My friend played with SRV in Paul Ray and the Cobras . Alex would tell us stories about growing up with SRV and Jimmy I’m Oak Cliff and how they all migrated to Austin . RIP Alex and SRV
I have seen far too many times Rory getting left out of these lists. He was an amazing player and quite unique as well. It's nice to see him finally getting some recognition for his fabulous work.
@ayrtonvennkeane9315 sorry that it hit you in the feels, but he's not just a top tier player. Especially in blues, there are *thousands* of great players spanning 100 years
Rory was awesome, got to see him play live in Dublin a couple of years before his passing, they shut down Dublin city center for him to play a free open air gig
God bless SRV. Best guitarist, and best man to play the guitar. He saved so many lives through his messages about the dangers or drugs and alcohol and what damage it does to someone. His personality outshines his playing and that's really saying something
I certainly expected to see Albert on such a list. That being said, it's impossible to come up with a truly definitive list as there are so many deserving players who have made enormous contributions to the genre. Luther Allison, Melvin Taylor, Gatemouth Brown, Roy Buchanan, Skip James, Hubert Sumlin, Muddy Waters....the list could go on forever.
One of the very best, played with a capo and had a unique tone. Would have audiences eating out of his hand. Also, how about Otis Rush? He influenced Clapton, and Page, and Bloomfield, and even Buddy Guy. The "king of the singing string" - best hand vibrato ever. Also an all-time great singer! In the late 70's I saw Clapton, who was opened for by Muddy, then went to a club and saw Otis - we were 20 feet from the stage! What a night!
Love to see Rory in the list. He made it look so simple and effortless, never struggling with the guitar. Imo his 1974 Irish tour is a reference blues album.
Albert Collins is definitely one that should be in any top 10 electric BLUES players of all times. He s up there with BB, Albert, Freddie and Buddy Guy.
Mike Bloomfield has long been my favorite, ever since I became enlightened by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1965. And, after 50+ years of playing harmonica (thank you Paul, Charlie Musselwhite, John Mayall, and Norton Buffalo), I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. And, let us not forget, Elmore James.
Personally always thought Peter was a notch above Clapton, of course his sudden stop of all things musical for many years played into that for sure,; but as mentioned here, Peter's phrasing (and tome) were just superb! Even BB said so as the Pilgrim mentions!
Your playing in this video is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. You morphed into each great blues artist so naturally. Thanks so much for this inspirational video. Your tone is beyond anything btw. This is the coolest video!!!!
I'm glad you have Michael Bloomfield in there. I think his often overlooked and underrated as a blues guitarist! I absolutely love his style and playing!!
I'm very happy that you included Rory Gallagher !!! He is one of my favorite guitarist of all time!! Guys, listen to Rory's "What In The World", the BBC sessions !!!! I personally would have included Skip James and Danny Kirwan in the list !! When someone thinks of the "original" Fleetwood Mac band, he thinks primarily of Peter Green, but Danny was also as good as Peter in his own way. Watch the video of "Like It This Way" Danny is incredible, his vibrato is unique and in this video he was only 19 years old.
Peter Green - Ive got a good mind to give up living - Still the best blues solo I have ever heard. If you havent listened, look it up. Absolutely phenomenal.
I saw Rory Gallagher at the Marquee about 50 years ago!! He was absolutely captivating. But MY number one would be have to be Gary Moore. Not sure why he was left out.
I really like this guy, he has such a positive & passionate approach to his music. It is apparent that he truly loves his music. Hope he inspires a few young musicians, guitarists & lovers of music. Please like & share. Let’s give this guy some recognition🙌👌👌👍
Alvin Lee Ten Years After , James Quill Smith , Paul Kossof, Mick Taylor , Whichington , Mick Ralphs, Ted Nungent . Anyway One Man's Meat is another Man's Poison. Well anyway Thanks for Sharing whatever that had fascinated your preferences and I Respect it as your own choices but Nevertheless, its the Ratings and Numerical Orders of the Outstanding One is Debatable and Contridicable upon Rankings. Long Live Rock n Rolling Blues Forever. Lastly May Almighty God Bless the Souls of the Greats that has left us behind with Eternal Blessings. Thanks once again to them for leaving behind Such Wonderful Irreplaceable , memorable moments of Love and Raw Energy of Music from their Souls , Hearts and Minds .
@@chipmusick682 Keep the Music going on and you are very versatile Guitarist and hopefully in your future Videos , Please kindly play it more slower while explaining the Riffs and Licks . Lastly a humble request to your Goodself is to produce Charts that shows the number on the fretboard either in numerical values or the alphabets of the musical notes. Thanking you in anticipation and May the Sweet Lord Bless your Family and your Goodself with Blissful Health at all times. Thanks once again
This pretty much nails it all well! I couldn't rank guitarists because they are all well, but this really does them justice! Blues is my favorite style to play in!
Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers is often overlooked because of his very short career. He was excellent and very influential on some of the people on your list including Clapton.
Duane Allman who played for some of the greats, with some of the greats, and whose star was destined for greater things. Died October 29,1971 at age 24. We will never know where he might have fit in this list. Considered to be the Godfather of modern electric slide guitar. Was certainly one of the trailblazers. One of a kind. He will always be my number 1.
Johnny was always underrated,he had his own style and brand of the blues. He was in a class of his own, you don't see anyone copy his playing like you do all the other great guitar players have been copied. I kind of wonder that is LOL
Yup, I love going to Buddy Guy's Legends bar in Chicago when you can to see him play. I love this list, way more correct than Guitar World's list earlier this year.
Yes he could blow all of these guys away of course but he was so much more then”just a blues guitarist”.He could play so many different styles and he was huge in the world!Not so much in America but thats not the world.A lot of Americans dont understand that.Its just another country and a good one!But nothing else.
