The wedding of blues music and rock & roll in the evolution of the blues-rock genre did not happen in a vacuum. It was largely the invention of white British kids, enamored of the blues records they heard by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and others that were imported into the U.K. Putting their own spin on things, bands like these created a blues-rock genre that still resonates with listeners today. Read more about these six essential early blues-rock bands.

The Yardbirds 2005, photo courtesy The Yardbirds