The Best Electric Blues Music (Royalty-Free)
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Discover the best electric blues music for your project. With a wide range of styles to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect fit for your project. All of our electric blues music is royalty-free, so you can use it in your next video, film, or commercial without worrying about copyright issues.
What is electric blues?
Electric blues refers to a wide range of styles of blues music that were originally created in the late 1940s and 1950s by African-American musicians in the United States. Electric blues used amplified electric guitars, amplified bass guitars, drums, and sometimes harmonica to create a more powerful sound than acoustic blues.
The first electric blues recordings were made by Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf in the early 1950s. These artists created a new style of music that was different from the traditional acoustic blues. Electric blues was played in a more aggressive style, with distorted guitars and a heavier sound.
Over time, electric blues has evolved into a wide range of sub-genres, including Chicago electric blues, Texas electric blues, rockabilly-blues, and others. Each sub-genre has its own unique sound and feel.
If you’re looking for some great electric blues tracks to add to your music collection, check out our list of the best electric blues songs below.
The history of electric blues
The first electric blues recordings were made in the mid-1930s, using the new technology of amplifiers and microphones. The earliest electric blues musicians include guitarist T-Bone Walker, who recorded “I Want a Little Girl” in 1936, and John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson, who recorded “Good Morning Little School Girl” in 1937. The style quickly became popular, and by the early 1940s artists such as Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon were recording hits for the Chicago-based Chess Records label.
In the 1950s, electric blues evolved into a more modern style with artists such as Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, and Slim Harpo. The British Invasion of the 1960s saw a new wave of electric blues bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Animals, and Fleetwood Mac bringing the sound to a new audience. In the 1970s and 1980s, electric blues was revitalized by artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Cray, and Buddy Guy. In the 21st century, electric blues is once again thriving with artists such as Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Derek Trucks keeping the sound alive.
The best electric blues songs
The electric blues is a type of blues music characterized by the use of electric guitars, amplifiers, and sometimes keyboards. The style developed in the early 20th century, in Chicago and the Midwestern United States. It quickly spread to the South, where it influenced the development of rock and roll.
“Sweet Home Chicago” – Robert Johnson
“Sweet Home Chicago” is a classic electric blues song written by legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. Recorded in 1936, it has been covered by countless artists and has become one of the most popular blues songs of all time. Featuring Johnson’s signature guitar style and voice, “Sweet Home Chicago” is a must-have for any electric blues fan.
“Cross Road Blues” – Robert Johnson
“Cross Road Blues” is a song written and recorded by American blues artist Robert Johnson in 1936. He sings of a man who is making a deal with the devil at a crossroads in order to achieve success in his musical career. Although the song is about striking a deal with Satan, it has been interpreted as having multiple meanings, including being about drug addiction and making bad choices in life. The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin, and has become one of the most iconic and influential blues songs of all time.
“Hellhound on My Trail” – Robert Johnson
“Hellhound on My Trail” is a song recorded by American musician Robert Johnson in 1937. Released posthumously, it is one of the best-known and most influential blues recordings of all time. The song is a personal account of Johnson’s feelings of being pursued by the devil.
In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 38 on its list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. In 2003, the song was selected by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.
“I Can’t Quit You Baby” – Willie Dixon
“I Can’t Quit You Baby” is a blues standard written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Chicago blues artist Floyd Dixon in 1954. The song has been recorded by many artists, including Willie Dixon himself, Howlin’ Wolf, Led Zeppelin, and Eric Clapton.
Willie Dixon was a prolific songwriter who wrote or co-wrote over 500 songs. He is best known for his work with Chess Records, where he worked with artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Bo Diddley. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
“Spoonful” – Willie Dixon
Willie Dixon’s “Spoonful” has been recorded by a variety of artists, but the most famous version is probably the one by Cream. This 1966 recording features Eric Clapton on guitar and Jack Bruce on vocals, and it is a perfect example of the power of the electric blues. Dixon’s original song is a slow blues, but Cream gives it a more uptempo feel, and Clapton’s guitar playing is masterful. If you’re looking for a great electric blues song to listen to, “Spoonful” is an excellent choice.
“The Thrill is Gone” – B.B. King
“The Thrill is Gone” is a song written by Rick Darnell and Roy Hawkins. Recorded in 1969, it was released in 1970 on the album Completely Well.
The song is a slow 12-bar blues played in the key of B♭. King’s guitar playing is accompanied only by a rhythm section of bass and drums; no other instruments are used. His singing, which alternates between falsetto and tenor registers, features the use of blue notes.
The lyrics describe the singer’s loss of love and how he copes with it. In the first verse, he recalls how his love used to make him happy; in the second verse, he admits that he now knows she will never return; and in the third verse, he sings about how he must find a way to go on without her.
Although “The Thrill Is Gone” was not one of King’s biggest hits when it was first released—it peaked at number 15 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart—it has since become one of his most enduring and well-known songs. In 1999, it was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame as a “Classic of Blues Recording.” In 2011, Rolling Stone ranked it number 383 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