@@bobolsen8067 I agree, Gary will always be one of my top musicians and guitarists. Being british, I've never understood why Gary wasn't appreciated in America the same way he was in Europe. I kind of see it that USA had Stevie Ray Vaughan so I'm proud that us in Europe had Gary Moore 🎸
Great vid! I yelled YES! at the screen when the Rory clip came up. Yelled NO when Freddie King came up (only because he was listed too low) and YES again when Peter Green showed up.
Legend has it that Jimi Hendrix was once asked what is it like to be the best guitarist in the world. His answer was, "I have no clue. Ask Rory Gallagher". Enough said.
There cannot be any doubt in anyone's mind in the history of mankind from when the first homo sapiens made music until this very second that Stevie Ray Vaughn is indeed the best blues player that has ever lived and I saw him in 1983 in Dallas, Tx open for the Moody Blues at Reunion Arena and he blew our heads completely off. One thing you can never forget is seeing SRV playing his strat in the prime of his life.
My son is a massive SRV fan and would agree with you. Personally I don’t think any one player can be said to be the greatest overall. But there are many great players who can blow you away depending on the track
This is a GREAT video! Man, goosebumps especially with SRV playing at No 1 spot. Totally agree he was the greatest, and you sir are also an amazing player!
Before I watched this I said if mike Bloomfield or Rory isn’t on this list it’s not a real list and they were , id put them higher for sure , but at least they got their recognition ! Good list !
Absolutely perfect list. Glad to see Freddie on there too. Stevie IS the culmination of everyone on this list, funneled and distilled into a beautiful multi layered complex concoction that will never be duplicated or dethroned. He is the antithesis.. Texas sure knows how to make 'em..
@@yanguit60 perfection is subjective, true enough. I mean, you could ad him.. also Hubert Sumlin, Robert Cray, Keb Mo, Gary Moore, Derek Trucks, and a bunch bunch more, but for a hard line foundashional defined authentic full spectrum list of those that moved the art form and sound forward then building off of each other this is the best I've ever seen and would compile the same artists for my own in that order. Of course as with ALL musical favorites list it is subject to the ear and heart of the listener... but yeah.. SRV.. nuff said..
Sorry but. Stevie Ray Vaughn isn't even close to Jimi Hendrix as a blues guitarist. I live in Texas and I can assure you that no one here believes that Vaughn is better than Hendrix as a blues guitarist.
@@EmericaNobles No doubt stevie stole from hendrix, but stevie absolutely took his inspirations to another level. Hendrix was bold, and innovative, and extremely gifted by nature. He was also sloppy and a showman. Stevie had better speed, technique, precision, and was more versatile within the blues. He also had a better sense of rhythm and dynamics over Hendrix. Now hendrix was a better songwriter but Stevie was both a better guitarist, a better improviser of the blues, and subjectively a better vocalist. Stevie took Hendrix's style to the next level.
@@EmericaNobles Ummm.. Proud born and raised Texan here. Stevie, Freddie, Johnny are just a few of the blues guitar crown jewels of Texas, but for sure Stevie is the best that has ever been. Skill, technique, timing, tone, imagination, passion, ferocity, and then calmness.. and damn that voice! He was a student of the past who brought all of it together into a perfect beautiful storm. He was admired and adored by every high profile artist that played with him. Quite a few on record as saying he was better than them.. in fact a Texas EC Crossroads festival comes to mind where there are multiple artists speaking about Stevie.. omething to the effect of "you though you were good until you got in the room with him".. Anyway.. yeah I'm not the only Texas that feels this way about SRV.. without Henrix there would be no Stevie as we know him true, but Stevie took that music and made something new and beautiful.. How many artists owe their sound and careers to Stevie and that first recording in september 1970.. I call this "Musical Genealogy "
I see a lot of people felt you left their favorites out. Rest assured, you hit the nail on the head. The others may deserve mentioning, but you claimed to pick the top 15! And you were 100% right. Yours are THE top fifteen blues guitarist. Oh, and thank you so much for recognizing Peter Green. It’s a shame he’s been so often forgotten. I suppose that’s due to those hacks who ruined his legacy by playing such pop AM radio crap that made Fleetwood Muck famous.
Definitely good adds to the list. I used to go to DC to hear Roy play on my nights off. Lucky me. He was amazing. Great blues player and excellent showman. Many have never heard him.
@@stephenhanlin2388 yes, Danny is a pretty amazing player, too. More Chet Atkins country/blues. I never saw him play. But I was playing mostly Baltimore area clubs most nights in the 1970s and used to catch Roy's house band shows in DC back then on my few nights off. We used to play 4 to 6 nights a week. Rare to get to hear other musicians. One night Aerosmith came by to see us. Back then, they were a bunch of young guys gigging, just like us. They were about to go bigtime about then. Memorable night. Bands used to be more friendly, a little less hostile, with other bands.
This was very very well done, Guitar Pilgrim -- thank you! I'm a longtime blues fan and can't disagree with any of your choices (and I'm glad to see you didn't forget Mike Bloomfield). Some of my personal favorites: Otis Rush, Mick Taylor, Magic Sam, and Jimmy Page.
@@tonymcguinness3886 There's footage of Jimi on a TV talk show in the USA where the host asks him what it's like to be the best guitarist in the world. Jimi says, "You need to speak to Rory Gallagher, and ask him that question."
@@tonymcguinness3886 I find it interesting that many guitarists are loved by their fans, but only a few are adored like members of the family. Stevie Ray and Rory fall into this latter category.
About the ranking, everyone has their favourite guitar players, personally I thought clapton was low but, what the heck, SRV was unreal!!!. Great, great video
Roy was a trailblazer both as a white electric blues player, and in the early sixties as one of the players that opened the door for the extended and imaginative solos that would come in the latter half of the sixties.
Albert Collins would deserve to be on the list as well, but everyone likes something else. Anyway, I appreciate your time and your videos. All good to u.
