These are the top 100 blues acts of all time as determined by aggregating 50 best-of lists focused on blues artists. Click on names to see their entries in the Dave’s Music Database Music Makers Encyclopedia.
See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre.
1. Robert Johnson
2. Muddy Waters
3. B.B. King
4. Howlin’ Wolf
5. John Lee Hooker
6. Stevie Ray Vaughan
7. Albert King
8. Buddy Guy
9. Eric Clapton
10. Bessie Smith
Robert Johnson
11. T-Bone Walker
12. Leadbelly
13. Son House
14. Lightnin’ Hopkins
15. Freddie King
16. Etta James
17. Elmore James
18. Jimi Hendrix
19. Willie Dixon
20. Ma Rainey
Muddy Waters
21. Jimmy Reed
22. Ray Charles
23. Blind Lemon Jefferson
24. Johnny Winter
25. Big Mama Thornton
26. John Mayall
27. Charley Patton
28. Big Bill Broonzy
29. Koko Taylor
30. Little Walter
John Lee Hooker
31. Billie Holiday
32. Skip James
33. Sister Rosetta Tharpe
34. Albert Collins
35. Mississippi John Hurt
36. Bonnie Raitt
37. Otis Rush
38. Janis Joplin
39. Joe Bonamassa
40. Lonnie Johnson
Howlin’ Wolf
41. W.C. Handy
42. Mamie Smith
43. Taj Mahal
44. Memphis Minnie
45. Bobby “Blue” Bland
46. Sonny Boy Williamson #2 (Rice Miller)
47. Rory Gallagher
48. Peter Green
49. Louis Jordan
50. Reverend Gary Davis
B.B. King
51. Sonny Boy Williamson #1 (John Lee Williamson)
52. Robert Cray
53. Paul Butterfield
54. Blind Willie Johnson
55. Big Joe Turner
56. Magic Sam
57. Blind Willie McTell
58. Bukka White
59. Junior Wells
60. Tampa Red
Son House
61. Professor Longhair
62. Tommy Johnson
63. Otis Spann
64. Slim Harpo
65. Charles Brown
66. Ruth Brown
67. R.L. Burnside
68. Chuck Berry
69. Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup
70. Mike Bloomfield
Stevie Ray Vaughan
71. Mississippi Fred McDowell
72. Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown
73. Brownie McGhee
74. Roosevelt Sykes
75. Luther Allison
76. Blind Boy Fuller
77. Leroy Carr
78. Victoria Spivey
79. Big Joe Williams
80. Little Milton
Bessie Smith
81. Arthur “Blind Blake” Phelps
82. J.B. Lenoir
83. Gary Moore
84. Duane Allman
85. John Mayer
86. Keb’ Mo’
87. Wynonie Harris
88. Robert Nighthawk
89. Ida Cox
90. Bo Diddley
Leadbelly
91. Son Seals
92. Hound Dog Taylor
93. Sonny Terry
94. J.B. Hutto
95. Susan Tedeschi
96. Shemekia Copeland
97. Roy Buchanan
98. Dinah Washington
99. Gus Cannon
100. Fats Domino
Buddy Guy
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First posted 7/16/2011; last updated 3/16/2026. | 
