What is the best modern blues album of the 21st century?

The blues never died — it evolved. From Austin to the UK, contemporary artists are proving the form still has plenty to say. Which modern blues record deserves the most attention?

This Land

Gary Clark Jr.'s 2019 album is a powerful blend of blues, rock, and soul with urgent lyrics about race and identity in America, earning him a Grammy for Best Rock Song.

1/11

Blak and Blu

Gary Clark Jr.'s 2012 major label debut blends raw Texas blues guitar with R&B and rock, introducing a new generation to blues-rooted music and earning critical acclaim.

2/11

Kingfish

Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram's 2019 debut announced a prodigious young blues talent from Clarksdale, Mississippi, with blazing guitar work and deep Delta roots.

3/11

662

Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram's 2021 sophomore album, named after the Clarksdale area code, showcased his evolution as a songwriter and guitarist with genre-blending ambition.

4/11

Revelator

Tedeschi Trucks Band's 2011 debut earned a Grammy for Best Blues Album, showcasing Susan Tedeschi's vocals and Derek Trucks' slide guitar in a soulful Southern blues-rock sound.

5/11

Please Don't Be Dead

Fantastic Negrito's 2018 Grammy-winning album blends Delta blues, soul, and funk with incisive social commentary, delivered by one of the most distinctive voices in modern blues.

6/11

Self Made Man

Larkin Poe's 2020 album showcases the Georgia sister duo's raw slide guitar and big-sky blues sound, earning a Grammy nomination and cementing their place in modern blues.

7/11

Stripped

Samantha Fish's 2019 acoustic album strips her blues-rock sound down to raw essentials, revealing a powerful singer and guitarist fully at home with Delta and country blues traditions.

8/11

In My Soul

Robert Cray's 2014 album is a soulful, polished blues effort from one of the genre's modern masters, blending West Coast blues with Memphis soul and R&B influences.

9/11

Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Joe Bonamassa's acclaimed 2009 live album at one of the world's most prestigious venues cemented his status as the most technically gifted blues guitarist of his generation.

10/11

Shake Sugaree

North Mississippi Allstars' 2014 tribute album reimagining Elizabeth Cotten's folk-blues repertoire captures the raw, hill country blues traditions of North Mississippi.

11/11