This is a terrific list, love that you gave the old school players so much respect. IMO, SRV was the best player of our time, but Jimi was the innovator and deserves the top spot. I was privileged to see SRV before he passed, what an incredible show and an absolute legend.
Any list will miss off someone’s personal favourite, and the actual rankings of the people on the list will spark debate. I would have put T-Bone Walker higher up the list as he was one of the first blues players to go electric, and would have included Bobby Blue Bland’s guitarist Wayne Bennett. A top 20 would have enabled noticeable absentees including Gary Moore, Johnny Winter, Duane Allman (and maybe modern players such as Eric Gales) to be added.
Wayne Bennet on Stormy Monday is amazing. Impossible to put together a list of 15 or even rank these guys but I'd have to find a way to get Albert Collins on this list too.
@@strange-universe You're so right! I think these lists are not so much a serious attempt to provide some true content but rather an opportunity to discuss the matter - at least thats what I enjoy
dude i respect your talent and your top list of best blues men but dude i listen to clapton since 25 years ago and no one can come close to him when he plays the blues!!! thank you for your videos i appreciate them very much
You made the top of the list for top 15 lists 😂😂. Seriously though, very good job with this video. 3 Kings, Muddy and Rory are essential for a favorite list.
JOHNNY WINTER - NEVER repeated himself... "Second Winter/w- Bonus C.D. 1969 @ Royal Albert Hall!!!! W/Tommy Shannon & Red Turner - EVERY London Heavy cat on the scene was there! ALL OF THEM!!! FROM Page, Becky, Eric and he's on FIRE!!!! ( JUST in case people got lost!!! ) DAMNED RIGHT MY BROTHER! ( Johnny's best players a friend of mine and we've always wondered why it was that SRV never mentioned him among his influences? They're both from Texas and Johnnies from Beaumont? Good question...! ) RIP "GUITAR SLINGER!" 🙏🏼💖☮️😢🌹🌹🎸
Probably the best guitarist list I've seen on TH-cam. Like others, I would maybe have found a place for the unique style of Jimmie Vaughan. The top two are almost impossible to separate. Thanks for another great video.
Great knowledge of the genre displayed here. Very impressed at hope you represented some extremely diverse styles. And a beautifully played solo to finish on. Superb video. Thank you
Albert Collins, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Moore, Robert Cray, Eric Gales, John Mayer, Johnny Winter, Jimmie Vaughan, Duane Allman, Billy Gibbons, Howlin' Wolf, Jeff Healy, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Luther Allison, Robin Trower, Walter Trout, Elmore James, Bonnie Raitt, Otis Rush, ... to name a few not in the list.
I know this won't be popular, but there's probably 25 0r 30 in my Top 15. Robert Cray, John Mayer, Joe Bonamasa, Duane, Kenny, Kirk Fletcher, and Reverand Billy. Even guys like Prince and Todd Rundgren who didn't perform blues too often, were/are amazing blues players.
Not much to disagree with here, except, no room for Billy Gibbons. If I remember correctly, he was in the venue where Lightnin’ Hopkins was playing and remarked to a friend that “He doesn’t change the chords when he should.” The man in question overheard this, confronted Billy and poked him in the chest, “Lightnin’ changes chords when he wants to change chords.” Each word emphasised by a poke. Gibbons went on to play with him after that. If your going to exclude him on the grounds that he doesn’t exclusively play the blues, that criticism could be used against some others on the list.
Great list but I would have had BB King at 1 (by a distance), Hendrix at 2, SRV at 3, Rory and Freddie higher in the list and Roy Buchanan in there somewhere... but that's just my personal opinion. Had to be BB though - by far the biggest, most influential blues artist of all time, the best singer too.
It’s not about most popular or most influential it’s about the most talented the best. To me BBB King is #2 he can play only one way, slow. I say Stevie is #1.
@@vp3970 Its harder to play blues slow bcuz you absolutely have to be clean all the time. I don't think B.B. King ever played a chord in his life did he?🤔 Its def easier (at their level) to turn the gain up & shred. Its the Blues man. Emotion comes between the notes. Acrobatics are impressive. But thats it. Its the silence that sparks the blues. Its why Miles Davis is more revered than Dizzy Gillespie. Bebop was slower & more emotional than swing. That said SRV would still be my #2. But B.B. is the King of the Blues for a reason. js🤷🏾♂️
I loved Muddy. He was a nice, nice man, & very wise. I once told him I didn't really like B.B. King's style, that B.B. was too "slick" for me. Muddy just laughed, but he knew what I meant. I then told Muddy that I liked HIS guitar style so much better bec it sounded "so, I dunno...eeevil" ....& got another laugh out of him (that was a lot for a quiet man like Muddy!!). He never really chatted, he never joked around (serious, but pleasant, not aloof -- just quiet). And he only opened his mouth when he had something that was worth saying, always sounding wise. He was also always very encouraging towards student musicians. So gracious. I really miss him. He was so much more than what & who we all saw on stage, but most people never knew that. Now you all know. Miss you, Muddy!!
Bloomfield deserves to be much higher. His work with Butterfield set the stage for a whole generation of American blues players. Along with Johnny Winter, they defined American blues guitar of the Sixties. Johnny was phenomenal, a force of Nature both playing and singing. I don’t know who you’d leave off - probably no one - but I think he de- serves to be here, too.
Great list! If I was a guitar player I would be all over a couple of players that most guitarists surprisingly tend to forget or perhaps not even aware of: Johnny "Guitar" Slim, Eddie Taylor.
Obviously Jimi was going to make this list... but regardless, if haven’t heard it, listen to Red House live at the San Diego sports arena. It sounds like he is going to tear though the fabric of space time with his mind melting licks. That’s the most fluid and free Iv heard him play and it brings a tear to my eye every time
![[TH] JFT vs RLF - VCT Ascension Pacific - Day 2](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/PuIH7w_jO6c/mqdefault.jpg)
Stevie Ray Vaughan - August 27, 1990 Alpine Valley - 30 years ago - too soon - much loved.
