Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Recording Week 25
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • As It Was preset
  • Don't Give Up
  • Ron Wood's drum secret
  • 95k+ free music samples
Don't miss these
Drummer sat at an e-kit places a pair of headphones over his head
Drummers Best headphones for drummers 2025: sound isolation for the studio, rehearsal room and stage
Derek Trucks takes a slide solo on his Gibson SG as Tedeschi Trucks Band performs live at Madison Square Garden.
Artists Derek Trucks is one of the greatest slide players of all time – here’s how he decides when to use it
John McLaughlin
Artists “I don’t have many guitar players’ albums on my iPhone, but Jeff is there”: John McLaughlin on the magic of Jeff Beck
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2025: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
Otoha holds a blue Fender Strat in a staged setting with neon pink and blue lights overhead.
Artists IDLES, Wet Leg and Sam Fender all graduated from the Fender Next programme – meet its Class of 2025
Jimi and Billy in 1968
Artists “I was playing the Fender Strat that Jimi Hendrix gave me”: Billy Gibbons on the making of ZZ Top's greatest blues song
Danny Carey
Drummers 6 of the most inspirational drummers of all time
A Fender Player II Stratocaster and Telecaster on a white piece of wood with lots of holes in it
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars under $1,000/£1,000 in 2025: My top picks for players of all styles
Close up of Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars under $500/£500 in 2025: Affordable electrics
Joe Bonamassa wears a blue suit and plays his P-90 loaded Epiphone signature Les Paul [left] and BB King cups his hand to his ear to ask for some more from his audience at a 1991 show in Chicago.
Artists Joe Bonamassa announces all-star album celebrating life of BB King on the King of the Blues’ 100th birthday
Close up of Gibson and PRS left-handed guitars on a green background
Electric Guitars Left-handed guitarists have been overlooked for too long, but Thomann’s up to 20% off Lefty Deals sale changes that
Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons tear it up as ZZ Top play the Aragon Ballroom at Chicago in 1980, with Gibbons playing his legendary Les Paul Standard, Pearly Gates
Artists “"There is something magic in that instrument”: Billy Gibbons on why Pearly Gates is one of the greatest Les Pauls ever
Electronic drum set pioneers: Neil Peart
Electronic Drums 11 trailblazing players who raised the bar for electronic and hybrid drumming
Christone Kingfish Ingram performs during the 2018 Montreal International Jazz Festival
Guitarists “People are craving more music that’s authentic”: Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram talks about his new blues label
Dickey Betts [left] and Warren Haynes trade licks onstage with the Allman Brothers Band at the 1993 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Haynes's Strat would soon be stolen in New York.
Artists How Warren Haynes turned to Les Pauls after his favourite Strat was stolen
  1. Artists
  2. Guitarists

The 17 best blues guitarists in the world right now

News
By MusicRadar Team published 13 December 2017

The guitarists heating things up with their sizzling blues licks

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

17. Eric Gales

17. Eric Gales

The MusicRadar/Total Guitar Best in guitars 2017 polls have received over 136,000 votes, and we're ready to roll out the winners. The nominees were what we considered to be the guitarists and guitar gear that have excelled in 2017. Here, we present the best blues guitarists of 2017. First up we have Eric Gales...

2017 highlight: A seemingly perennially underrated player, Eric Gales finally got his dues this year with the release of Middle Of The Road. The album title refers to staying out of trouble rather than the content, which is rammed with some of the most inventive pentatonic playing you’re likely to hear this side of Eric Johnson.

The MusicRadar Best in guitars awards are brought to you in association with Allianz Musical Insurance - the UK's Number 1 Specialist Instrument Insurer

Page 1 of 17
Page 1 of 17
16. Laurence Jones

16. Laurence Jones

2017 highlight: Clapton and Fleetwood Mac producer Mike Vernon hailed Liverpool lad Laurence Jones as “the future of blues” while working on last year’s Take Me High. And take him high it did; Jones’s star is ever-rising following support slots with Vintage Trouble and fellow nominee Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Laurence Jones and Mike Vernon on why Take Me High is the future of blues

Page 2 of 17
Page 2 of 17
15. Ash Wilson

15. Ash Wilson

2017 highlight: A hot new name on the UK blues scene, Ash Wilson released his debut Broken Machine this year, chock full of gained-up riffs, fuzz-laden solos and crystal-clear picking alike. A contemporary blues artist to watch.

Page 3 of 17
Page 3 of 17
14. Ben Poole

14. Ben Poole

2017 highlight: By his mid-20s, Ben Poole has already received acclaim from six-string legends Jeff Beck, Gary Moore and Richie Kotzen, and his razor-sharp playing has seared across Europe this year. We have high hopes for the next effort from Mr Poole.

