Who's the best blues guitarist?

Question

We all know the king of blues is the late great Robert Johnson. But who is the best blues player? i think it's Chuck Berry (yes i know he's a rock guitarist but he started out with blues). But who do you think?

Answer 1

Robben Ford
SRV
Son Seals
Albert Collins
Albert King
Tinsley Ellis
Johnny Winter
Bonnie Raitt
Duane Allman
Howlin' Wolf
Junior Brown
Mark Knopfler
BB King
John Mayall
John Lee Hooker
Vince Gill
Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)

Answer 2

I LOVE Robert Johnson - and he's good. Great.

But BY FAR not the best.

I'd have to say Blind Blake blows him out of the water. Also, there is Lonnie Johnson to consider - WAY better guitarist than Robert. Being famous (even posthumously) doesn't make one great.

I don't think I could pick a "best" there are so many greats.

Edited to add:
Just HAD to come back to this to toss in Josh White - for being a complete package of EXCELLENT guitar work coupled with smooth vocals and supreme song writing, ...

And T-bone Walker for being the BIGGEST influence on all the post WWII blues guitar players up to today.

Answer 3

Interestingly enough, Robert Johnson wan't influential until years after his death- his music wasn't all that popular at the time.

I think the greatest blues guitarist.. if you want to talk about the guy who could play any style or song, I'd think Stevie Ray Vaughan. BB King, Buddy Guy and Albert King would have to be up there for their own unique sounds, and Jimi, just because of his infusion of blues so thoroughly into rock.

Answer 4

I don't see the sense in rating guitarists like that. I mean all the players mentioned (although I haven't heard the guy who said "me!") were great, grew up in different times, with different influences, technology, etc. If Robert Johnson and SRV had (hypothetically) grown up in the same time listened to the same people, both played fenders in rockin' power trios who'd have been better? We'll never know because it'll never happen.

I think we should just drop this best guitarist rubbish and simply love our beautiful blues music.

Answer 5

This might sound a little strange, but... there is no "best" - there are only "the greats". B.B. King actually is not a stellar guitar player, but B.B. King is royally cool because he is his own "style", can belt out a song with the best of them, and ENTERTAINS the crowd. Now compare that to a Walter Trout, or a Joe Bonamassa, and there guitar playing skills "win", but they are both GREAT guitar players, along with a lot of others as well, like Ray Gomez, or Lance Lopez, or Popa Chubby, or a whole lot of other great guitar players. The problem with picking a "best" is that it becomes extremely subjective in who the person likes that is doing the picking. I think Joe Bonamassa is certainly one of the best, but as to who actually is the "best" is not possible to determine - there are only "the greats", like Eric Clapton, etc.

Answer 6

First off, good question.
There are so many great blues players that I don't think I could name just one, so I'm going to give you a few.
Hubert Sumlin
Robert Johnson
B.B. King
Hound Dog Taylor
John Lee Hooker
R.L. Burnside
Blind Lemon Jefferson
Stevie Ray Vaughn
There's still so many people I have to name, but I'm not going any farther. I don't know that there is one "best" player, because they are all so good!!!

Answer 7

Yea, Chuck is good,so is Stevie Ray Vaughn but have you ever heard Ry Cooder? His music is in a lot of films like the Long Riders, Crossroads with Ralph Machio

Answer 8

You are very right. Robert Johnson is the greatest blues guitarist of all time. But id have to say it depends how you rate them. teqnique, influence and such. i would have 2 say that Buddy Guy takes the runner up next 2 johnson

Answer 9

its hard to answer who the best is because they're all legends in there own right it all goes down to personal opinion theres so many different styles of players ranging from the early stuff right threw to modern day blues bonamasa healey lister etc - my personal favourite is stevie ray - a massive influence forhim was the legendary hendrix but you got freddie king in there and the hideaways is a big influence there- clapton was once and still is by many referred to as god - albert johnson a big influence with him.. if you would like to hear a player with a blend of all most every style i strongly recommend joe bonamassa - go to amazon and type in his name and purchase 'blues deluxe - you won'tbe dissapointed!!

Answer 10

I would say:


BB-King
Freddie King
Luther Allison
T-Bone Walker
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Steve Gaines
Allen Collins
Gary Rossington