The great guitarists come and go but the Hendrix's and SRV's go way to soon. Always loved and missed.
Wow!!!! Seems like yesterday still
My friend played with SRV in Paul Ray and the Cobras . Alex would tell us stories about growing up with SRV and Jimmy I’m Oak Cliff and how they all migrated to Austin . RIP Alex and SRV
My wife saw the 1st show on Aug. 26, 1990. It was foggy that night too.
a very, very fine technical player
I have seen far too many times Rory getting left out of these lists. He was an amazing player and quite unique as well. It's nice to see him finally getting some recognition for his fabulous work.
Because most lists are like top 10-20. And he doesn't belong there.
@@littlethuggieWhatever you say man
@ayrtonvennkeane9315 sorry that it hit you in the feels, but he's not just a top tier player. Especially in blues, there are *thousands* of great players spanning 100 years
@@littlethuggie just not true mate
@@ayrtonvennkeane9315 then there's some other reason that no one puts in their top tier lists lmao
Man o Man - Rory Gallagher. What a master and a showman - great inclusion.
Rory was awesome, got to see him play live in Dublin a couple of years before his passing, they shut down Dublin city center for him to play a free open air gig
@@lamblore5639 I was at that gig myself. Rory was the very best blues-rock player I've ever heard...
God bless SRV. Best guitarist, and best man to play the guitar. He saved so many lives through his messages about the dangers or drugs and alcohol and what damage it does to someone. His personality outshines his playing and that's really saying something
We missed Johnny Winter, Duane Allman, and Albert Collins. But hey, Bloomfield and Rory on a list is a nice thing to see. :)
top 15 can only take top 15...or else it's top 50.....😀
Johnny Winter top five. I think of all the young blues guitarist that came to light in the mid late 60s JW was the bluesiest.
Absolutely, but I really thought it was a well balanced list. Don't usually see Hendrix included, but he was a phenominal blues guitarist.
Garry Moore?
I certainly expected to see Albert on such a list. That being said, it's impossible to come up with a truly definitive list as there are so many deserving players who have made enormous contributions to the genre. Luther Allison, Melvin Taylor, Gatemouth Brown, Roy Buchanan, Skip James, Hubert Sumlin, Muddy Waters....the list could go on forever.
Albert Collins almost never gets his due
One of the very best, played with a capo and had a unique tone. Would have audiences eating out of his hand. Also, how about Otis Rush? He influenced Clapton, and Page, and Bloomfield, and even Buddy Guy. The "king of the singing string" - best hand vibrato ever. Also an all-time great singer! In the late 70's I saw Clapton, who was opened for by Muddy, then went to a club and saw Otis - we were 20 feet from the stage! What a night!
Albert Collins and Buddy Guy are two great Gitarrist
in my top 5 all time!!!!!! the iceman
Robert Cray neither
@@soofitnsexy mine too
Love to see Rory in the list. He made it look so simple and effortless, never struggling with the guitar. Imo his 1974 Irish tour is a reference blues album.
Walking on hot coals. My god
Rory wasn’t well known in the U S but many of use have discovered him over the last few years and are true fans now. 💚☘️
Fully agree!! IT'74!!!
Albert Collins is definitely one that should be in any top 10 electric BLUES players of all times. He s up there with BB, Albert, Freddie and Buddy Guy.
I always have dudes about Freddie King. He hasn't the style like BB or Alber has.
Truly, the "Master of the Telecaster"!
Thanks - saved me the trouble!
@@jgomezorellano Have you listened to Freddie's instrumentals from the early 60s?
No
Mike Bloomfield has long been my favorite, ever since I became enlightened by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1965. And, after 50+ years of playing harmonica (thank you Paul, Charlie Musselwhite, John Mayall, and Norton Buffalo), I think I'm finally getting the hang of it.
And, let us not forget, Elmore James.
Hey, it's Robert Johnson, who, after so many years of listening to the blues, still makes the deepest impression on me. Thanks.
I'm glad to see Peter Green still getting love.
what song was he playing
@@mike-mj6bf I need your love so bad
@@mike-mj6bf the video of Peter showed him playing "The World Keep On Turning"
BFisch thank you so much
Personally always thought Peter was a notch above Clapton, of course his sudden stop of all things musical for many years played into that for sure,; but as mentioned here, Peter's phrasing (and tome) were just superb! Even BB said so as the Pilgrim mentions!
Finally someone mentioning Rory Gallagher; hes one of the best to grace the planet and super unique and his own
Pilgrim, I believe you are the best all around guitar player I have ever seen.
True
Ýes dearest RORY,
I do listen oft to RORY! He will always be with is!!!
Your playing in this video is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. You morphed into each great blues artist so naturally. Thanks so much for this inspirational video. Your tone is beyond anything btw. This is the coolest video!!!!
One of my favorites is Elmore James.
I believe Roy Buchanan did a tribute to Elmore James.
And you are correct.
Not including Jeff Healey is a crime. That dude was an absolute blues beast.
Roadhouse!
I'm glad you have Michael Bloomfield in there. I think his often overlooked and underrated as a blues guitarist! I absolutely love his style and playing!!
No one mentioned Rick Derringer!
No one mentioned Rick Derringer!
I'm very happy that you included Rory Gallagher !!! He is one of my favorite guitarist of all time!! Guys, listen to Rory's "What In The World", the BBC sessions !!!! I personally would have included Skip James and Danny Kirwan in the list !! When someone thinks of the "original" Fleetwood Mac band, he thinks primarily of Peter Green, but Danny was also as good as Peter in his own way. Watch the video of "Like It This Way" Danny is incredible, his vibrato is unique and in this video he was only 19 years old.
Peter Green - Ive got a good mind to give up living - Still the best blues solo I have ever heard. If you havent listened, look it up. Absolutely phenomenal.