Page 4 of 17
Page 4 of 17
13. Kris Barras

13. Kris Barras

2017 highlight: Away from his Southern-tinged output, the UK’s Kris Barras has had a side career as a mixed martial artist. Fortunately, his licks punch as hard as his right fist, and accordingly, his Gary Moore-informed playing has been winning audiences over across the country. The USA will surely be next.

Page 5 of 17
Page 5 of 17
12. Joanne Shaw Taylor

12. Joanne Shaw Taylor

2017 highlight: JST’s supreme talents were given a big stamp of approval when Led Zeppelin/Aerosmith/Joe Bonamassa super-producer Kevin Shirley came on board for last year’s hugely accomplished Wild, recorded in Nashville’s iconic Grand Victor Studios. The Black Country blueswoman played her largest UK tour yet this year, and hits the US in early 2018.

Page 6 of 17
Page 6 of 17
11. Alan Nimmo

11. Alan Nimmo

2017 highlight: The Glasgwegian rockers’ guitar-toting frontman might first catch your eye with his onstage attire - there’s no mistaking that kilt - but it’s his melodic rock-infused Les Paul solos that will leave a lasting memory, and this year’s Exile & Grace was the best example of King King’s hard-blues sound yet.

Page 7 of 17
Page 7 of 17
10. Samantha Fish

10. Samantha Fish

2017 highlight: This Missouri native has had a bright 2017, releasing Belle Of The West and catching the attention of guitarists around the world with her incendiary brand of heavy blues. She’s a keen pedal user, too, and her mid-song delay tweaks provide moody atmospherics to offset the fiery licks.

Page 8 of 17
Page 8 of 17
9. Walter Trout

9. Walter Trout

2017 highlight: The New Jersey bluesman has experienced a remarkable return to form since his liver transplant in 2015, charting his diagnosis and recovery on Battle Scars, but latest effort We’re All In This Together shows a lighter side to Trout, and features a truly staggering array of guest stars, including Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Randy Bachman, Eric Gales and Joe Bonamassa – all of whom spar with the lead man in spectacular style.

Page 9 of 17
Page 9 of 17
8. Jonny Lang

8. Jonny Lang

2017 highlight: Mr Lang looked back to his blues roots this year, dialling in an aggressive lead attitude that echoes Robert Johnson and Howlin’ Wolf. The resultant album, Signs, ended up being a real return to form, equal parts blues and soul, but all song-led.

Page 10 of 17
Page 10 of 17
7. Erja Lyytinen

7. Erja Lyytinen

2017 highlight: Finland’s premier slide ace and all-round killer player, Erja spent this year promoting new album Stolen Hearts and, funnily enough, performing a host of pop and rock classics as part of Finnish TV show Tähdet, Tähdet (Stars, Stars). Yet whatever she turns her hand to, she handles it with typical swagger and faultless playing.

Page 11 of 17
Page 11 of 17
6. Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi (Tedeschi Trucks Band)

6. Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi (Tedeschi Trucks Band)

2017 highlight: Slide maestro Derek Trucks told us this year’s Live From The Fox Oakland was “one of the best shows we've ever played as a band”, and based on the recorded evidence, we’d struggle to disagree. Trucks and his co-headliner Susan Tedeschi have been on blistering form this year, and we can’t wait to see what 2018 holds for the most exciting partnership in blues.

Derek Trucks' top 5 tips for guitarists

Page 12 of 17
Page 12 of 17
5. Jared James Nichols

5. Jared James Nichols

2017 highlight: With no pick and a single-pickup Epiphone Les Paul, JJ has found himself at the forefront of the US hard-rockin’ blues guitar scene. Black Magic dropped in October, and found Nichols in his heaviest-hitting territory yet, with his wild, untameable solos always a highlight.

Page 13 of 17
Page 13 of 17
4. Kenny Wayne Shepherd

4. Kenny Wayne Shepherd

2017 highlight: Ol’ Shep followed up his collaboration with Stephen Stills, The Rides’ Pierced Arrow, with Lay It On Down, which was typically chock-full of massive Strat sounds and hugely expressive, vocal solos. The Louisiana picker continues to go from strength to strength.

Page 14 of 17
Page 14 of 17
3. John Mayer

3. John Mayer

2017 highlight: What’s left to say about this six-string lothario? Mayer conjured plenty of headlines this year thanks to his numerous collaborations with PRS (most notably a suspiciously Strat-shaped guitar), and a touring stint with Grateful Dead offshoot Dead & Company. That’s all in addition to new album The Search For Everything, which offered another slice of sultry vocals and outrageously smooth, toneful playing.

