What is the best album by contemporary blues artists from the last 20 years?

From Grammy-crowned masterpieces to raw Delta-rooted excavations, the last two decades have produced some of the most vital blues music in generations. Guitar heroes, soul singers, and genre-benders all made their case — the competition is fierce. Which album left the deepest mark?

1. 1
   This Land

   Gary Clark Jr.'s 2019 Grammy-winning album fusing blues with rock and hip-hop, delivering politically charged anthems alongside searing guitar work.
2. 2
   662

   Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram's 2021 Grammy-winning sophomore album named after his Mississippi area code, blending traditional Delta blues with modern soul.
3. 3
   Revelator

   Tedeschi Trucks Band's 2011 Grammy-winning debut, pairing Susan Tedeschi's soulful vocals with Derek Trucks' transcendent slide guitar in a sweeping blues-rock epic.
4. 4
   TajMo

   The 2017 Grammy-winning collaboration between blues legends Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo', blending acoustic roots blues with contemporary soul and humor.
5. 5
   The Last Days of Oakland

   Fantastic Negrito's 2016 Grammy-winning debut that reinvented the blues for the modern era with raw emotion, social commentary, and psychedelic grit.
6. 6
   Kingfish

   Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram's stunning 2019 debut album introducing a prodigious young Mississippi bluesman with jaw-dropping fretwork and soulful delivery.
7. 7
   Blak and Blu

   Gary Clark Jr.'s 2012 major-label debut fusing Texas blues, rock, soul, and hip-hop into a defining statement of 21st-century blues guitar.
8. 8
   Preacher Kids

   Robert Randolph's 2025 Grammy-winning album blending sacred steel guitar with blues, funk, and gospel in a joyful and electrifying expression.
9. 9
   Black Bayou

   Robert Finley's acclaimed 2023 album produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, showcasing one of contemporary blues' most powerful and soulful voices.
10. 10
    The Traveler

    Kenny Wayne Shepherd's 2019 album weaving blues, rock, and Americana into a road-worn meditation on journeys both physical and emotional.
11. 11
    Mileage

    Ruthie Foster's 2025 Grammy-winning album showcasing her powerful vocals and hard-won wisdom across blues, soul, and gospel-tinged songwriting.