Got to agree with you there.
Seconded!
Love that Burns too!
this x 1000. I can't listen to that without sweating and shivering.
@@longhairedfooljim And the live version of 'Jumping at Shadows'.
th-cam.com/video/Iy7IonOLQd8/w-d-xo.html
Another best blues guitarist top list without including the legendary Gary Moore.
Gary Moore is my number 1!
He isn't strictly a blues guitarist though.
@@Olegstuff21986 Still played it better than anyone else! Gary is also the best rock guitarist ever as well!
@@robertrohde4579 True, I would also rank Mark Knopfler as a terrific blues guitarist.
People who think that Gary is 'great' definetely don't play guitars lol
But the man has a crazy voice though! He can sing!
I saw Rory Gallagher at the Marquee about 50 years ago!! He was absolutely captivating. But MY number one would be have to be Gary Moore. Not sure why he was left out.
EXACTLY!!!
Gary tops everyone listed in this video! Ain't nothing like him! ❤
Love Bloomfield! His solo in "Our Love Is Drifting".... too good
Yes and I've Got A mind To give Up Living. And Thank You Mr Poobah. And ...And...And
Soon as I saw Rory Gallagher there, smashed the like button. Love his playing! A video on his techniques would be awesome!
Would have put him higher though
Rory should have been higher on the list.
@@edge1289 the number one
I really like this guy, he has such a positive & passionate approach to his music. It is apparent that he truly loves his music. Hope he inspires a few young musicians, guitarists & lovers of music. Please like & share. Let’s give this guy some recognition🙌👌👌👍
I think it's amazing to see how you can imitate all these giants so perfectly. Great job!
Alvin Lee Ten Years After , James Quill Smith , Paul Kossof, Mick Taylor , Whichington , Mick Ralphs, Ted Nungent . Anyway One Man's Meat is another Man's Poison. Well anyway Thanks for Sharing whatever that had fascinated your preferences and I Respect it as your own choices but Nevertheless, its the Ratings and Numerical Orders of the Outstanding One is Debatable and Contridicable upon Rankings. Long Live Rock n Rolling Blues Forever. Lastly May Almighty God Bless the Souls of the Greats that has left us behind with Eternal Blessings. Thanks once again to them for leaving behind Such Wonderful Irreplaceable , memorable moments of Love and Raw Energy of Music from their Souls , Hearts and Minds .
Thank you and God Bless You for mentioning Paul Kossoff , imho the very best white blues player ever. Peace Friend.
@@chipmusick682 Keep the Music going on and you are very versatile Guitarist and hopefully in your future Videos , Please kindly play it more slower while explaining the Riffs and Licks . Lastly a humble request to your Goodself is to produce Charts that shows the number on the fretboard either in numerical values or the alphabets of the musical notes. Thanking you in anticipation and May the Sweet Lord Bless your Family and your Goodself with Blissful Health at all times. Thanks once again
ALVIN TOP 5.
This pretty much nails it all well! I couldn't rank guitarists because they are all well, but this really does them justice! Blues is my favorite style to play in!
Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers is often overlooked because of his very short career. He was excellent and very influential on some of the people on your list including Clapton.
I was wondering who'd mention D Allman
yes he shoulda been on this list
Duane should be number 2 on this list.
Edge Mo Duane wasn’t a blues guitarist.
@@fred2796 Easiest example for his blues playing is the Allman Brothers live at the Fillmore.
Jeff Healey, blind guitarist, so special too.
Jeff was great love his version of why my guitar gently wheeps.rest in peace Jeff
Saw Jeff twice he was awesome!!!!!
I missed him here too
Jeff was a beast on that guitar!!!
Shit, Muddy was the man. He spawned all of it, rock & roll, heavy metal, soul, Funk, whatever. All of it.
Rosetta Tharpe did that.
@@bigboi71 Tampa Red was before both of them. Red & Big Maceo created the blueprint for what later became Chicago Blues.
Duane Allman who played for some of the greats, with some of the greats, and whose star was destined for greater things. Died October 29,1971 at age 24. We will never know where he might have fit in this list. Considered to be the Godfather of modern electric slide guitar. Was certainly one of the trailblazers. One of a kind. He will always be my number 1.
agree 100% but could also say Dickey Betts Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks should be up there
No list could be complete without Johnny Winter
Exactly
Any list like this is a rabbit hole and we all have our favorites. But...gotta say - Johnny Winter was-the-man.
Not to mention Albert King!
Johnny was always underrated,he had his own style and brand of the blues. He was in a class of his own, you don't see anyone copy his playing like you do all the other great guitar players have been copied. I kind of wonder that is LOL
Or Frank Marino.
Yup, I love going to Buddy Guy's Legends bar in Chicago when you can to see him play. I love this list, way more correct than Guitar World's list earlier this year.
The Great Gary Moore was an amazing guitarist as well !!😉😎👍
Agreed. Recognized but not a great star. "Still Got the Blues" is classic.
Roy Buchanan also
Yes, but he doesn't play the blues mostly like the guys on the list.
Yes he could blow all of these guys away of course but he was so much more then”just a blues guitarist”.He could play so many different styles and he was huge in the world!Not so much in America but thats not the world.A lot of Americans dont understand that.Its just another country and a good one!But nothing else.
@@bobolsen8067 I agree, Gary will always be one of my top musicians and guitarists. Being british, I've never understood why Gary wasn't appreciated in America the same way he was in Europe. I kind of see it that USA had Stevie Ray Vaughan so I'm proud that us in Europe had Gary Moore 🎸
Nice to see two of my favorites, "The Texas Cannonball" big bad Freddie King and "The Velvet Bulldozer" Albert King. I dig it.
Gary Moore and Joe Bonamasa definitely belong here.
Agree 👍🏻
And Robin Ford and those should be 1,2,3 Stevie 4
not mentioning Gary Moore makes the complete video useless :-D
No Johnny winter
Great vid! I yelled YES! at the screen when the Rory clip came up. Yelled NO when Freddie King came up (only because he was listed too low) and YES again when Peter Green showed up.
