15 essential tracks by Black guitarists
Updated Feb 12, 2021;
Posted Feb 12, 2021
Prince performs on October 11, 2009 at the Grand Palais in Paris. (Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images
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Music is colorless. But really, where would guitar playing be without the contributions of Black musicians? In the ’60s and ’70s, longhaired skinny white dudes built what’s now known as classic-rock by copping Black guitarists’ licks and songs. And Black musicians have taken the guitar as far as anyone has.
In honor of Black History Month, I set out to distill Black guitarists’ mountain of amazing influential tracks down to just 15 essentials. The results are below. Consider this list a starting point. Explore out from there. And immerse your ears in the vibrant, still growing legacy Black guitarists are building.