Every track is essential. Some of the best Chicago blues money can buy. Sonny Boy's distinctive voice, harmonica, and lyrical style influenced countless followers.

A triple threat: guitar virtuoso, passionate vocalist, and gifted lyricist. Magic Sam's music is... well Magic.

To select one Muddy is so hard, but this is probably his most well-known recording and is a very fine one, full of energy and capturing him in his prime.

Few men have ever sung with the passion of Elmore James, though he is most well-known for his killer slide guitar!

Slide master rocking with a killer band in a relaxed setting.

One of the best of the more contemporary blues albums... Collins is an almost unparalleled guitarist.

Impassioned gospel-like vocals and stinging guitar make this an essential King disc.

A cousin of John Lee; a true unsung hero of the blues... possibly the greatest of all slide virtuosos.

While critics complain about him being "yuppy" blues, Cray's intention here is not to be slavishly imitative of any style of blues, but rather to make great music influenced by not only blues, but his other apparent love: soul. THe songs are well-written, the vocals as good as nearly any soulman's, and the guitar unique, tasteful, and entirely impressive.

Killer guitar!!!

One of the fathers of the Delta Blues and one of its greatest practitioners.

Jazzy, more of a west coast sound with its horns. T-Bone was the electric blues guitarist that impacted all that followed, including the venerable B.B. King.

The indisputed king of gospel axemen. He plays a mean slide and his false bass voice is nearly as haunting.