Finally Rory Gallagher makes a list, he should of been in the top ten but that's just my opinion.
Not just yours
Legend has it that Jimi Hendrix was once asked what is it like to be the best guitarist in the world. His answer was, "I have no clue. Ask Rory Gallagher". Enough said.
@@ofermashiach4519 yeah...those stupid legends
That is urban legend. Jimi did not say that. He did say something similar about Eric Clapton though. @@ofermashiach4519
Johnny Winter, dude... Johnny Winter...
I thought that was a joke I didn't realize this guy left out arguably the greatest slide player of all time
Exactly...lost all his credibility with leaving out JW
Totally. Also, you HAVE to mention Jeff Healey.
Where is the Master of the Telecaster? and Magic Sam? We are gonna have to hunt down this bloke and edit his vid, INNIT!
Indeed, Johnny Winter should be there and Mike Bloomfield is way better than 15. He is the one that invented white boy supercharged blues playing.
There cannot be any doubt in anyone's mind in the history of mankind from when the first homo sapiens made music until this very second that Stevie Ray Vaughn is indeed the best blues player that has ever lived and I saw him in 1983 in Dallas, Tx open for the Moody Blues at Reunion Arena and he blew our heads completely off. One thing you can never forget is seeing SRV playing his strat in the prime of his life.
Lol but God created music. 😉
My son is a massive SRV fan and would agree with you.
Personally I don’t think any one player can be said to be the greatest overall.
But there are many great players who can blow you away depending on the track
This is a GREAT video! Man, goosebumps especially with SRV playing at No 1 spot. Totally agree he was the greatest, and you sir are also an amazing player!
"The Blues is the working man's rock & roll". Figured I'd coin that straight off the bat....
That was some incredible playing Pilgrim!! Damn good stuff! You played the same style as the greatest of all time, note for note! Salute!!
Before I watched this I said if mike Bloomfield or Rory isn’t on this list it’s not a real list and they were , id put them higher for sure , but at least they got their recognition ! Good list !
Great guitarist! Most underrated Ronnie Earl and Johnny Winter among my favorites.
So sad Rory departed so young, what a talent he was
Rory was THE best blues-rock player ever, in my opinion...
Great list! Glad you chose 15 and not just 10. Also glad you included Rory. Nice job. Thanks.
Johnny Winters, Albert Collins.... I miss em’
Absolutely perfect list. Glad to see Freddie on there too. Stevie IS the culmination of everyone on this list, funneled and distilled into a beautiful multi layered complex concoction that will never be duplicated or dethroned. He is the antithesis.. Texas sure knows how to make 'em..
It's not a perfect list, without Albert Collins.
Brillant and funky. The master of the Telecaster.
Albert Collins, my friends. Albert Collins. ;-)
@@yanguit60 perfection is subjective, true enough. I mean, you could ad him.. also Hubert Sumlin, Robert Cray, Keb Mo, Gary Moore, Derek Trucks, and a bunch bunch more, but for a hard line foundashional defined authentic full spectrum list of those that moved the art form and sound forward then building off of each other this is the best I've ever seen and would compile the same artists for my own in that order. Of course as with ALL musical favorites list it is subject to the ear and heart of the listener... but yeah.. SRV.. nuff said..
Sorry but. Stevie Ray Vaughn isn't even close to Jimi Hendrix as a blues guitarist. I live in Texas and I can assure you that no one here believes that Vaughn is better than Hendrix as a blues guitarist.
@@EmericaNobles No doubt stevie stole from hendrix, but stevie absolutely took his inspirations to another level. Hendrix was bold, and innovative, and extremely gifted by nature. He was also sloppy and a showman. Stevie had better speed, technique, precision, and was more versatile within the blues. He also had a better sense of rhythm and dynamics over Hendrix. Now hendrix was a better songwriter but Stevie was both a better guitarist, a better improviser of the blues, and subjectively a better vocalist. Stevie took Hendrix's style to the next level.
@@EmericaNobles Ummm.. Proud born and raised Texan here. Stevie, Freddie, Johnny are just a few of the blues guitar crown jewels of Texas, but for sure Stevie is the best that has ever been. Skill, technique, timing, tone, imagination, passion, ferocity, and then calmness.. and damn that voice! He was a student of the past who brought all of it together into a perfect beautiful storm. He was admired and adored by every high profile artist that played with him. Quite a few on record as saying he was better than them.. in fact a Texas EC Crossroads festival comes to mind where there are multiple artists speaking about Stevie.. omething to the effect of "you though you were good until you got in the room with him".. Anyway.. yeah I'm not the only Texas that feels this way about SRV.. without Henrix there would be no Stevie as we know him true, but Stevie took that music and made something new and beautiful.. How many artists owe their sound and careers to Stevie and that first recording in september 1970.. I call this "Musical Genealogy "
Johnny Winter
Elmore James
Roy Buchannan
Otis Rush
Luther Allison
Albert Collins
And more...
He would agree but you just cant name all off them man😂
I see a lot of people felt you left their favorites out. Rest assured, you hit the nail on the head. The others may deserve mentioning, but you claimed to pick the top 15! And you were 100% right. Yours are THE top fifteen blues guitarist.
Oh, and thank you so much for recognizing Peter Green. It’s a shame he’s been so often forgotten. I suppose that’s due to those hacks who ruined his legacy by playing such pop AM radio crap that made Fleetwood Muck famous.
Two giants missing here
Roy Buchanan and Gary Moore
Nevertheless a great list
Agreed. They should make anybody's list.
Johnny Winter
Definitely good adds to the list. I used to go to DC to hear Roy play on my nights off. Lucky me. He was amazing. Great blues player and excellent showman. Many have never heard him.
