I have collected over a dozen lists of ‘best blues albums’ that I found in books, magazines and websites and compiled them into a single meta-list.  This list is organized by rank, that is, with the albums on the most lists at the time.  Albums on the same number of lists are organized in chronological order, based on the earliest recording on the album. For the same list organized in chronological order, go here.

NOTE: Many older blues albums are compilations.  Much of the material from the artists is available on multiple compilation albums. For example, all the music on Robert Johnson’s King of the Delta Blues is also available on Robert Johnson’s The Complete Recordings.

On 10 lists
Junior Wells – Hoodoo Man Blues (1965)

On 9 lists
Magic Sam – West Side Soul (1967)

On 8 lists
Howlin’ Wolf – Moanin’ in the Moonlight (rec. 1951-1959)
Albert King – Born Under a Bad Sign (rec. 1966-1967)

On 7 lists
Robert Johnson – King of the Delta Blues (rec. 1936-1937)
Howlin’ Wolf – Howlin’ Wolf (rec. 1959-1962)
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band – The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1965)
B.B. King – Live at the Regal (1965)

On 6 lists
Elmore James – The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James (rec. 1951-1961)
Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown – The Original Peacock Recordings (rec. 1952-1959)
T-Bone Walker – T-Bone Blues (rec. 1955-1957)
Muddy Waters – At Newport 1960 (rec. 1960)
Son House – Father of the Delta Blues: The Complete 1965 Recordings (1965)
John Mayall — Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (1966)
Albert Collins – Ice Pickin’ (1978)
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Texas Flood (1982)

On 5 lists
Mississippi John Hurt – Avalon Blues: Complete 1928 Recordings (rec. 1928)
Skip James – The Complete Early Recordings of Skip James – 1930 (rec. 1931)
Little Walter – His Best: Chess 50th Anniversary Collection (rec. 1952-1963)
Guitar Slim – Sufferin’ Mind (rec. 1953-1955)
Albert King – King of the Blues Guitar (rec. 1966-1968)
Charlie Musselwhite – Stand Back! Here Comes Charlie Musselwhite’s South Side Blues Band (1967)
Hound Dog Taylor – Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers (1971)
Albert Collins, Robert Cray & Johnny Copeland – Showdown (1985)
Robert Cray – Strong Persuader (1986)

On 4 lists
Blind Blake – Ragtime Guitar’s Foremost Fingerpicker (rec. 1926-1929)
Blind Willie Johnson – The Complete Blind Willie Johnson (rec. 1927-1934)
Blind Willie McTell – The Definitive Blind Willie McTell (rec. 1929-1933)
Memphis Minnie – Bumble Bee: The Essential Recordings of Memphis Minnie (rec. 1929-1941)
Robert Johnson – The Complete Recordings (rec. 1936-1937)
John Lee Hooker – The Legendary Modern Recordings 1948-1954 (rec. 1948-1954)
T-Bone Walker – The Complete Imperial Recordings: 1950-1954 (rec. 1950-1954)
B.B. King – Singin’ the Blues/The Blues (rec. 1951-1958)
Otis Rush – The Classic Cobra Recordings: 1956-1958 (rec. 1956-1958)
Little Milton – Greatest Hits (MCA-Chess, rec. 1962-1983)
Skip James – Today! (1966)
B.B. King – Blues Is King (1966)
Muddy Waters – Hard Again (1977)
R.L. Burnside – Too Bad Jim (1992)

