The Best Blues and Soul Music on YouTube

Looking for the best blues and soul music on YouTube? Look no further than this blog post. We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 channels for blues and soul music, so you can find exactly what you’re looking for.

Introduction

There are a lot of great blues and soul videos on YouTube. In this guide, we’ll try to narrow it down to the best of the best.

We’ll start with some legends like B.B. King and Etta James, then move on to some contemporary artists like Janelle Monae and Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. We’ll also include a few gems from YouTube’s vast collection of vintage footage.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the best blues and soul music on YouTube.

Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters was an American blues musician who is often cited as the “father of modern Chicago blues”. His style of playing has been emulated by many other electric blues guitarists. He was an important figure in the post-war blues scene, and his performance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957 was a major moment in the development of the genre.

In his youth, Waters was a sharecropper on a plantation near Clarksdale, Mississippi. He began playing the guitar at an early age and developed a style that blended country blues with urban blues. He moved to Chicago in 1943 and started working with bandwidth station WLDN. His first recordings were made for the label in 1946, and he achieved national fame with his 1950 hit “Rollin’ Stone”.

Waters continued to record and perform throughout his career, and his influence can be heard in the work of many later generations of blues and rock musicians. He died in 1983, aged 70.

John Lee Hooker

John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally known as country blues, which he later developed into the more recognizable electric blues.

B.B. King

B.B. King is one of the most iconic blues musicians of all time, and his influence can still be felt today. Born in Mississippi in 1925, King began his career playing the guitar in nightclubs and on the radio. He soon developed his own style of playing, which incorporated elements of both blues and jazz. Over the course of his long career, King released dozens of albums and singles, many of which have become blues classics. In 1988, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.

King passed away in 2015, but his music lives on. If you want to listen to some of the best blues and soul music on YouTube, make sure to check out B.B. King’s channel. You won’t be disappointed!

Otis Redding

Otis Redding was an American singer and songwriter who is considered one of the greatest singers of all time. His voice was described as a “powerful, guttural” style that influenced a generation of singers. His best known songs include “Satisfaction” (1965), “Respect” (1967), “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” (1968), and “Try a Little Tenderness” (1968). Redding died in a plane crash in 1967 at the age of 26.

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest singers of all time. She is known for her powerful vocal performance of songs such as “Respect”, “A Natural Woman” and “I Say a Little Prayer”.

Al Green

Al Green is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s with a string of hit singles, including ” Take Me to the River”, ” Tired of Being Alone”, ” Love and Happiness”, and ” Let’s Stay Together”. His records have sold more than 20 million copies.

Born Al Greene in Forrest City, Arkansas, he began his musical career as a member of the gospel group the Soul Stirrers. In 1965, he formed the band Al Greene & The Soul Mates, which had a hit single with ” Back Up Train”. He then recorded for Hi Records under producer Willie Mitchell. In 1967, Green made his first major appearance on the pop charts with the song ” Funny How Time Slips Away”.

He continued to record successful soul songs throughout the 1970s, including ” Call Me “, ” Right Now Right Now”, and ” I’m Still in Love With You”. In 1974, he scored his first number one pop hit with ” Let’s Stay Together “. Green was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

Sam Cooke

One of the most popular and influential singers of his time, Sam Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on January 22, 1931. He began his singing career with the gospel group The Soul Stirrers before moving on to a successful solo career in secular music. His hit songs “You Send Me” (1957), “A Change Is Gonna Come” (1964), and “Wonderful World” (1960) have become classics in the genres of blues, soul, and pop music. Cooke was tragically killed at the age of 33 in an incident that is still shrouded in mystery.

Ray Charles

Ray Charles is one of the most popular and respected musicians of all time. A true pioneer, he brought together different styles of music to create a unique sound that has influenced generations of artists. His hits include “Georgia on My Mind,” “I Got a Woman,” and “Hit the Road Jack.”

Conclusion

There are so many great blues and soul musicians out there, and this is just a small sampling of what’s available on YouTube. With so much great music to choose from, it’s impossible to go wrong. So get out there and start exploring!