Dorian Christe so lucky, did u see Danny Gatton also, since he’s from that area?
@@stephenhanlin2388 yes, Danny is a pretty amazing player, too. More Chet Atkins country/blues. I never saw him play. But I was playing mostly Baltimore area clubs most nights in the 1970s and used to catch Roy's house band shows in DC back then on my few nights off.
We used to play 4 to 6 nights a week. Rare to get to hear other musicians. One night Aerosmith came by to see us. Back then, they were a bunch of young guys gigging, just like us. They were about to go bigtime about then. Memorable night. Bands used to be more friendly, a little less hostile, with other bands.
This was very very well done, Guitar Pilgrim -- thank you! I'm a longtime blues fan and can't disagree with any of your choices (and I'm glad to see you didn't forget Mike Bloomfield). Some of my personal favorites: Otis Rush, Mick Taylor, Magic Sam, and Jimmy Page.
Yes sir. And many people forget Jimmy Page was an outstanding blues guitarist!
Rory Gallagher would have been number one for me. Great list though 👍
Rory was the best player there ever was...
@@tonymcguinness3886 There's footage of Jimi on a TV talk show in the USA where the host asks him what it's like to be the best guitarist in the world. Jimi says, "You need to speak to Rory Gallagher, and ask him that question."
@@englishciderlover7347 That's a lie and you know it lmao give that myth a rest already you troller!
@@tonymcguinness3886 I find it interesting that many guitarists are loved by their fans, but only a few are adored like members of the family. Stevie Ray and Rory fall into this latter category.
Great sharing and exposure of the blues guitar players #1 SRV 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Excellent video Peter Green was the highlight.........BRAVO! you really get each players style.
great to see Rory Gallagher getting some love in these type of polls for once, Jeff Healey and Gary Moore could've also been in there
I agree love Gary Moore. Also Freddie King should be higher.
Love your enthusiasm :) another great video any chance of a video focusing on Rory Gallagher ?
Good list, but to not include Johnny Winter was a oversight. Of course his style isn't easy to copy;-).
Freddi King! What a GOAT! show some love people!
I would have loved to see Albert Collins on this list but everyone else you have on this list deserves to be there too. Great video!
What the crime !
And Johnny Winter with « it’s my own fault », the best blues ever...
Written by John lee Hooker and muddy and released in 1954.Best version is Otis Rush.johnny who?.
About the ranking, everyone has their favourite guitar players, personally I thought clapton was low but, what the heck, SRV was unreal!!!. Great, great video
Thom, could you do a lesson on the late great Roy Buchanan? This man I feel never got the recognition he deserved!
Roy was a trailblazer both as a white electric blues player, and in the early sixties as one of the players that opened the door for the extended and imaginative solos that would come in the latter half of the sixties.
Albert Collins would deserve to be on the list as well, but everyone likes something else. Anyway, I appreciate your time and your videos. All good to u.
This is a terrific list, love that you gave the old school players so much respect. IMO, SRV was the best player of our time, but Jimi was the innovator and deserves the top spot. I was privileged to see SRV before he passed, what an incredible show and an absolute legend.
Great summary on all points
I know everyone has a different opinion but really.... no Johnny Winter?
@@strange-universe John Mayall deserves credit for giving young talented players a chance to become popular but he is no great guitarist, sorry.
Any list will miss off someone’s personal favourite, and the actual rankings of the people on the list will spark debate. I would have put T-Bone Walker higher up the list as he was one of the first blues players to go electric, and would have included Bobby Blue Bland’s guitarist Wayne Bennett. A top 20 would have enabled noticeable absentees including Gary Moore, Johnny Winter, Duane Allman (and maybe modern players such as Eric Gales) to be added.
Duane Allman and Eric Gales are great shouts! He did pretty well with the list tbf.
Wayne Bennet on Stormy Monday is amazing. Impossible to put together a list of 15 or even rank these guys but I'd have to find a way to get Albert Collins on this list too.
John Campbell and so many more
@@strange-universe You're so right! I think these lists are not so much a serious attempt to provide some true content but rather an opportunity to discuss the matter - at least thats what I enjoy
@@strange-universe Howlin' wolf or Hubert Sumlin ?
Robert Cray just for somewhat keeping new Blues on the radio in the 90s
And all the unique chord progressions he wrote.
dude i respect your talent and your top list of best blues men but dude i listen to clapton since 25 years ago and no one can come close to him when he plays the blues!!! thank you for your videos i appreciate them very much
You made the top of the list for top 15 lists 😂😂. Seriously though, very good job with this video. 3 Kings, Muddy and Rory are essential for a favorite list.
JOHNNY WINTER - NEVER repeated himself...
"Second Winter/w- Bonus C.D. 1969 @ Royal Albert Hall!!!!
W/Tommy Shannon & Red Turner - EVERY London Heavy cat on the scene was there! ALL OF THEM!!!
FROM Page, Becky, Eric and he's on FIRE!!!! ( JUST in case people got lost!!! )
DAMNED RIGHT MY BROTHER!
( Johnny's best players a friend of mine and we've always wondered why it was that SRV never mentioned him among his influences? They're both from Texas and Johnnies from Beaumont? Good question...! )
RIP "GUITAR SLINGER!" 🙏🏼💖☮️😢🌹🌹🎸
Probably the best guitarist list I've seen on TH-cam. Like others, I would maybe have found a place for the unique style of Jimmie Vaughan. The top two are almost impossible to separate. Thanks for another great video.
He spells his name 'Jimmie'.
You forgot Johnny Winter and Gary More.
Jimmy Page and Billy Gibbons are also great blues players.
@@celephais5748 Have you ever heard songs like Since I have been lovin you? Or the Lemon song? Pretty Good examples why Page is one the best.
Gary Moore. He was incredible and had a unique style.
Great knowledge of the genre displayed here. Very impressed at hope you represented some extremely diverse styles. And a beautifully played solo to finish on. Superb video. Thank you
I totally agree with Rarko D.
