have one of the best blues sounds ive heard. His rough-edged, slightly fearsome musical style is often contrasted with the less crude but still powerful presentation of his contemporary rival, Muddy Waters. James played a wide variety of blues often crossing into other styles of music, similar to that of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and some of B. Jeff Beck Blues can be split into several subgenres as well, best known perhaps are the Delta, Piedmont, Jump and Chicago blues styles. But he and his songs are the reason ABB continued to live and thrive, and his bluesy/country guitar floats my boat. Carulli was the author of the influential 'Methode complete pour la Guitarre', which includes music that is still used by student guitarists today. I’m certainly no expert, but a great one and an influential stylist was Lonnie Johnson. He played in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and co-founded Fleetwood Mac. To me I want to listen to it all. He was a great player, but I’m not sure he can be named one of the best or most influential blues musicians. I don’t know ask Rory Gallagher. i digress :). Widely regarded as one of the most influential and greatest guitarists of all time, Jimmy Page was ranked third in Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Look at when he was achieving his raw sounds and creating riffs that were copied later by Chuck Berry. He is sharing blues all over the map, so is Samantha Fish and Clapton. I particularly liked your inclusion of Jimmy Reed, who was not even close to the class of Buddy Guy or B. His history is interesting. GUITAR SLIM? how about mick taylor,alvin lee,peter green, johnny winter? He was influenced by blues artists such as B.B. © 2021 TIME USA, LLC. Jimi Hendrix, while a great guitarist was a psychedelic rock and roller. Also, “Hustled Down To Texas,” “Check Out Her Mama” (very entertaining lyrics), and Winter’s cover of the Stones’ “Let It Bleed.”, he gave muddy waters a second career…..its muddy waters bro….he doesn’t need any help from johnny winter….that’d be like saying john mayer gave the stones a second career. Vaughan was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. His guitar slinging is choice., Joe B is a magnificent person and musician. 10: Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) , While I respect an opinion, and like the guitarists you list, voicing such arguments against Bonamassa means you clearly don’t know him. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending and vibrato that would influence virtually every electric blues guitarist. Yes, I know his music well. first off, because a “best…” / “most influential…” list is subjective, like you said. All rock n roll guitar players from todays biggest bands: Jimmy Page (Zepplin) to Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) to Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), to Jack White (White Stipes) Dan Auerbach (Black Keys), or Joe Perry (Aeromsith)! Give me a break! Blind Boy Fuller and Blind Willie McKellen should definitely be listed. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. One of the all time best blues players I’ve seen. Thanks Green Eagle, I added a reference to Sumlin in the Howlin’ Wolf section. Stevie Ray Vaughn McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 – April 30, 1983) was an American blues musician, generally considered "the Father of Chicago blues". 4 Freddie King He played both alternating and monotonic bass styles incorporating imaginative, often chromatic turnarounds and single note lead lines. Listen to his solo for “I’ve got a mind to give up living.” If you are not convinced it is a lost cause. r u kidding ? JIMMY PAGE This omission must be an oversight. There are so many great ones, but these are just a few of my favorites. Agreed, although Dickey Betts was standing right next to him. Hurt's influence spanned several music genres including blues, country, bluegrass, folk and contemporary rock and roll. Some of my TOP Blues guitarists are as follows: Roy Buchanan He was a major inspiration for the British blues explosion in the 1960s. Allman actually said Betts was better. There are some great independent blues artist out there right now. Joe Bonomasa is THE BEST yet…seen & heard them all. In the article I had read about him it said that he was either Stevie Ray Vaughan reincarnated or God had just come down and decided to play through his body. By signing up you are agreeing to our, How We Can Learn to Live with COVID-19 After Vaccinations. I’m not sure if he’s any relation to Stevie Ray. You have to remember to these old blues artist flat out lived the blues. His first love was jazz. King (September 16, 1925 - May 15, 2015) was an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter acclaimed for his expressive singing and guitar playing. King and Jimi Hendrix were mainly influenced by the life and style of T-Bone Walker. While you read, play this to get you into the mood: And if you get the sudden urge to listen to some more blues, go ahead and check out my favorite blues albums: Huddie William Ledbetter (January 1888 – December 6, 1949) was an iconic American folk and blues musician, notable for his strong vocals, his virtuosity on the 12-string guitar, and the songbook of folk standards he introduced. As such, the best blues guitarists were shaping the music of tomorrow, without them knowing it. His finger-picking guitar