60 Shades of the Deep Blues
by 
Mercury 
So for this chart I wanted to give a nice overview of some great, essential deep blues. If you want more discussion and history feel free to check out the corresponding "Genre Extravaganza: DEEP BLUES/COUNTRY BLUES" forum topic. It's really old now so it may be a challenge to uncover it. ; )
Also read books on it. I'd say the best introduction to the story of this amazing music is the book "Deep Blues" by Robert Palmer. It's what I stole the name of this chart from and it's one of my favorite books of any kind.
If you have any recommendations or questions or if you like some particular artist and want to know who/what to check out next - all those things should be made in to comments. And I promise oh get back with you.
Love you beautiful people.
Peace,
Ryan
- Chart updated: 06/12/2022 17:15
- (Created: 05/30/2014 22:56).
- Chart size: 60 albums.
There are 28 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and 60 Shades of the Deep Blues has an average rating of 95 out of 100 (from 60 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1980s. (Remove this filter)
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Blind Blake was a fascinating man. A mystery to this day as to who he was, where he was from, what his true name is, etc. But it's amazing also how important he was to the development of Blues and Ragtime. Along with being one of the most skilled guitarists in blues history, he was perhaps the primary developer of "finger-style" ragtime on the guitar, Blake was a TOTAL master of this technique, unsurpassed in the 85+ years since. This compilation possesses an energy and warmth that is simply stunning. He was a total giant.
[First added to this chart: 05/31/2014]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank in 1984:
None
Rank in 1980s:
None
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Blind Lemon Jefferson is indisputably one of the most important figures in the history of blues. He was, in many regards, in a league of his own in terms of influence in the blues community. He was one of the founders of Texas blues (along with Texas Alexander), one of the most influential country bluesmen of all time, one of the most popular bluesmen of the 1920s, and the first truly commercially successful male blues performer. Before Lemon's success the only commercially successful blues musicians were female singers such as Mamie and Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, but with Jefferson came a blues artist who was solo, self-accompanied, and performing a great deal of original material in addition to the more familiar repertoire of folk standards. And as a guitarist he developed an amazing jazz influenced guitar style heavy on single stringed picked solos and guitar interplay with his very passionate and moaning vocals. This man's music and songs are just haunting and some of the most memorable and powerful of all time. See "Black Snake Moan" and "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" as just a couple examples of his holiness.
[First added to this chart: 05/31/2014]
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Skip was a veritable early blues genius. One of the towering figures to emerge from the scene, really. He was not only a beautiful and unique acoustic blues guitarist, but a formidable pianist with a fabulous ear for the darkness that consumes his music. And his vocals... I think he is only rivaled vocally by Tommy Johnson in the haunting, spooky, bone-deep emotion of his voice. It kinda reminds me of Roy Orbison in a way with the way it sort of soars completely outside of worldly substance and becomes something totally different and totally detached. He seemed to be some kind of tormented medium between this place here and...some place sad.
[First added to this chart: 06/02/2014]
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Curley has been and was mostly overshadowed by his peers whom he played along side such as Blind Willie McTell, Barbecue Bob and Buddy Moss, and that is unfair. Because he was an extremely gifted piedmont style guitarist. Nicely jumping from straight blues, to ragtime-style numbers as well as being a good singer to boot.
[First added to this chart: 05/31/2014]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1
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Rank in 1980s:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Yazoo's Original Rolling Stone is a wonderful disc containing 14 of the 17 sides Robert Wilkins recorded before the war. Wilkins was one of the great country-blues artists, and these songs -- including "Rollin' Stone," "That's No Way to Get Along," "Jailhouse Blues" and "I'll Go with Her" -- became legendary, not only because the songs were terrific (which they are) but also because the performances are intense and haunting.