The list is missing the great Johnny Winter!
Great list, you probably recognize Gary Moore as a rock guitarists, because I think he belongs with the greatest
"The blues never change." - Albert King
Great list, but I would have found room for Duane Allman, Albert Collins, Gary Moore and Jimmy Page.
Jimmy page? Lol
@@francia9825 Eh?
@@francia9825 since i´ve been loving you its a pretty good blues music, and so many blues tracks by jimmy page
@@leonardomota8778 ???
duane defo, albert is border line, gary no, jimmy who i love defo no
Albert Collins, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Moore, Robert Cray, Eric Gales, John Mayer, Johnny Winter, Jimmie Vaughan, Duane Allman, Billy Gibbons, Howlin' Wolf, Jeff Healy, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Luther Allison, Robin Trower, Walter Trout, Elmore James, Bonnie Raitt, Otis Rush, ... to name a few not in the list.
thats right .......and Roy Buchanan
I know this won't be popular, but there's probably 25 0r 30 in my Top 15. Robert Cray, John Mayer, Joe Bonamasa, Duane, Kenny, Kirk Fletcher, and Reverand Billy. Even guys like Prince and Todd Rundgren who didn't perform blues too often, were/are amazing blues players.
Not much to disagree with here, except, no room for Billy Gibbons. If I remember correctly, he was in the venue where Lightnin’ Hopkins was playing and remarked to a friend that “He doesn’t change the chords when he should.” The man in question overheard this, confronted Billy and poked him in the chest,
“Lightnin’ changes chords when he wants to change chords.” Each word emphasised by a poke.
Gibbons went on to play with him after that.
If your going to exclude him on the grounds that he doesn’t exclusively play the blues, that criticism could be used against some others on the list.
Billy Gibbons is one of my favorites as well, great player
@@terryd624 blue jeans blues, was my introduction to the blues, thank you Billy
Billy is bad ass.
Would of loved to have seen Jeff Healey in that line up. Talk about a personal style. RIP.
Jeff Healey is not mentioned. IMO the most explosive blues guitarist of all time.
And a great singer too
The best live show I ever attended was all three times I saw Jeff Healey!
@@robertrohde4579 I saw him in 1985 at Tommy's in Dallas... Mind blowing!
I can't believe that on a list like this JOHNNY WINTER is not included.
Exactly
Thom, your great! , but listen, you've got to move Mike Bloomfield higher up on your list! Thank you
Personally I’d kick him off and add Hubert Sumlin, but you’re entitled to your own opinions.
Great list but I would have had BB King at 1 (by a distance), Hendrix at 2, SRV at 3, Rory and Freddie higher in the list and Roy Buchanan in there somewhere... but that's just my personal opinion. Had to be BB though - by far the biggest, most influential blues artist of all time, the best singer too.
It’s not about most popular or most influential it’s about the most talented the best. To me BBB King is #2 he can play only one way, slow. I say Stevie is #1.
@@vp3970 Its harder to play blues slow bcuz you absolutely have to be clean all the time. I don't think B.B. King ever played a chord in his life did he?🤔 Its def easier (at their level) to turn the gain up & shred. Its the Blues man. Emotion comes between the notes. Acrobatics are impressive. But thats it. Its the silence that sparks the blues. Its why Miles Davis is more revered than Dizzy Gillespie. Bebop was slower & more emotional than swing. That said SRV would still be my #2. But B.B. is the King of the Blues for a reason. js🤷🏾♂️
@@vp3970 no SRV without Jimi, soooo can't possibly be head of Jimi.
Damien Beckham
You’re right dude, I believe he should be at the head of the line. BBK is one dimensional he is not a shredder. .
Happy to see Rory Gallagher on the list😀
Great blues playing, M. Pilgrim!
Helemaal mee eens, Thom! Mooie lijst... SRV lives on and on
I loved Muddy. He was a nice, nice man, & very wise. I once told him I didn't really like B.B. King's style, that B.B. was too "slick" for me. Muddy just laughed, but he knew what I meant. I then told Muddy that I liked HIS guitar style so much better bec it sounded "so, I dunno...eeevil" ....& got another laugh out of him (that was a lot for a quiet man like Muddy!!). He never really chatted, he never joked around (serious, but pleasant, not aloof -- just quiet). And he only opened his mouth when he had something that was worth saying, always sounding wise. He was also always very encouraging towards student musicians. So gracious. I really miss him. He was so much more than what & who we all saw on stage, but most people never knew that. Now you all know. Miss you, Muddy!!
Good video, but I would have Rory and F. King way up higher. Keep up with the great work, I am a big fan.
Bloomfield deserves to be much higher. His work with Butterfield set the stage for a whole generation of American
blues players. Along with Johnny Winter, they defined American blues guitar of the Sixties. Johnny was phenomenal,
a force of Nature both playing and singing. I don’t know who you’d leave off - probably no one - but I think he de-
serves to be here, too.
Rory gallagher the best guitarrits .power, contac to the people...forever
How dedicated and passionate you are TO MUSIC my friend to present us such an amazing video-Iam so grateful !!
Great list! If I was a guitar player I would be all over a couple of players that most guitarists surprisingly tend to forget or perhaps not even aware of: Johnny "Guitar" Slim, Eddie Taylor.
Rory Gallagher my all time favourite
Obviously Jimi was going to make this list... but regardless, if haven’t heard it, listen to Red House live at the San Diego sports arena. It sounds like he is going to tear though the fabric of space time with his mind melting licks. That’s the most fluid and free Iv heard him play and it brings a tear to my eye every time
Agree with a lot of this list, but I'd have Albert Collins, Johnny Winter and Gary Moore on there
JW and the Ice Man for sure
Totally agree with you. Three of my all time favorites.
Everybody is going to want to add somebody, but I was amazed at this list. Everyone on here is in the boat. Well done.