Top 5 of all time

RussellChase

Blues Newbie
Thought i would start a debate on who we consider the best 5 blues guitarists of all time. This should start some chat!
Im going with
5 Robert johnson
4 Peter Green
3 Buddy Guy
2 B B King
1 Stevie Ray Vaughan

What do you think?
 

JPsuff

Blackstar Artist
Thought i would start a debate on who we consider the best 5 blues guitarists of all time. This should start some chat!
Im going with
5 Robert johnson
4 Peter Green
3 Buddy Guy
2 B B King
1 Stevie Ray Vaughan

What do you think?

Well, "All Time" is a loaded statement because different era's had different styles and stars.

So without getting into who is "best", I will list five guitarists that I really like.

They are (in no particular order):
  1. Gary Moore
  2. Walter Trout
  3. Joe B.
  4. B.B. King
  5. Samantha Fish
There are more of course, but those would be my current "Top Five".
 

PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
I don't do the 'best' thing, because everyone's (both artists' and listeners') tastes are different. And my favorite guitarists over time have changed, sometimes weekly.
But aside from Griff Hamlin (who in my opinion is terribly under-appreciated by the music world at large), favorite blues guitarists in no particular order:
Eric Gales
Walter Trout
Coco Montoya
Sonny Landreth
Kirk Fletcher

I could list another 25 or 30 who I think of as favorites, but I would never attempt to stack any of them in any order.
 

Shodai

Blues Junior
Best? How are we defining that? Best technical ability? BB King would be out.

Or best in terms of contribution and influence of the art?

In terms of influence, I think

Robert Johnson
T Bone Walker
For their early contributions
BB King (All three Kings, really)
For widening the audience
Stevie Ray Vaughan
For introducing a new generation and crossing over
Joe Bonamassa
For keeping it alive

Or anyone named (physical affliction) (fruit) (early President name)

Like Blind Lemon Jefferson

But seriously... Five? Impossible.
 
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Terry B

Humble student of the blues
Lots of good choices there, I'm gonna suggest some more of the pioneers since this is a best of all time thing, and these are some of the primary influences of Clapton, Hendrix et all:

Ike Zimmerman (the guy that taught Robert Johnson to play, his Griff Hamlin)
Son House
Charley Patton
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Memphis Minnie
 

artyman

Fareham UK
Les Paul
Hank Marvin
Eric Clapton
Joe Bonamassa
Mark Knopfler
Jeff Beck

Oh hang on thats' six, Oh I give up
 

PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
My current favorites:

artyman
CaptainMoto
Crossroads
Elwood
Many Moons
PapaRaptor
Ted Zeppelin
good-job-smiley-emoticon.gif
 

piebaldpython

Blues Junior
Here's my 5 as of today.....I might listen to something overnite that could change this. My sole criteria, as of this instant, is dancin'-in-your-seat. No particular order.....

Joanna Connor
Albert Collins
Luther Allison
Bonnie Raitt
Billy Gibbons
 

snarf

making guitars wish they were still trees
5 best blues players you say? Yikes! That's a loaded question if I ever heard one. Are we looking at their fire-y riffs and licks or their influence on the world of blues or their popularity or the cool-factor of their name or are we combining all those together? I'm not qualified to answer that question. lol So I'll list my top 5 faves.

Top 5 blues players in order
5. SRV
4. SRV
3. SRV
2. SRV
1. SRV
:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Seriously, my top 5 list would change daily depending on what I'm listening to. At the moment, they would be, in no particular order
5. Jason Elmore
4. Freddie King
3. Tab Benoit
2. JB Lenoir
1. SRV

That said, JB Lenoir and SRV would probably always be on my list.
 
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