The Best Acoustic Blues Music to Listen to Right Now
Looking for the best acoustic blues music to listen to right now? Look no further! We’ve got a great selection of tracks for you to enjoy.
What is Acoustic Blues?
Acoustic blues is a type of blues music that is performed without the use of electric instruments. It typically features someone playing a guitar or pianothese days, acoustic blues often features a full band with drums, bass, and even horns. The sound is raw and Organic, and the performers often have a deep connection to the traditions of the music.
There are many different subgenres of acoustic blues, from country blues to delta blues to Piedmont blues. But no matter what style of acoustic blues you’re listening to, you can be sure that it will transport you to another place and time.
The Best Acoustic Blues Artists
Acoustic blues is a subgenre of blues music that emphasizes acoustic guitar and drums over electric instruments. The best acoustic blues artists know how to evoke emotion and tell a story with their music. Here are some of the best acoustic blues artists to listen to right now.
Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who is often cited as the “father of modern Chicago blues”, and an important figure on the development of the post-World War II electric blues sound. He recorded over 50 songs that achieved commercial success, including 28 that reached the Top 10 on Billboard’s Race Records chart. Waters ranked No. 17 in Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Waters was born McKinley Morganfield on April 4, 1913, in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on Stovall Plantation west of Clarksdale. He was named after Chicago Board of Trade president Henry Stovall, though some sources give his middle name or nickname as “Muddy” after his childhood love for playing in mud puddles. He began his musical career in the juke joints and local radio stations of Clarksdale, playing in a style that was coming to be known as Mississippi Delta blues. Waters’s grandmother Della Grant raised him after his parents parted ways with one another soon after he was born. Grant gave birth to eight children, but waters grew up only knowing her firstborn child and first grandchildalias he didn’t encounter any of his half-siblings until he moved to Chicago in 1943 at the age of 30.
Robert Johnson
A singer and songwriter who was born in Mississippi in 1911, Robert Johnson is widely considered one of the most significant and influential blues artists of all time. Though he only released a handful of recordings during his lifetime, his music has been widely anthologized and covered by artists including Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and the Rolling Stones. His best-known songs include “Cross Road Blues,” “Sweet Home Chicago,” and “Love in Vain.”
B.B. King
B.B. King is one of the most influential blues guitarists of all time, and his style has been copied by countless other players. King was born in 1925 in Mississippi, and he began his career playing in small clubs in the South. He eventually moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he recorded some of his most famous songs, including “The Thrill Is Gone” and “Lucille.” King’s guitar playing was characterized by a distinctive vibrato and a wide range of dynamics. He was also known for his ability to make his guitar “sing” by bending the strings to create long, sustained notes.
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often incorporated other elements, including talking blues and early North Mississippi Hill country blues. He developed his own driving-rhythm boogie style, distinct from the 1930s–1940s piano-derived boogie-woogie.
Despite his influence on American popular music, Hooker was relatively unknown outside of the blues world during his long career. He recorded for local music labels and appeared at nightclubs and live venues throughout the United States—although he achieved little mainstream commercial success. In 1998 he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; nine of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (most recently “Boom Boom”, in 2017). In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him number 70 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Elmore James
Elmore James was an American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is known for his unique slide guitar style and his work with other artists such as Howlin’ Wolf and Robert Johnson. James was born in Mississippi in 1918 and began his career playing at local bars and clubs. He soon gained popularity for his live performances and recordings, which led to him being signed by Chess Records in 1951. James continued to release records and tour throughout the 1950s and 1960s, until his untimely death in 1963.
James is considered one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, and his music has been influential on artists such as Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Stevie Ray Vaughan. If you’re a fan of acoustic blues, then Elmore James is definitely an artist you should check out!
The Best Acoustic Blues Songs
Acoustic blues is a style of music that combines elements of both the blues and folk music genres. The result is a uniquely American art form that is enjoyed by music lovers all over the world. Here are 10 of the best acoustic blues songs that you can listen to right now.
“I Can’t Quit You Baby” by Willie Dixon
“I Can’t Quit You Baby” is a classic blues song written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Chicago blues artist Chester Burnett, better known as Howlin’ Wolf, in 1956. It has been recorded by many other artists including Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, and Eric Clapton. The song is a slow 12-bar blues with an emphasis on the lyrics and feel rather than the guitar solo. It has been described as “haunting” and “hauntingly beautiful.”
“Cross Road Blues” by Robert Johnson
There are few songs as iconic in the world of acoustic blues as Robert Johnson’s “Cross Road Blues.” The tune, which is believed to have been written in 1936, has been covered by countless artists over the years, but Johnson’s original recording is still considered one of the best.
“Cross Road Blues” is a slow, atmospheric tune that features Johnson’s signature slide guitar playing. The lyrics tell the story of a musician who makes a deal with the devil in order to achieve success. Though the song is steeped in blues tradition, it has also been interpreted as a Christian allegory.
Despite its dark subject matter, “Cross Road Blues” is one of the most popular and enduring acoustic blues songs of all time. It has been recorded by everyone from Eric Clapton to Stevie Ray Vaughan, and it remains an essential part of any self-respecting blues fan’s playlist.
“Sweet Little Angel” by Lucille Bogan
“Sweet Little Angel” is a Lucille Bogan song about a woman’s love for her man. It was recorded in 1935 and released on the Brunswick record label. The song is a classic example of the acoustic blues genre.
“I’m Tore Down” by Freddie King
The acoustic blues is a style of music that uses the acoustic guitar as the main instrument. It gained popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, when musicians such as Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters popularized the sound. The genre has since evolved, and today there are many different subgenres of acoustic blues.
One of the best acoustic blues songs is “I’m Tore Down” by Freddie King. This song was released in 1971, and it features King’s signature guitar style. The song is about a relationship that has ended, and it usees simple lyrics to tell a powerful story.
If you’re looking for a great acoustic blues song to listen to, “I’m Tore Down” by Freddie King is a perfect choice.
“As the Years Go Passing By” by Jimmy Reed
As the years go passing by,
I’m getting more and more helpless,
And I feel like dying.
The blues is a feeling,
That no one can understand,
Unless you have a heart full of pain,
And a soul full of sand.
