100 Greatest Blues Songs

Rick · **Joined:** Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:21 pm **Posts:** 456

100 Greatest Blues Songs

Criteria: - These songs are vital for a basic knowledge of the history of the 'Blues' genre, historical significance, defining an era, influence & to a lesser degree lasting popularity were taken into consideration.
***In some cases the songwriter was given list credit rather than the artist who may have been best known for the song*** As with all lists, this is a subjective list and makes no claim of an official nature.
List compiled by & Editor: Rick Varner

1. Memphis Blues - W.C. Handy
2. Crazy Blues - Mamie Smith
3. Pine Top Boogie - Pine Top Smith
4. Dust My Broom - Elmore James
5. Boogie Chillun - John Lee Hooker
6. Mannish Boy - Muddy Waters
7. Stormy Monday - T-Bone Walker
8. Hellhound On My Trail - Robert Johnson
9. Spoonful - Willie Dixon
10. The Thrill Is Gone - B.B. King
11. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl - Sonny Boy Williamson I
12. Born Under A Bad Sign - Albert King
13. Forty Four Blues - Roosevelt Sykes
14. Smokestack Lightnin - Howlin' Wolf
15. Statesboro Blues - Taj Mahal
16. Hoochie Coochie Man - Muddy Waters
17. Juke - Little Walter
18. The Little Red Rooster - Willie Dixon
19. Come In My Kitchen - Robert Johnson
20. I'm a King Bee - Slim Harpo
21. The Things That I Used To Do - Guitar Slim
22. Back Door Man - Willie Dixon
23. It's My Own Fault - B.B. King
24. I'm Tore Down - Freddie King
25. T-Bone Blues - T-Bone Walker
26. Sweet Home Chicago - Robert Johnson
27. Preaching The Blues - Son House
28. Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out - Bessie Smith
29. I Can't Be Satisfied - Muddy Waters
30. Shake Your Moneymaker - Elmore James
31. Matchbox Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson
32. Hideaway - Freddie King
33. How Long, How Long Blues - Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell
34. Five Long Years - B.B. King
35. Red House - Jimi Hendrix
36. Cross Road Blues - Robert Johnson
37. All Your Love - Magic Sam
38. Give Me Back My Wig - Hound Dog Taylor
39. Reconsider Baby - Lowell Fulson
40. Worried Life Blues - Sleepy John Estes
41. If Trouble Was Money - Albert Collins
42. I Aint Superstitous - Willie Dixon
43. Sweet Black Angel - Robert Nighthawk
44. I Know What You're Putting Down - Louis Jordan
45. Black Snake Moan - Blind Lemon Jefferson
46. Ball and Chain - Big Mama Thornton
47. Further On Up The Road - Bobby 'Blue' Bland
48. I Can't Quit You Baby - Otis Rush
49. Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker
50. Born In Chicago - Paul Butterfield Blues Band
51. Let The Good Times Roll - Louis Jordan
52. Pride and Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan
53. Pony Blues - Charley Patton
54. The Sky Is Crying - Elmore James
55. Catfish Blues - Robert Petway
56. Highway 49 - Big Joe Williams
57. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean - Blind Lemon Jefferson
58. Blues Before Sunrise - Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell
59. Baby Please Don't Go - Big Joe Williams
60. Bumble Bee - Memphis Minnie
61. I'm Ready - Muddy Waters
62. It Hurts Me Too - Elmore James
63. Stop Breakin' Down - Robert Johnson
64. Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan
65. I'm In The Mood - John Lee Hooker
66. Me and The Devil Blues - Robert Johnson
67. The Walkin' Blues - Taj Mahal
68. 'Taint Nobody's Bizness If I Do - Bessie Smith
69. It's Tight Like That - Tampa Red
70. Love In Vain - Robert Johnson
71. Evil - Willie Dixon
72. Baby Scratch My Back - Slim Harpo
73. Wang Dang Doodle - Koko Taylor
74. On The Road Again - Canned Heat
75. Rock Me Mama - Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup
76. Three O'Clock Blues - B.B. King
77. Tomorrow Night - Lonnie Johnson
78. Boom Boom Out Go The Lights - Little Walter
79. The Same Thing - Willie Dixon
80. West Coast Blues - Blind Blake
81. How Many More Years - Howlin' Wolf
82. Cryin' Shame - Lightnin' Hopkins
83. Rollin & Tumblin - Elmore James
84. Everyday I Have The Blues - B.B. King
85. Messin Around - Memphis Slim
86. Blues After Hours - Pee Wee Crayton
87. Eyesight To The Blind - Sonny Boy Williamson II
88. CC Rider - Ma Rainey
89. Personal Manager - Albert King
90. Graveyard Dream Blues - Ida Cox
91. Beaver Slide Rag - Peg Leg Howell
92. Key To The Highway - Big Bill Broonzy
93. Messin' With The Kid - Junior Wells
94. The Seventh Son - Willie Dixon
95. As The Years Go Passing By - Gary Moore
96. We're Gonna Make It - Little Milton
97. Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee - Stick McGhee
98. Hard Luck Blues - Roy Brown
99. Black Magic Woman - Fleetwood Mac
100. Stone Crazy - Buddy Guy
101. Going To Chicago Blues - Jimmy Rushing

pave · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:31 pm

did i miss it, or is "Dark Was the Night (Cold Was the Ground)" not on here? i would think it would be a top 5 lock.

Rick · **Joined:** Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:21 pm **Posts:** 456

pave wrote:

did i miss it, or is "Dark Was the Night (Cold Was the Ground)" not on here? i would think it would be a top 5 lock.

Good choice.....
Performed by American musician Blind Willie Johnson and recorded in 1927. The song is primarily an instrumental featuring Johnson's self-taught bottleneck slide guitar and picking style accompanied by his vocalizations of humming and moaning.
I have it on the Greatest Blues Instrumentals List.

pave · **Posted:** Thu Oct 14, 2010 1:58 am

oops, i didnt look at that list first. good stuff.

George · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 11:43 am **Posts:** 4168

very partial to this...

Rick · **Joined:** Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:21 pm **Posts:** 456

George wrote:

very partial to this...

with good reason, thanks for sharing.

Bones · **Posted:** Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:02 am

Ain't No Sunshine - Freddie King.

jfauser · **Posted:** Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:56 pm

Bones wrote:

Ain't No Sunshine - Freddie King.

Although that is a terrific song, the original Bill Withers version is probably more well known, and it is more of a soul ballad.

100 Greatest Blues Songs

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