What is the best blues album of the last 20 years?

The blues has experienced a remarkable renaissance in the 21st century, with artists like Gary Clark Jr., Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram and Joe Bonamassa redefining the genre for new audiences. From raw Delta revival to soul-blues crossover, modern blues albums prove that the art form remains as vital and emotionally direct as ever.

Blak and Blu – Gary Clark Jr.

2012 Warner Bros. debut album blending Chicago blues, soul and hip-hop influences, establishing Clark as the defining voice of 21st-century blues guitar.

1/15

This Land – Gary Clark Jr.

2019 Warner Bros. politically charged blues-rock album confronting racial injustice in America, featuring the incendiary title track and Grammy-winning guitar performances.

2/15

Kingfish – Christone Ingram

2019 Alligator Records debut album by Mississippi-born Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram, introducing the most celebrated new voice in traditional blues in a generation.

3/15

662 – Christone Ingram

2021 Alligator Records sophomore album named after the Mississippi area code of the Delta, deepening Kingfish's exploration of traditional blues roots with stunning guitar mastery.

4/15

Revelator – Tedeschi Trucks Band

2011 Grammy-winning debut album by the powerhouse blues-soul collective led by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, a sweeping vision of American roots music.

5/15

El Dorado – Marcus King

2020 American Recordings debut album produced by Dan Auerbach, featuring King's soul-blues guitar and extraordinary voice in songs about heartbreak and Southern mythology.

6/15

Please Don't Be Dead – Fantastic Negrito

2018 Grammy-winning album by Xavier Dphrepaulezz blending Delta blues with soul, R&B and punk in a raw urgent statement about survival, identity and American music.

7/15

Kill or Be Kind – Samantha Fish

2019 Rounder Records blues-soul album produced by Martin Kierszenbaum, showcasing Fish's powerful guitar chops and commanding voice in her most fully realized artistic statement.

8/15

Venom & Faith – Larkin Poe

2018 self-released slide guitar blues-rock album by sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, capturing the raw fire and Southern mysticism of their roots-drenched blues approach.

9/15

Fire on the Floor – Beth Hart

2016 Provogue Records blues-rock album featuring Hart's stunning voice and emotional intensity across original songs and covers, one of her most consistently powerful records.

10/15

In My Soul – Robert Cray

2014 Nozzle Records Grammy-winning album featuring Cray's elegant soul-blues guitar style in beautifully constructed songs, one of his finest recordings in a legendary career.

11/15

Middle of the Road – Eric Gales

2017 Provogue Records breakthrough album by the raw-power Memphis blues guitarist, produced by Robben Ford and featuring Gales's most focused and emotionally direct playing.

12/15

Oklahoma – Keb' Mo'

2019 Kind of Blue Records Grammy-winning album blending blues, country, folk and soul in a warm and literate reflection on the American South by one of its finest storytellers.

13/15

Blood Harmony – Larkin Poe

2020 Tricki-Woo Records album featuring the Lovell sisters' most personal songwriting alongside their signature slide guitar blues, earning their widest critical acclaim.

14/15

The Blues Is Alive and Well – Buddy Guy

2018 Grammy-winning album featuring Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck and Rolling Stones, with Guy at age 81 delivering some of the fiercest blues guitar playing of his entire career.

15/15