style influenced many other artists and his students. you obviously love blues, and while he’s not exactly well known, nor a blues guitarist per se, and maybe not even great in the true sense of the word, i think you should give bjorn berge a try. 8: Jimi Hendrix (The Jimmy Hendrix Experience) Numerous musicians and blues guitarists that are in the know mention Green as their influence. Nehemiah Curtis "Skip" James (June 9, 1902 – October 3, 1969) was an American delta blues singer, guitarist, pianist and songwriter. Aaron Thibeaux Walker (May 28, 1910 — March 16, 1975) was an American blues guitarist, singer, pianist, and songwriter who was one of the most important pioneers of the electric guitar. In my opinion the best blues guitarist is Joshua Jet Vaughan. Bloomfield started playing with Albert King, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and several other Chicago and midwest blues musicians. Got to include Freddie King, Duane Allman, and Jeff Beck (Jeff Beck Group period). Listen to Elmore James songs on Amazon >>. Gatemouth Brown, Albert Collins, Johnny Winter… should have made the list, Totally agree with you and others that Duane Allman is missing. Mr. Bonamassa is a tremendous talent. MISSISSIPPI FRED MCDOWELL, CHARLEY PATTON, LONNIE JOHNSON, BLIND WILLIE JOHNSON, BLIND WILLIE MCTELL Required fields are marked *. rory gallagher a fantastic guitar player! I really don’t see how Clapton can be on the list without Freddie being there too. I can hardly listen to a pop song these days without wanting to hurl. You forgot Sister Rosetta Tharp….as usual no women in the top 20…. well worth checking it out if you have the inclination. At 6 feet, 6 inches (198 cm) and close to 300 pounds (136 kg), he must have been an imposing presence with one of the loudest and most memorable voices of all the "classic" 1950s Chicago blues singers. Gary Moore (RIP) never gets his dues. Sorry for spelling errors. He's also in the 30th spot of Rolling Stones' "Top 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." Great inclusion of Rory Gallagher who is among the most underappreciated guitarists in history but leaving Duane Allman and the American answer to Clapton who was Mike Bloomfield is blasphemous in my honest opinion. The slide work on Mountain Jam will bring tears to your eyes. Ever heard Jeff B. talk bout this guy? 3: Matthew Bellamy (MUSE) Billy F Gibbons is my favorite for blending them all together!!! Why do you think Green belongs on this list? Earl Hooker? They all give a nod to those who came before them. Bill Broonzy would also definitely be in my Top-10. In ’98 he was the best he ever sounded. Another great artist taken so young. Listen to Howlin' Wolf songs on Amazon >>. Reed was an electric blues guitarist, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries. Gary Moore Just as good as Clapton and maybe even better in my opinion. near the top. Actually the last I heard he was living in Central Lake, Michigan and hasn’t gotten any better health wise. Riley B. Who knows better than ur own peers? I agree with his own peers: 6: David Howell Evans a.k.a. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at #3 on its list of the "100 greatest guitarists of all time." Neil Young is one of the most influential songwriters and guitarists of his generation, known for recording such favorites as "Old Man," "Harvest Moon" and "Heart of Gold." One of the best guitar players ever, but definately the best voice ever. Please attempt to sign up again. I was and still am on the fence about Peter Green. His sound is like nothing else. I’m sure its on You Tube or buy it on Amazon. Check it!! All the guitar players on the list are great and very influential. Otis Rush? George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. Michael Bloomfield? What? Listen to Eric Clapton songs on Amazon >>. He also became proficient on the alto saxophone, bass, mandolin, banjo, and the coral sitar, utilizing a glass slide made from an American Coricidian bottle on his electric guitars, instead of the metal slide. right, that’s about it. She was an amazing musician for sure, influenced the future of music. Through creating fun and engaging guitar lessons, we aim to spread our love of the guitar to as many new players as possible. I can’t believe Joe Bonamassa is better than all those other guys that’s insane. Where is Skydog! Glad to see Rory Gallagher, but Peter Green’s ommission is inexcusable. three of my top five are not even on the list…….. Nice list – another 20 added to the list might help. Ever heard the story of this man joining Clapton&Cream on stage forcing clapton to throw his guitar down n admit he is nolonger God n considered giving up playing the guitar? 3 Buddy Guy Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our. I’ve heard about every blues guitarist that’s available for listening, and they don’t even measure up. Fastest damn blues/rock guitarist I’ve ever heard. 