Hard Again
by Muddy Waters
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Muddy Waters bestography
Hard Again is ranked 4th best out of 39 albums by Muddy Waters on BestEverAlbums.com.
The best album by Muddy Waters is The Best Of Muddy Waters which is ranked number 2029 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 829.
(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).
Listen to Hard Again on YouTube
Hard Again track list
The tracks on this album have an average rating of 81 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).
Hard Again rankings
Calculated from aggregate positions across 60,000 charts (2 million album rankings). Click to see how the rankings are calculated (Last updated: 1 hour ago)
| Year | Source | Chart | Rank | Rank Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |  Norman Bates | Top 100 Music Albums of 1977 | 55/100 | 2 |
| 2026 |  Helios | Top 60 Music Albums of 1977 | 28/60 | 3 |
| 2026 | byuzak | Top 50 Music Albums of 1977 | 50/50 | 0 |
| 2026 |  PanheadWarrior | Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | 51/100 | 10 |
| 2026 | Johnnyo | n March 2021 (2 B deleted) | 10/30 | - |
| 2026 | WayneMC | BBC Music Magazine: 1977-The 25 Greatest Albums | 19/25 | - |
| 2026 |  Hayden | Top 100 Music Albums of 1977 | 42/100 | 3 |
| 2026 |  jhuik | Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | 79/100 | 20 |
| 2026 |  AAL2014 | Top 92 Music Albums of 1977 | 29/92 | 3 |
| 2026 | cicadelic | Rolling Stone 1977 Critics Best Albums | 6/6 | - |
| Total Charts: The total number of charts that this album has appeared in. | 133 | |||
| Total Rank Score: The total rank score. | 330 | |||
Hard Again collection
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Hard Again ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 3 ratings for this album. | Show all 136 ratings for this album.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Album ratings | Avg. album rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 05/08/2026 17:30 | Jakor | 5,550 | 70/100 |
| ! | 04/04/2026 15:40 | Imaybeparanoid | 7,395 | 71/100 |
| ! | 01/22/2026 05:28 | Proto | 4,318 | 33/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)
This album is rated in the top 3% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 77.6/100, a mean average of 77.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 78.0/100. The standard deviation for this album is 14.3.
Hard Again favourites
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Hard Again forum mentions
BestEverAlbums 07/22/2026 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5381): By jhuik
Jboy56 12/22/2021 07:49 in What album are you listening to right now?
Defago 05/04/2015 03:10 in BYT - G5 - 1965 (alel) v 1977 (Mercury)Hard Again comments
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This was a very solid comeback album for Muddy Waters. He's backed here by a bunch of blues legends: Johnny Winter on guitar, James Cotton on harmonica, and Pinetop Perkins on piano, among others.
For many people, "Mannish Boy" was their introduction to the blues. It was definitely one of first blues songs I heard. Willie Dixon wrote the song, but Muddy's version was the best. He recorded the song several times, and this is a very good version. I believe Muddy had also previously recorded "I Can't Be Satisfied", but this version is outstanding. I really like "Crosseyed Cat" and "Bus Driver" as well. (Edited)
jhuik TOP 100 COMMENTER 01/01/2012 18:24 | #34133 | TOP COMMENT
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A legend at work. Mannish Boy is a Willie Dixon song but Waters steals it here for all time. The Blues Had a Baby is big fun as is Little Girl. This is a legend refusing to act his age. The true centerpiece, then, might be I Can't be Satisfied. Waters digs deep into his chest to sing that chorus. It sticks in your mind forever, easily on par with other timeless readings of that same sentiment by the Stones and the Replacements. (Edited)
"Mannish Boy" is the song that made me fall in love with the blues. The first 30 seconds as they're warming up and then Johnny Winter yelling in the background all throughout the song as he's trying to goad Muddy on ... it sounds like they KNEW they were onto something hot and everyone was working on all cylinders. Fantastic song and a great album. (Edited)
A comeback album for Muddy Waters. Hard again, is an enjoyable blues LP recorded with the likes of Johnny Winter. It's great that it manages to keep a raw edge to it so it doesn't sound to slick. Mannish boy, is obviously the standout but there are plenty of other great tracks on offer. Enjoyable. (Edited)
AAL2014 TOP 100 COMMENTER 04/05/2025 04:21 | #308325 | TOP COMMENT
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This record pretty solidly exceeded my expectations. Definitely anticipated a good blues record and it’s that for damn sure, but these songs are simply mighty.
Tons of good energy to these songs, some of which is captured through in-studio howls or post-tracking banter. The band and production help to make these songs thick as Delta mud.
And of course, what a voice. (Edited)
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