No one sings pain, joy, or survival quite like a blues singer.
Born from the spirituals, work songs, and field hollers of enslaved African Americans, blues music rose up from the cotton fields and juke joints of the Deep South in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It wasn't just music—it was a lifeline, a language of defiance, heartbreak, resilience, and raw emotion. With just a few chords and a soul-deep voice, the blues could shake walls and break hearts.
Though often associated with sorrow and struggle, the blues is far from one-note. It’s sexy, raucous, mournful, fierce—and always honest. From Delta legends to Chicago icons and soul-infused torchbearers, the genre has birthed some of the most unforgettable voices in music history.
These 15 singers didn’t just perform the blues—they lived it. Their voices could roar like a freight train or whisper like smoke curling from a backroom bottle of bourbon. Whether you're a lifelong fan or just dipping your toes into the genre’s muddy waters, this list is a celebration of the greatest to ever wail, moan, growl, and cry the blues.
Best blues singers, ranked
15. T-Bone Walker (1910-75)
A trailblazing electric blues guitarist and smooth-voiced singer, T-Bone Walker helped shape modern blues and rock. His urbane, jazz-influenced vocal style and pioneering guitar work brought sophistication to postwar blues. With effortless cool and swing, Walker bridged rural roots and urban polish.
Key song: Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad) — a timeless blues classic.
14. Albert King (1923-92)
Albert King was a towering figure in electric blues—both literally and musically. With his left-handed, upside-down guitar style and smoky, laid-back vocals, he brought a cool swagger to the genre. His expressive phrasing and sharp bends influenced countless rock and blues guitarists, from Hendrix to Clapton. King’s voice, rough yet soulful, perfectly matched his signature sting.
Key song: Born Under a Bad Sign – a blues anthem with irresistible groove and grit.
13. Big Mama Thornton (1926-84)
Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton was a blues powerhouse with a voice that could shake rafters—raw, gritty, and packed with attitude. She brought fierce energy and unfiltered emotion to every performance, blending blues, gospel, and early rock with unmatched authority. Long overshadowed by male peers and cover versions of her hits, she was a true original whose vocal force demanded respect.
Key song: Hound Dog – electrifying, defiant, and far bolder than Elvis’s later version.
12. Koko Taylor (1928-2009)
Known as the 'Queen of the Blues', Koko Taylor (seen here in 1982 with Dan Aykroyd) delivered powerhouse vocals full of grit, fire, and unapologetic attitude. Raised in Tennessee and discovered in Chicago, she brought raw Southern soul to electric blues, often outshining her male contemporaries. With her unmistakable growl and commanding presence, she became a torchbearer for women in blues and a legend in her own right.
Key song: Wang Dang Doodle – bold, raucous, and irresistibly fun.
11. Janis Joplin (1943-70)
Texan Janis Joplin shot to fame as part of the West Coast psychedelic scene in the 1960s, where she wore the influences of Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey proudly on her sleeve. She brought the blues bang up to date with an intensity and control that allowed her screaming style to overwhelm the listener, while never drifting out of control. In 1970, she died of a fatal drug overdose at just 27 years old, but left a catalogue that still sends shivers down the spine over 50 years later.
Key song: Ball and Chain – she made this Big Mama Thornton number her own with a soul-shattering live performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.
10. Bobby 'Blue' Bland (1930-2013)
Bobby 'Blue' Bland brought silky sophistication to the blues, fusing gospel intensity with smooth R&B polish. His voice—rich, nuanced, and emotionally resonant—could move from a tender whisper to a gut-wrenching cry. Known as the 'Lion of the Blues', Bland helped bridge traditional blues with modern soul, influencing countless artists across genres.
Key song: 'Turn On Your Love Light' – an electrifying blend of blues, soul, and swagger.
9. Lead Belly (1888-1949)
The legends about Huddie Ledbetter would fill a bookshelf, but his recorded legacy speaks volumes about his incredible and unique talent. Lead Belly, as he was known, was a storyteller who lived the blues.
His vocal range was impressive – from deep boom to falsetto, and from talking blues to yodelling. Whatever style he used, though, the hearer is utterly compelled to listen to one of the great voices of the 20th century. We also named Leadbelly one of the best jazz guitarists ever.
Key track: 'Goodnight Irene' – a haunting folk-blues ballad that blends sorrow, tenderness, and raw humanity.
8. John Lee Hooker (1917-2001)
Known for his signature song 'Boom Boom’, John Lee Hooker enjoyed a career spanning more than half a century, from his 1949 R&B number one 'Boogie Chillen' through the blues revival of the 1960s, to his 70s rock collaboration with Canned Heat and his 1989 Grammy Award-winning album The Healer, alongside Bonnie Raitt and Robert Cray. Hooker’s dark, smoky vocals are underpinned by his own stinging guitar riffs.
