It's another exclusive from . . .

. . . Living Blues magazine. Here are the 50 most played blues CD's for 1997, as reported by the program directors and hosts of blues shows at more than 200 radio stations around the world.

The top 50 is based on monthly reports to Living Blues through all of 1997. The rankings don't weigh too heavily on monthly chart position, but overall reporting status throughout the year. So those discs that were reported most consistently do better here.

Are you a program director or blues radio host? Are you not reporting your playlists to Living Blues each month? So what's your problem? Click here!

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Living Blues Magazine's Top 50 Blues CD's for 1997

1. Luther Allison Reckless (Alligator)

2. Roomful of Blues Under One Roof (Bullseye Blues)

3. John Lee Hooker Don't Look Back (Pointblank)

4. Smokey Wilson The Man From Mars (Bullseye Blues)

5. Joe Louis Walker Great Guitars (Verve)

6. Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers Tough And Tender (Tone-Cool)

7. Long John Hunter Swinging From The Rafters (Alligator)

8. Bernard Allison Keepin' The Blues Alive (Cannonball)

9. Magic Slim Scufflin' (Blind Pig)

10. Corey Harris Fish Ain't Bitin' (Alligator)

11. Eddie King Another Cow's Dead (Roesch)

12. Son Seals Live: Spontaneous Combustion (Alligator)

13. Deborah Coleman I Can't Lose (Blind Pig)

14. Junior Wells Live At Buddy Guy's Legends (Telarc/Blues)

15. Snooky Pryor Mind Your Own Business (Antone's)

16. Ruth Brown R+B=Ruth Brown (Bullseye Blues)

17. The Holmes Brothers Promised Land (Rounder)

18. Mark Hummel Heart Of Chicago (Tone-Cool)

19. Charlie Musselwhite Rough News (Pointblank)

20. Marcia Ball Let Me Play With Your Poodle (Rounder)

21. Johnny "Yard Dog" Jones Ain't Gonna Worry (Earwig)

22. Duke Robillard Dangerous Place (Pointblank)

23. Ann Rabson Music Makin' Mama (Alligator)

24. Lavelle White It Haven't Been Easy (Antone's)

25. Eddy Clearwater Mean Case Of The Blues (Bullseye Blues)

26. Bob Margolin Up & In (Alligator)

27. Debbie Davies I Got That Feeling (Blind Pig)

28. Taj Mahal Senor Blues (Private Music)

29. Dave Hole Ticket To Chicago (Alligator)

30. Pat Boyack & The Prowlers Super Blue & Funky (Bullseye Blues)

31. Gary Primich Company Man (Black Top)

32. Little Jimmy King Soldier For The Blues (Bullseye Blues)

33. Junior Wells Come On In This House (Telarc/Blues)

34. Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters The Colour Of Love (Verve)

35. Gatemouth Brown Gate Swings (Verve)

36. King Ernest King Of Hearts (Evidence)

37. Jimmy Burns Leave Here Walking (Delmark)

38. Pinetop Perkins Born In The Delta (Telarc/Blues)

39. Artie "Blues Boy" White Home Tonight (Waldoxy)

40. Lurrie Bell 700 Blues (Delmark)

41. Tinsley Ellis Fire It Up (Alligator)

42. Robert Cray Sweet Potato Pie (Mercury)

43. Tommy Castro Can't Keep A Good Man Down (Blind Pig)

44. David Maxwell Maximum Blues Piano (Tone-Cool)

45. Snooks Eaglin Live In Japan (Black Top)

46. Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson Doin' The Sugar Too (Bullseye Blues)

47. Boz Scaggs Come On Home (Virgin)

48. John Mayall Blues For Lost Days (Silvertone)

49. Mem Shannon Mem Shannon's 2nd Blues Album (Hannibal)

50. Mighty Joe Young Mighty Man (Blind Pig)