On 3 lists
Bessie Smith – The Essential Bessie Smith (rec. 1923-1933)
Ma Rainey – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (rec. 1924-1928)
Blind Lemon Jefferson – King of the Country Blues (rec. 1926-1929)
Lead Belly – King of the 12-String Guitar (rec. 1935)
Bukka White – The Complete Bukka White (rec. 1937, 1940)
Muddy Waters – The Best of Muddy Waters (Chess, rec. 1948-1954)
John Lee Hooker – The Ultimate Collection 1948-1990 (rec. 1948-1990)
Jimmy Rogers – Chicago Bound (rec. 1950-1959)
Sonny Boy Williamson (II) – King Biscuit Time (rec. 1951-1965)
Lightnin’ Hopkins – The Herald Recordings 1954 (rec. 1954)
Sonny Boy Williamson (II) – Down and Out Blues (rec. 1955-1958)
Sonny Boy Williamson (II) – His Best (Chess, rec. 1955-1964)
Big Joe Turner – The Boss of the Blues (1956)
Sonny Boy Williamson (II) – The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues (rec. 1957, 1960-1964)
Champion Jack Dupree – Blues from the Gutter (1958)
Bobby “Blue” Bland – The Voice: Duke Recordings 1959-69 (rec. 1959-1969)
The Rolling Stones – The Rolling Stones (1964)
Big Mama Thornton – Ball N’ Chain (Arhoolie, rec. 1965-1968)
Paul Butterfield Blues Band – East-West (1966)
Magic Sam – Black Magic (1968)
Mississippi Fred McDowell – I Do Not Play No Rock and Roll (1969)
Buddy Guy – I Was Walking Through the Woods (1970)
Otis Rush – Right Place, Wrong Time (1971)
Buddy Guy – Stone Crazy (1981)
Various Artists – Deep Blues: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1992)
Eric Clapton – From The Cradle (1994)