Key song: 'Boom Boom': swaggering, foot-stomping—Hooker at his most rhythmic, hypnotic, and irresistibly cool.
7. B.B. King (1925-2015)
Though best known for his expressive, singing guitar style, B.B. King was also a masterful blues vocalist. His smooth, resonant voice carried warmth, sorrow, and dignity, perfectly complementing Lucille’s wailing tones. King’s phrasing was conversational yet deeply emotional, drawing listeners in with every line. He didn’t shout—he spoke the blues, with grace and restraint, proving himself one of the genre’s most soulful and enduring voices.
Key song: 'Sweet Little Angel' – tender, aching, and beautifully delivered.
6. Etta James (1938-2012)
There can be few finer examples of singing the blues than Etta James’ 1967 'I’d Rather Go Blind'. A protégé of Johnny Otis, James first came to the world’s attention with 'The Wallflower', a R&B number one in 1954. Her ability to hop between styles allowed her to adapt to the changing times – her Tell Mama album, recorded in Muscle Shoals, remains one of the finest blues LPs ever made, and she continued to make Grammy winning records into the 1990s.
Key song: 'I’d Rather Go Blind' – soul-stirring and devastating.
5. Robert Johnson (1911-38)
Often dubbed the King of the Delta Blues, Robert Johnson’s haunting voice and legendary guitar skills influenced countless musicians. One of the most iconic and mysterious figures in all of music history, Johnson was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi and soon became a key figure in the Delta blues style. With his haunting voice, innovative guitar playing, and captivating storytelling style, Johnson managed - despite a brief life and small recorded catalogue - to become one of the most influential figures in all of blues and rock.
Key song: 'Cross Road Blues': steeped in myth and musical brilliance—haunting lyrics, eerie slide guitar, and a desperate, pleading vocal. The song captures the essence of Delta blues and helped fuel the legend of Johnson’s fabled deal with the devil.
4. Ray Charles (1930-2004)
Hailing from Albany, Georgia, Ray Charles was a genre-hopping genius who mastered the blues, soul, gospel and country music, and was equally gifted on both saxophone and piano. But it was his wailing, soulful vocal delivery that really made him stand out, bringing gospel influences to great blues recordings like 'Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)'.
Blues singers: the top 3 of all time
3. Howlin' Wolf (1910-76)
Howlin’ Wolf was a towering, electrifying presence in blues—physically, vocally, and musically.
With a voice like gravel soaked in thunder, he growled, barked, and moaned his way through songs that felt both primal and utterly commanding. Unlike anyone else, his performances were raw, wild, and deeply human.
At 6’3” and weighing close to 300lbs, he was an imposing figure, who earned the nickname Howlin’ Wolf due the vocal howling that became his signature. He brought Delta blues into the Chicago electric scene with ferocity, working with legends like Willie Dixon and Hubert Sumlin. His stage presence was magnetic, his delivery unmistakable. Wolf didn’t just sing the blues—he embodied them. Unapologetic, intense, and unforgettable, he remains one of the most powerful and original voices the genre has ever known.
A massive influence on groups like The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds, his Chess recordings such as 'Killing Floor' and 'Smokestack Lightning' are among the finest blues recordings of all time. Indeed, we named Wolf's 'Smokestack Lightning' one of the greatest blues songs ever.
2. Muddy Waters (1913-83)
Muddy Waters was the architect of modern electric blues.
He took the raw emotion of Delta blues and supercharged it with electric guitar, rhythm, and swagger, helping shape the Chicago blues sound and paving the way for rock ’n’ roll. His deep, commanding voice carried authority and soul, delivering lyrics with both grit and grace.
Waters wasn’t just a performer—he was a bandleader, innovator, and mentor, launching careers and influencing legends from the Rolling Stones to Hendrix. His fusion of rural roots and urban power made blues louder, bolder, and more universal. Muddy didn’t follow the blues—he defined it.
With a holler that could wake the dead, Muddy Waters moved from Clarksdale, Mississippi to Chicago, where his self-assured blues became a foundation stone for most of the biggest artists of the 1960s and beyond. 'Hoochie Coochie Man', 'I Just Want To Make Love To You' and 'Got My Mojo Working' showcase his suggestive style and vocal power.
2. Bessie Smith (1894-1937)
No one sang the blues with more soul, strength, and sorrow than Bessie Smith.
Known as the Empress of the Blues, Smith’s thunderous voice and emotional honesty made her the definitive blues singer of the early 20th century—and arguably the greatest of all time. Raised in poverty and orphaned young, she began singing on street corners and rose to become a star of the 1920s and ’30s, breaking barriers for Black artists and women in music.
Her recording of Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out still stuns with its raw truth. Though her life was tragically cut short in 1937, her influence endures. She was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, inducted into the U.S. National Women’s Hall of Fame, and even appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.
Bessie Smith didn’t just sing the blues—she gave it its most iconic and enduring voice.
Pics: Getty Images