39 Tommy Lee. where is he Albert Collins? John Hurt (July 3, 1893 — November 2, 1966) was an influential country blues singer and guitarist. Jim McCarty of Cactus. However, I have not heard anything about him for quite a while. House pioneered an innovative style featuring strong, repetitive rhythms, often played with the aid of slide guitar, and his singing often incorporated elements of southern gospel and spiritual music. Regarded by Eric Clapton as the greatest slide guitarist ever. Listen to John Lee Hooker songs on Amazon >>. How can a list of the greatest blues guitarist not include Joe Bonamassa? Joe bonamassa absolutely should be on the list. Eddie James "Son" House, Jr. (March 21, 1902 – October 19, 1988) was an American blues singer and guitarist. Well, it’s spelled Vaughan. And whoever plays guitar on the theme music for “Becker”. All Rights Reserved. Credit for the success of Howlin' Wolf should also be given to his guitarist and Blues Foundation Hall of Fame inductee, Hubert Sumlin. Give it 20 more years though, he’ll probably get there . Although he most commonly played the twelve-string, he could also play the piano, mandolin, harmonica, violin, concertina, and accordion. I’m a real latecomer to this list I see. He also used very unorthodox tunings (i.e., tuning as low as C to allow him to make sweeping string bends). Cactus was America’s LED Zeppelin. He was ranked fourth in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #53 on their list of the "Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time". J/R management is a music business bona fide. nothing to contribute, really, to the list. Duane Allman… Unfortunately for everybody died prematurely.Given his body of work,Mastery of the genre,respect he commanded especially by his contemporaries..qualifies him completely… In my opinion… but thank you for the list I’ve got a lot of time on my hands driving across the country and I look forward to checking out some of the older pioneers…. I don’t know much about him, but you might be right. and wait Earl Hooker….. Earl Hooker was everybody’s fav… he hasssss to be on there. Muddy headed to England in 1958 and shocked audiences with his loud, amplified electric guitar and thunderous beat. Nothing against the others listed, I enjoy all their music but to exclude Duane Allman is unbelievable. Freddie King should absolutely be on this list. Bloomfield is the most underappreciated blues guitarist that I know of, he and Jeff Beck have the greatest control over their tone with their natural vibrato being unmatched to this very day. Hard to believe! Of all time….no doubt! Wow, that sounds complicated. Stephen Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 â August 27, 1990) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, and one of the most influential guitarists in the revival of blues in the 1980s. He’s great, but I wouldn’t call him one of the most influential blues players yet. Personally I’d add Blind Willie McTell and Blind Blake =), Mike Bloomfield was playing with Muddy as a teen. His lazy, slack-jawed singing, piercing harmonica and hypnotic guitar patterns are one of the blues' most easily identifiable sounds even today. He was left-handed, but usually played right-handed guitars flipped over upside-down so the low E string was on the bottom. that being said, rory gallagher is absolutely amazing, should be on a top ten list if you ask me. A choice selection from one of the most influential catalogues in independent music⦠(Image credit: Gary Malerba/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) Art-rock noiseniks Sonic Youth emerged from New Yorkâs No Wave scene in the mid-1980 but belonged to no such convenient pigeonhole. Listening to some of this material and reading up on him now, he probably should be on this list. John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist, born near Clarksdale, Mississippi. King's work. We can have another ten or twenty best list Foremost among them were Albert King, Otis Rush, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix, naturally, was a huge fan. Johnson's songs, vocal phrasing, and guitar style have influenced a broad range of musicians; Eric Clapton has called Johnson "the most important blues singer that ever lived". BB King is in a league of his own. You have 3 free articles left. 7: Pete Townshend (The Who) Because anything since Elvis would not be here without a lot of the names on here. Your email address will not be published. Or check out Alvin Lee ” The Bluest Blues” on You Tube. Please look up how many blues guitarists/ rock guitarists/ bands even freaking pop guitar players that Clapton has influenced and then come back here *EDITED. Listen to the opening bars of the studio version of “Be Careful With A Fool” and tell me that’s not the greatest opening guitar solo you’ve ever heard. Eric Patrick Clapton (born 30 March 1945) is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. One of the all time greats. Reverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, (April 30, 1896 – May 5, 1972) was a blues and gospel singer and guitarist who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica. A "less is more" type blues player, he was known for his expressive "bending" of notes, a technique characteristic of blues guitarists. And there is a lot if great blues being played in our day and age no thanks to pop or American Idol. Does anyone else think she should be in the top blues influencer list? Every song they played was a slower tune, but he still couldn’t keep up with the band. One of my favorites. have a good one. Played with Joe Bonomasa one time that can be found on YouTube. As a result, you can never list one of the old masters behind either Hendrix, Clapton or anyone of their generation. No one has ever said more with fewer notes!!!!!! Bonamassa is an excellent guitarist, but he’s made his bones imitating every guitar legend out there.