Page 15 of 17
Page 15 of 17
2. Joe Bonamassa

2. Joe Bonamassa

2017 highlight: The king of modern blues had a vintage year, touring up a storm and reigniting the Black Country Communion fire. The recorded results oozed Led Zep and highlighted JoBo’s strengths in every possible nook and cranny of the genre to which he’s devoted his life.

Page 16 of 17
Page 16 of 17
WINNER: Tyler Bryant

WINNER: Tyler Bryant

2017 highlight: If you land an opening slot on Guns N’ Roses reunion tour, you must be doing something right, and Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown did just that this year, following it up with an utterly convincing blues-rock debut. At just 26 years old, the future of the genre is in safe hands with this Texas native.

Page 17 of 17
Page 17 of 17
Categories
Guitars
MusicRadar Team
MusicRadar Team
Social Links Navigation

MusicRadar is the number 1 website for music makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, djs or producers...

  • GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high- quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts.
  • TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars.
  • STARS: We talk to musicians and stars about their creative processes, and the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the actual craft of music making that no other music website can.
Read more
Derek Trucks takes a slide solo on his Gibson SG as Tedeschi Trucks Band performs live at Madison Square Garden.
Derek Trucks is one of the greatest slide players of all time – here’s how he decides when to use it
 
 
John McLaughlin
“I don’t have many guitar players’ albums on my iPhone, but Jeff is there”: John McLaughlin on the magic of Jeff Beck
 
 
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Best electric guitars 2025: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
 
 
Otoha holds a blue Fender Strat in a staged setting with neon pink and blue lights overhead.
IDLES, Wet Leg and Sam Fender all graduated from the Fender Next programme – meet its Class of 2025
 
 
Jimi and Billy in 1968
“I was playing the Fender Strat that Jimi Hendrix gave me”: Billy Gibbons on the making of ZZ Top's greatest blues song
 
 
Danny Carey
6 of the most inspirational drummers of all time
 
 
Latest in Guitarists
2013 Inductees Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee of Rush perform onstage at the 32nd Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
“I realised how hard it was to play these songs”: Alex Lifeson makes a surprise admission
 
 
Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones accept the award for Album Of The Year: Public Vote for their album 'Blue & Lonesome'
“He tried it when he came in and he said ‘I can’t do it as good as you, Ronnie. You get back on the drums.’”: When Charlie Watts ceded the drums to Ronnie Wood on a Stones track
 
 
Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1959 Les Paul Custom: a the dual-pickup Custom was a lesser-spotted model in the Gibson catalogue in the '50s – they didn't make many of them. But Bonamassa presents us with one and this 'Black Beauty' is equipped with a Bigsby.
Epiphone raids Joe Bonamassa’s Nerdville archive for another reproduction of a vintage unicorn
 
 
Korn's Brian 'Head' Welch and James 'Munky' Shaffer show off their new Ibanez signature 7-strings
Korn’s Head and Munky unveil new Ibanez 7-strings – and explain how it all comes back to Steve Vai
 
 
Ritchie Blackmore with Rainbow
“I think every serious fan of hard rock music would love Stargazer”: How Ritchie Blackmore created his magnum opus
 
 
Wolfgang Van Halen
“Some riffs have that swing. You hear it in the first Van Halen album”: Wolfgang Van Halen's new song echoes classic VH
 
 
Latest in News
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 27: D'Angelo performs at The Apollo Theater on February 27, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Shahar Azran/Getty Images)
Neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo has died, aged 51
 
 
Harley Benton CLF-50E Parlor Metallic: the compact-bodied acoustic has been launched with a range of metallic finishes.
Harley Benton’s new acoustic is a compact parlour with a solid top and metallic colour finish – and it is just $250
 
 
DANA POINT, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Andrew Watt of Earthlings performs live on stage during Ohana Music Festival at Doheny State Beach on September 26, 2025 in Dana Point, California. (Photo by Jim Bennett/Getty Images)
It took an intervention from Paul McCartney for Mick Jagger to offer Andrew Watt a job with the Rolling Stones
 
 
Behringer
"The rebirth of phase distortion": Behringer releases its Casio CZ-1 clone, the CZ-1 Mini
 
 
Fender's American Professional Classic series photographed against the side of a chrome tour bus [L-R]: Jaguar in faded Sherwood Green Metallic, HSS Stratocaster in Faded Lake Placid Blue, Stratocaster in Faded Firemist Gold, Telecaster in Faded Butterscotch Blonde, Precision Bass in Faded 3-Color Sunburst.
Fender gives its US lineup a retro-modern makeover with the American Professional Classic range
 
 
akai mpk
Akai unveils MPK Mini IV with pitch and mod wheels, new keybed and full-size MIDI output
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...