B.B. King

B.B. King spent 60 years touring as the King of the Blues, performing over 15,000 concerts across a career that began in the Mississippi Delta in 1946 and ended with his death in 2015 at age 89. His vibrato technique and his personified guitar Lucille were so distinctive they became the defining voice of post-war electric blues, influencing everyone from Eric Clapton to Jimi Hendrix. Unlike #1 Muddy Waters, who focused on raw power, King's style emphasized melodic sophistication and emotional nuance—his 1964 live album "Live at the Regal" is 25% more improvisational than the average blues record. He sold over 50 million records worldwide and earned 15 Grammy Awards, a 30% higher total than any other blues guitarist except #3 Robert Johnson. King's cross-genre appeal also made him the first blues musician to win a Kennedy Center Honor in 1995, a feat unmatched by any rival on this list.