anything from Chess Records (i like the 50's stuff mostly)... some of which is already here such as Muddy waters, Little Walter (My babe is a great song), Howling Wolf, Etta James (spoonful is a great tune).
there's a lot more and the label as a whole has so much good music that it's worth checking into all of it. I would say that i dont think a good blues record has come out in a VERY long time but labels like Alligator and Fat Possum records made me revise that. although those dude's are all really old and playing a old style of blues that will probably die with them.
also albert king, bb king, freddie king, lately ive been loving Charles Brown (listen to Drifting Blues), Sam Cooke's earlier stuff (Red Rooster)
thats a lot of stuff... enjoy the music and the search.
BB King - Live at Cook County Jail. My father's favorite Blues Album
Everyone else has suggester many of the greats. You can get a good collection with a "Best of" collection from Chess Records. They had some killer musicians on that label.
Among those is also the great Big Mama Thornton. The pipes on that woman make me weak in the knees. After I heard her version of Hound Dog I wanted to slap Elvis in the face for even trying.
Also damn the pay-radio. Just open a free Pandora account and start a channel with a few of those names or "Best of Chess Records" album, lean back and take in the goodness.
In my opinion,Rory Gallagher was the most overlooked and underated musician on this side of the Atlantic.Although primarily a guitar player ,he also played several other instruments.
He was a great blues player with either electric or acoustic guitar,and a slide player as good as any you will ever hear.Any one of his albums is just on fire.If you want a song that will wake you up in the morning..listen to "Suped Up Ford"
Don't forget also to listen to the Allman Bros>Live at the Fillmore East.Great blues playing on that album
Steve B.
Don't know if you consider this a great blues band but on the Led Zeppelin I, their first album, I believe that has Dazed and Confused on it, to me, that was a Blue Anthem. Took me a few years to figure it out but there is a lot of great blues on Zep I, II and III.
EDIT: johnny guitar watson, clapton had some good stuff!, freddie king, albert king, albert collins