While the blues-rock trailblazers of the 1960s received their inspiration from the blues giants of the 1940s and '50s like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Sonny Boy Williamson, the blues-rock artists of the 1970s would in turn be influenced by bands like John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and others. As it smoothed out some of the rough edges of the previous decade, blues-rock would become much more commercial during the 1970s, with bands moving from small clubs to massive stadiums. These are the albums that carried the torch for the blues-rock sound throughout the 1970s.
