Recommended for rock fans too! — A classic album of modern blues
The birth of the blues, often called the root of rock ’n’ roll and jazz, dates back to the late 19th century.
Its forms are diverse and can’t be summed up in a single phrase: from Delta blues and country blues—often referred to as prewar blues—to Chicago blues and modern blues, which developed after the war in Chicago and incorporated electric instruments.
In this article, we introduce classic blues albums whose style and spirit continue to be carried on by many musicians even in the 2020s.
The lineup focuses mainly on modern blues that’s easy for beginners to enjoy, so even those who usually listen to rock will find it accessible.
- [2026] Masterpieces of Blues Rock: Recommended Albums You Should Listen to at Least Once
- [Western Music] Classic Blues Rock Songs: A Summary of Recommended Popular Tracks
- A roundup of classic Western jazz-funk albums—from staples to the latest releases
- Roundup of Famous Overseas Blues Guitarists
- [For Beginners] A Collection of Famous and Popular Delta Blues Songs
- A roundup of popular Western blues bands—also recommended for rock fans!
- Ranking of popular blues songs
- [Foreign Music] A Guide to Post-Rock: Essential Classics and a Recommended Pick
- The Appeal of Japanese Blues Rock: A Collection of Classic Japanese Blues Rock Albums
- The 1970s were the golden age of Western rock! Recommended classics and hit songs
- A classic of Japanese blues. Japanese blues that lets you get drunk on the sound and vocals.
- [A Must-See for Rock Beginners] KiYoshiro Imawano's Easy-to-Sing Songs
- The depth of guitar sound. A collection of songs with cool guitar.
Recommended for rock fans too! — Masterpieces of Modern Blues (121–130)
Brown SugerZZ Top
ZZ Top is widely remembered as an electric boogie band that took the 1980s by storm, but few people accurately recognize that their roots are in a hard-core blues band.
Billy Gibbons, the guitarist, is also a superb blues player, and his technique is highly regarded by connoisseurs.
wild women don’t have the bluesIda Cox
Ida Cox was a female classic blues singer who was active in the 1920s.
Hailing from the state of Georgia in the United States, she wrote many of her own songs and also produced shows.
This piece, too, was entirely her creation—lyrics, composition, and vocals.
That’s All RightJimmy Rogers
Jimmy Rogers, born in 1924 in Ruleville, Mississippi, was a blues musician who rose to prominence in the early 1950s as Muddy Waters’ second guitarist.
His powerful bass lines and precise rhythms were considered indispensable to Muddy’s sound.
As a bluesman on the legendary Chicago blues label Chess Records, he produced what was regarded as the quintessential Chicago blues sound.
He scored hits with many blues numbers, including “That’s All Right” and “You’re the One.”
its hurts me tooJohn Mayall
A godfather-like figure of British white blues.
As the first guitarist of his band, the Bluesbreakers, a young Eric Clapton also made his debut (the second guitarist was Peter Green).
Now 83 years old, he is still alive and active as a bluesman.
Catfish bluesLightnin’ Hopkins
A great bluesman who still commands immense respect.
His trademark cigarette and sunglasses, and that instantly recognizable “Lightnin’ style” vocal—where a single growl gives him away—stand shoulder to shoulder with John Lee Hooker.
This blues standard, too, is masterfully rendered in his own style.