Yeah this should be in your listen list if you want to hear some exemplary Delta Blues nuggets. Really awesome stuff through and through. [First added to this chart: 03/29/2015]
Yeah this should be in your listen list if you want to hear some exemplary Delta Blues nuggets. Really awesome stuff through and through. [First added to this chart: 03/29/2015]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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After WWII country blues began to die out, and newer electric blues began to take over, a few throwbacks still emerged and forged their own careers while sticking to the old model. Melvin "Lil Son" Jackson was one of those great throwbacks. His music, much like Lightnin' Hopkins' (and if you love Lightnin' you'll probably love Lil Son) was earthy and natural and traditional while still feeling uniquely his own. His guitar playing was pretty straight country blues, but his singing was a cool and nonchalant thing. And as a songwriter he had an ability to veer away from classic blues cliché while using the same basic blues form. He made his words distinctly his own. Highly recommended Texas blues album and artist here.
[First added to this chart: 11/09/2014]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
0
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Rank in 1980s:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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St. Louis blues steeped in the rich delta style. Gotta love it. Rich, beautiful guitar and piano heavy blues. Henry Townsend was one of the more technically proficient guitarist playing the blues in his time and he was one of the leaders of the oft-overlooked St. Louis blues scene. He is something of a local hero amongst all is blues-loving St. Louisans.
RIP Mr. Townsend. You are not forgotten here. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2014]
RIP Mr. Townsend. You are not forgotten here. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2014]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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There was absolutely nothing downbeat about this vibrant, effervescent pianist whose lengthy career spanned the pre-war and postwar eras with no interruption whatsoever. Sykes' romping boogies and hilariously risqué lyrics (his double-entendre gems included "Dirty Mother for You," "Ice Cream Freezer," and "Peeping Tom") characterize his monumental contributions to the blues idiom. He was a pioneering piano pounder responsible for the seminal pieces "44 Blues," "Driving Wheel," and "Night Time Is the Right Time." He was fun, virtuosic, and one of my favorite early blues pianists. And he brings a distinctly New Orleans fun-ness and aloofness to this otherwise down and dirty Delta Blues-dominated list.
[First added to this chart: 03/29/2015]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank in 1988:
None
Rank in 1980s:
None
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 8. Page 1 of 1
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60 Shades of the Deep Blues composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 1 | 2% | |
| 1960s | 3 | 5% | |
| 1970s | 7 | 12% | |
| 1980s | 8 | 13% | |
| 1990s | 34 | 57% | |
| 2000s | 6 | 10% | |
| 2010s | 1 | 2% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Various Artists | 4 | 7% | |
| Lonnie Johnson | 1 | 2% | |
| Josh White | 1 | 2% | |
| Memphis Minnie | 1 | 2% | |
| Barbecue Bob | 1 | 2% | |
| Funny Paper Smith | 1 | 2% | |
| Texas Alexander | 1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
60 Shades of the Deep Blues chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 4 from 12th to 8th Steppin' On The Blues by Lonnie Johnson |
| Up 3 from 8th to 5th Ragtime Guitar's Foremost Fingerpicker by Blind Blake (US) |
| Up 2 from 13th to 11th The Original 1928 Recordings by Mississippi John Hurt |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 4 from 2nd to 6th King Of The Country Blues by Blind Lemon Jefferson |
| Down 4 from 9th to 13th The Complete Library Of Congress Sessions 1941-1942 by Son House |
| Down 3 from 7th to 10th Founder Of The Delta Blues by Charley Patton |
60 Shades of the Deep Blues similar charts
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blues Compilations |  briggs54 | Custom chart | 2015 | |
| Best of Best ofs |  Norman Bates | Custom chart | 2016 |  |
| State Lists: Mississippi | briggs54 | Custom chart | 2015 | |
| Top 40 Greatest Music Albums | Shipyard | Overall chart | 2020 |  |
| Blues Albums of the 60's that U must own | Johnnyo | Custom chart | 2020 |  |
| Genre Favorites #3: Electric Blues |  NickVolos | Custom chart | 2014 |  |
| Top 11 Music Albums of 1960 | Mercury | 1960 year chart | 2021 | |
| Top 11 Greatest Music Albums | ln68 | Overall chart | 2010 |  |
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Other custom charts by Mercury
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan Chart | Mercury | Custom chart | 2021 | |
| My special, boyhood list | Mercury | Custom chart | 2021 | |
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| 1960s Singer/Songwriter Albums | Mercury | Custom chart | 2017 | |
| Top 50 1970 Singer/Songwriter Albums | Mercury | Custom chart | 2017 | |
Mercury has created 6 other custom charts - click here to explore them all.