On 2 lists
Bessie Smith – The Complete Recordings, Vol. 1 (rec. 1923-1924)
Bessie Smith – The Collection (rec. 1923-1933)
Various Artists – The Roots of Robert Johnson (rec. 1926-1936)
Various Artists – Masters of the Delta Blues: The Friends of Charlie Patton (rec. 1926-1936)
Cannon’s Jug Stompers – The Best of Cannon’s Jug Stompers (rec. 1927-1930)
Lonnie Johnson – Steppin’ on the Blues (rec. 1927-1932)
Blind Willie Johnson – Praise God I’m Satisfied (rec. 1927-1934)
Tommy Johnson – Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order (1928-1929)
Tampa Red – The Guitar Wizard (rec. 1928-1934)
Scrapper Blackwell – The Virtuoso Guitar of Scrapper Blackwell (rec. 1928-1935)
Charley Patton – Founder of the Delta Blues (rec. 1929-1934)
Charley Patton – Complete Recordings 1929-1934 (rec. 1929-1934)
Kokomo Arnold – Complete Recorded Works Vol. 1 (1930-1935) (rec. 1930-1935)
John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson – Sonny Boy Williamson: The Bluebird Recordings (rec. 1937-1938)
Son House – Delta Blues (The Original Library of Congress Sessions from Field Recordings 1941-1942) (rec. 1941-1942)
Lead Belly – Where Did You Sleep Last Night: Lead Belly Legacy, Vol. 1 (rec. 1941-1947)
Big Maceo Merriweather – The Best of Big Maceo: The King of Chicago Blues Piano (rec. 1941-1947)
Lightnin’ Hopkins – The Gold Star Sessions (rec. 1946-1949)
Lightnin’ Hopkins – Mojo Hand: The Lightnin’ Hopkins Anthology (rec. 1946-1974)
Muddy Waters – The Chess Box (rec. 1947-1972)
John Lee Hooker – Alternative Boogie: Early Studio Recordings 1948–1952 (rec. 1948-1952)
Professor Longhair – Fess: The Professor Longhair Anthology (rec. 1949-1980)
Percy Mayfield – Memory Pain (rec. 1950-1955)
Willie Dixon – The Chess Box (rec. 1950-1970)
Howlin’ Wolf – The Chess Box (rec. 1951-1953)
J.B. Lenoir – His J.O.B. Recordings (rec. 1951-1954)
Howlin’ Wolf – His Best: Chess 50^th Anniversary Collection (rec. 1951-1964)
Big Maybelle – The Complete Okeh Sessions, 1952-1955 (rec. 1952-1955)
Big Mama Thornton – Hound Dog/The Peacock Recordings (rec. 1952-1957)
Little Walter – The Essential Little Walter (rec. 1952-1963)
Elmore James – Let’s Cut It: The Very Best of Elmore James (rec. 1952-1956)
Bobby “Blue” Bland – I Pity the Fool: The Duke Recordings, Vol. 1 (rec. 1952-1960)
Guitar Slim – The Things That I Used To Do (rec. 1953-1956)
Jimmy Reed – Big Boss Man: The Best of Jimmy Reed (rec. 1953-1963)
Jimmy Reed – Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall (rec. 1954-1961)
Albert King – The Ultimate Collection (rec. 1954-1984)
Lightnin’ Slim – Rooster Blues (rec. 1955-1960)
Sonny Boy Williamson (II) – The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson (rec. 1955-1963)
Bo Diddley – His Best (Chess/MCA, rec. 1955-1966)
Big Bill Broonzy – Trouble In Mind (rec. 1956-1957)
Bobby “Blue” Bland – Two Steps from the Blues (rec. 1956-1960)
Freddie King – Hide Away: The Best of Freddie King (rec. 1956-1970)
The Reverend Gary Davis – Pure Religion & Bad Company (1957)
Billie Holiday – Songs For Distingué Lovers (1957)
Buddy Guy – The Very Best of Buddy Guy (Rhino, rec. 1957-1981)
Memphis Slim – At the Gate of Horn (1959)
Lightnin’ Hopkins – Lightnin’ Hopkins (1959)
Elmore James – Blues After Hours (1960)
Otis Spann – Otis Spann is the Blues (1960)
Etta James – At Last! (rec. 1960)
Koko Taylor – What It Takes/The Chess Years (rec. 1960-1971)
Scrapper Blackwell – Mr. Scrapper’s Blues (1961)
Freddie King – Just Pickin’ (rec. 1961, 1965)
Robert Nighthawk – Live on Maxwell Street (1964)
Robert Nighthawk & Houston Stackhouse – Masters of Modern Blues (rec. 1964, 1967)
Koko Taylor – Koko Taylor (rec. 1965-1969)
Various Artists – Chicago/The Blues Today/Vol. 1-3 (1966)
Johnny Winter – Progressive Blues Experiment (1967)
John Mayall – Crusade (1967)
Canned Heat – Boogie With Canned Heat (1968)
Taj Mahal – Taj Mahal (1968)
Skip James – Devil Got My Woman (1968)
Albert King – Live Wire/Blues Power (1968)
B.B. King – His Definitive Greatest Hits (Universal TV, rec. c. 1968-1989)
Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson – Old Kidney Stew Is Fine (1969)
Junior Wells – Southside Blues Jam (rec. 1969-1970)
Willie Dixon – I Am the Blues (1970)
B.B. King – Indianola Mississippi Seeds (1970)
B.B. King – Live at Cook County Jail (rec. 1970)
John Lee Hooker & Canned Heat – Hooker & Heat (1970)
James Cotton – 100% Cotton (1974)
Hound Dog Taylor – Beware of the Dog (1974)
Rory Gallagher – Irish Tour ’74 (1974)
Koko Taylor – I Got What It Takes (1975)
Professor Longhair – Crawfish Fiesta (1979)
Johnny Copeland – Bringing It All Back Home (1985)
Albert Collins – Cold Snap (1986)
Johnny Winter – 3^rd Degree (1986)
John Lee Hooker – The Healer (1989)
Gary Moore – Still Got The Blues (1990)
Junior Kimbrough – All Night Long (1992)
Junior Kimbrough – Sad Days, Lonely Nights (1993)
Alvin Youngblood Hart – Territory (1998)
Corey Harris – Greens from the Garden (1999)
R.L. Burnside – Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down (2000)