The Memorial Day Weekend in the United States serves as the official start of summer and many people will be making road trips and having backyard barbeques with family and friends to celebrate the season and remember those who gave their lives for all of us! For the sixth year in a row, I have compiled my Roadhouse 66 Best Blues Songs list to help with the festivities and hopefully enliven road trips!
This year’s list is drawn from the over 800 albums and singles that I received from record companies, publicists, and through my association with Blues Music Fan Radio. During 2022, I listened to or sampled 9,419 new songs! Approximately 1,000 of them made it onto playlists for my shows on BMFR and my sets on the Second Life grid. And from among those songs, after over a month of research and review, I have finalized the list.
My 2022 Roadhouse 66 Best Blues Song list is not “the list”. But it is a representative view of the types of music that I love to spin and listen to: contemporary blues, blues rock, classic R&B, and roots music. And whether it is the first song or lhe last on the listing, these are all simply badass Roadhouse Bluzin’ tunes! My hope is that you will listen to the Youtube playlist of these songs (that really helps me to build my channel) and, as the ultimate tribute to the artists, buy the single or album from your favorite download service!
The listing includes artists from the United States, Canada, Europe, and both Australia and New Zealand. Almost a third of the list are female artists. And the range of blues on the playlist runs from traditional Chicago Blues to window shaking blues rock! Outside of the Top Twelve, the songs are listed in reverse alphabetical order because number position doesn’t matter: Every artist on this list produced a memorable song that will be remembered as one of the very very best of 2022! I hope you enjoy the songs as much as I have!
The Roadhouse Top 12 Best Blues Songs of 2022
Buddy Guy – Blues Don’t Lie
He is on his final tour at the age of 86 and going out in style!!
Shawn James – Lead The Way
The first time I heard his voice I was stunned!! He is from the southside of Chicago and an indie artist with a bright future.
Bywater Call – Remain
This Canadian group features lead vocalist Meghan Parnell who has one of those once in a generation voices.
Robert Jon & the Wreck – Rescue Train
Based in southern California, this group has taken the world by storm over the last five years or so. The music is vibrant and can dang sure rattle the window panes!
Sugaray Rayford – In Too Deep
Sugaray is simply a badass and one of my favorite singers. AND he spins tunes too which makes him a double badass!! And he loves cigars which makes him a TRIPLE Badass!!!
Janiva Magness – Strong As Steel
She has overcome a lot in her life and continues to inspire and motivate blues listeners with her songs. A multiple time winner of major Blues Awards, Janiva is one of the great voices of her generation.
Keb’ Mo’ – ’62 Chevy
Keb is just cool. Always has been and always will be.
Tedeschi Trucks Band – Playing With My Emotions
Susan’s voice and Derek’s slide guitar…enough said. They simply make musical magic with a huge talented band!
Eric Gales – Too Close to the Fire
Eric has been rockin’ the blues for 30 years. Finally, with the production assistance of Joe Bonamassa, they bottled the magic for both this song and the overall album!!!
Albert Castiglia – What’s Wrong With You
I got to interview Albert and Mike Zito on tour as the Blood Brothers during April. He was sincere, honest, and forthcoming talking about the blues. He is one badass Roadhouse bluesman!!
Mike Zito – Blues for the Southside
Mike Zito is the Renaissance man of the blues. He writes, sings, produces, and is co-owner of a great blues label Gulf Coast Records. This instrumental is not only of the great recordings of 2022 but one of the greatest blues rock instrumentals of all time!!
Walter Trout – Ride
Walter started out playin’ juke joints in New Jersey sharing stages with Bruce Springsteen in the late 60’s. He honed his craft with John Mayall and the BluesBreakers in the 80’s. And since 1991 has tirelessly toured promoting a brand of the blues that I call the Roadhouse Blues. Now in in his seventies, he is producing some of his finest work!