60 Shades of the Deep Blues 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).
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Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 60 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 09/02/2021 17:55 |  rockbluesfolkjaz | 74 | 87/100 |
| ! | 06/11/2021 14:38 |  Timestarter | 114 | 90/100 |
| ! | 11/08/2020 05:02 | DJENNY | 4,365 | 100/100 |
| ! | 09/07/2020 16:38 |  arthurbittencour | 162 | 90/100 |
| ! | 03/18/2020 16:21 |  Jameth | 47 | 96/100 |
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(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart is rated in the top 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 94.8/100, a mean average of 95.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 96.4/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.2.
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60 Shades of the Deep Blues comments
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From Mercury 09/07/2020 16:46 | #257864
Mercury 09/07/2020 16:46 | #257864
@arthurbittencourt - lol I get it. I love the wild. I am not familiar with a deep delta blues album of his. Pre-war mostly acoustic blues is the center of this chart. I have another chart which I’ve not finished after years of procrastination which is about my fave post WWII mostly electric blues which howlin Wolf is high on cuz he is one of the greats.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From arthurbittencourt 09/07/2020 16:38 | #257863
arthurbittencourt 09/07/2020 16:38 | #257863
95 / 100 just because no Howlin' Wolf.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Jameth 03/18/2020 16:37 | #248848
Jameth 03/18/2020 16:37 | #248848
Document Records cut their albums straight, which is why they’re so noisy. You can find comps for Tommy Johnson and others which have lower noise levels. Another important example of this is the more recent Centennial Collection for Robert Johnson, which contains all of the tracks found on The Complete Recordings (plus two more), but is much more listenable. Anyways, I thought I’d mention this because it might be better to steer people new to the blues or pre-war recordings towards the lower noise recordings. Or even to post-war tape recordings for those artists that are fortunate enough to have recorded to tape, such as Son House and Blind Willie McTell.
Thanks for helping the cause of the blues with this awesome chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From crimson 12/18/2019 03:49 | #245776
Man, one of the greatest charts in this site. A loooot to be discovered by the common man in here.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Boltzmann 12/17/2019 22:05 | #245768
Boltzmann 12/17/2019 22:05 | #245768
Damn, my blues doesn't go that deep, but I'm glad someone is willing to take the effort to make such a chart. It wouldn't be bad for me to get educated on blues and see where it overlaps with and how it evolved into rock 'n' roll. My previous efforts have been tiresome and unfruitful (everything is hard to find), maybe your chart will be good guidance.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Steppenwolf666 12/17/2019 13:22 | #245753
Very informative. A subject i don't know too much about.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
StefanR10 07/05/2019 07:42 | #238967
StefanR10 07/05/2019 07:42 | #238967
This comment is beneath your viewing threshold.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -3 votes (0 helpful | 3 unhelpful)
From arthurbittencourt 03/08/2019 05:27 | #233211
arthurbittencourt 03/08/2019 05:27 | #233211
How old are you my good friend? and how long have you been listening to blues?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From boppare 01/21/2019 21:16 | #230212
I thought I knew all there was to know about the Pre-war "deep blues", but this chart just made me add a few albums to my wishlist. Some excellent selections and comments.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Jasonconfused 11/15/2018 23:57 | #224987
Jasonconfused 11/15/2018 23:57 | #224987
What an undertaking! I'll have to get to work on this immediately.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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