Best Blues Artists
A ‘best blues artists’ list is always going to be subjective. But let’s have a look at blues men and women that have achieved a certain level of success.
There are many examples of blues artists that didn’t achieve worldwide fame in their lifetime but achieved ‘legendary’ status. This happened through recordings or oral tradition passed down over time.
This is particularly true of Mississippi blues artists before 1950. However, there are more modern artists that (as technology advanced) achieved worldwide recognition. However they still didn’t reach the mythical heights of others that came before them.
Let’s look at some examples of the best blues artists that have graced the earth. Then we will talk about what puts them up there with the greatest of all time.
Mississippi Legends - The Big Three
There’s no doubt that there were a ‘big three’ that came from the delta region.
Charley Patton (who is widely regarded as the father of the delta blues) was friends with Son House and sometimes played together. Patton was extremely popular and respected in the delta area.
Patton is famously linked to the cotton-producing Dockery Farms, where he worked for a period of time. Other artists to be linked to Dockery were Tommy Johnson, Roebuck “Pops” Staples, Son House and Willie Brown. They most likely learned a lot from Patton.
The third wheel at the time was Robert Johnson. In the documentary, Devil at The Crossroads, Patton and House reject Johnson from joining them onstage citing ‘a lack of ability’. Johnson disappeared for a while, only to return a better player than his former mentors. This started the Robert Johnson Myth
There was more to Mississippi than just the delta region though. After the initial gold rush of the best blues artists the world has ever seen, there were some that missed the boat.
But thanks to the folks who founded Fat Possum Records, two artists were re-discovered and given a platform that their contemporaries could only dream of.
Arguably the most successful artist for Fat Possum was =====> RL Burnside
But equally revered among famous musicians and covered by juggernauts, The Black Keys, was ====> Junior Kimbrough
Chicago - The Great Migration
Chicago’s most famous blues artists predominantly came out of the Chess Records era. Which also coincided with guitars moving from mostly acoustic to mostly electric.
There were artists in Chicago such as Tampa Red, Ma Rainey, Big Bill Broonzy, Thomas A Dorsey and Earl Hooker that existed before the 1950s. They had their own degree of fame and laid the stage for what was to come.
It was when some of the best blues artists the world has ever known moved north, that things started to really scale up. Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf were both Mississippi natives and looking to take their music to the next level.
They capitalised on the burgeoning electric guitar era and the advent of Leonard and Marshall Chess. This combination created a wildly successful record label. Chess Records produced big success not only for Waters and Wolf but also for Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, Etta James and Chuck Berry.
Muddy’s backing artists began to branch out on their own and one of them became known as one of the best blues harp players of all time. You can find out about this legend here ====> Little Walter Songs
There was a powerful female singer that is right up there with the best blues artists from Chicago and you can find out about her here ====> Koko Taylor
Texas
A big state, with a big reputation for blues artists.
When you look at the blues performers that Texas has produced, it’s easy to see a pattern. They have an attitude and gusto in their playing. These factors make them unique to all other regions of America and the rest of the world.
Jimmy and Stevie Ray Vaughan brought that Texan toughness to a huge audience around the globe but there were many other artists doing it on a local and national level too.
Blues mammoths like Albert Collins, Freddie King, Blind Willie McTell and Blind Willie Johnson were all products of the lone star state.
Like all Texas blues artists, this guy had a style of his own and has featured in documentaries and released many albums ====> Lightnin’ Hopkins
Tennessee
Tennessee (particularly Memphis) had a breeding ground of its own. Spawning greats like Sleepy John Estes, Furry Lewis and Memphis Minnie, it was a very prolific area for the genre.
Beale Street is famous worldwide for its blues venues and in its heyday, it hosted the best blues artists going around at the time.
One of the greatest and most influential bluesmen to come from this area had the word “Mississippi” in his title but he was actually born in Rossville, Tennessee. You can find out about him here ====> Mississippi Fred McDowell
Other States
Of course not all of the greatest blues artists were from Mississippi or Chicago. There were a multitude of artists that made a name for themselves without being part of those scenes.
Kokomo Arnold, Blind Willie McTell and Ma Rainey were from Georgia. Blind Boy Fuller and Reverend Gary Davis were from North and South Carolina respectively. While Blind Blake was from Florida and Lonnie Johnson from Louisiana.
So, Who Are The Best Blues Artists?
This list hasn’t included more modern artists but to be quite honest, there are some damn good ones.
In more modern times there has been Keb Mo, Joe Bonamassa, Samantha Fish and Mike Zito among many others. And they are just the ‘big time’ modern blues artists. Larkin Poe, Gary Clark Jr and Ghalia Volt are rising quickly.
I’ve dropped a few names here for you to check out but ultimately it’s up to you to decide who are the best blues artists of all time.
Good Luck!
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