The Roadhouse 66 Best Blues Songs of 2022 Complete List
| ARTIST | TITLE | ALBUM |
| Buddy Guy | Blues Don’t Lie | The Blues Don’t Lie |
| Shawn James | Lead The Way | A Place In The Unknown |
| Bywater Call | Remain | Remain |
| Robert Jon & The Wreck | Rescue Train | Wreckage, Vol. 2 |
| Sugaray Rayford | In Too Deep | In Too Deep |
| Janiva Magness | Strong as Steel | Hard to Kill |
| Keb ‘Mo’ | ’62 Chevy | Good To Be… |
| Tedeschi Trucks Band | Playing With My Emotions | I Am The Moon: II. Ascension |
| Eric Gales | Too Close To The Fire | Crown |
| Albert Castiglia | What’s Wrong With You? | I Got Love |
| Mike Zito | Blues For The Southside | Blues For The Southside |
| Walter Trout | Ride | Ride |
| Zavala Sol | Badass Sista | Zavala Sol |
| Tomislav Goluban feat. Teresa James | Speedin’ Train | 20 Years On The Road |
| Todd Sharpville | God Loves a Loser | Medication Time |
| Tinsley Ellis | One Less Reason | Devil May Care |
| Thorbjorn Risager & the Black Tornado | Watch The Sun Go Down | Navigation Blues |
| The War and Treaty | Dumb Luck | Blank Page |
| The Strongman Blues Remedy and Steve Strongman | Tell Me I’m Wrong (Crystal Shawanda) | The Strongman Blues Remedy Vol. 1 |
| The Rusty Wright Band | No Turnin’ Back | Hangin’ At The DeVille Lounge |
| The Rock House All Stars | Midnight Rambler feat. Rick Huckaby | Let It Bleed Revisited |
| The Mystix | Satisfy You ’22 | TruVine |
| The Commonheart | Trying to Get Over | For Work Or Love |
| The Black Keys | Good Love (feat. Billy F Gibbons) | Dropout Boogie |
| Sweet Baby James & Rob Eyers | Fine Line | Fine Line |
| Snowy White | Ain’t No Secret Thing | Driving On The 44 |
| Shakura S’Aida | Clap Yo Hands And Moan | Hold On To Love |
| Sass Jordan | Ain’t No Big Deal on You | Bitches Blues |
| Ryan Foret and Foret Tradition | Flip, Flop and Fly | That’s What’s Happening Here |
| Ronnie Earl | Only You And I Know | Mercy Me |
| Rochelle & The Sidewinders | My Baby Came Back | 3rd Time’s a Charm |
| Robin Trower | Losing You | No More Worlds to Conquer |
| Robert Connely Farr | Miss My Baby | Shake It |
| Ray Wylie Hubbard | Desperate Man (& The Band Of Heathens) | Co-Starring Too |
| Popa Chubby | Fly Away | Emotional Gangster |
| Pierce | Make it Right | The Slide Session |
| Nick Andrea | Superstition | Blues @ Dark |
| Mindi Abair | What About Love? | Forever |
| Maria Daines | Tail End of the Storm | Sundown Blues |
| Layla Zoe | We’re All The Same (feat. Henrik Freischlader) | The World Could Change |
| Kilborn Alley | Do Your Dance | Takin’ Time |
| Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band | Ballad Of A Thin Man | Trouble is…25 |
| Kat Riggins | Cross the Line | Progeny |
| Julian Sas | Fallin’ From The Edge Of The World (Electric Version) | Electracoustic |
| Joanne Shaw Taylor | Won’t Be Fooled Again (Feat. Joe Bonamassa) | Nobody’s Fool |
| Jimmy Hall | A Long Goodbye (Feat. Joe Bonamassa) | Ready Now |
| Jesse Roper | Does Anybody Know | Horizons |
| Jeremiah Johnson | ’68 Coupe DeVille | HI-FI DRIVE BY |
| Harrison Kennedy | Thanks For Tomorrow (Feat. Colin Linden) | Thanks For Tomorrow |
| Grant Haua | Bad Man (Live) | Ora Blues At The Chapel |
| Eva Carboni | That Night | Smoke and Mirrors |
| Edgar Winter | Highway 61 Revisited (feat. Kenny Wayne Shepherd & John McFee) | Brother Johnny |
| Duke Robillard | No Good Lover (ft Sue Foley) | They Called It Rhythm And Blues |
| Delbert McClinton | Ain’t That Lovin’ You | Outdated Emotion |
| Dana Fuchs | Save Me | Borrowed Time |
| Crystal Shawanda | What Kind Of Man | Midnight Blues |
| Bruce Springsteen | Do I Love You | Only the Strong Survive |
| Bonnie Raitt | Made Up Mind | Just Like That… |
| Blue Moon Marquee | Hound Dog On A Chain | Scream, Holler & Howl |
| Black Pearl | Delivery Man | Black Pearl |
| Bison Hip | Mid Life Crisis | Mid Life Crisis |
| Big B and the Actual Proof | Five Hundred Large | The Noir Album |
| Beth Hart | The Rain Song | A Tribute To Led Zeppelin |
| Ben Levin | I’ve Been Drinking Muddy Water (Feat. Lil’ Jimmy Reed) | Take Your Time |
| Ash Grunwald | Let Me Go | Shout Into the Noise |
| Angel Forrest | Everything Changes (Feat. Wellbad) | Angel’s 11, Vol. II |
#blues #bluesmusic #bluesrock #benveeroadhouseblues #bluesnews
Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a personal 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB as well as a Youtube channel.
Ben Vee Blues 