# B.B. King — 3 O'Clock Blues

B.B. King’s 3 O'Clock Blues (1951) is No. 8 in our Blues ranking. The full verdict, and where to hear it.

- **Released:** 1951
- **Label:** RPM
- **On one list:** Blues
- **Updated:** 2026-08-30
- **Artist:** [B.B. King](https://waxonia.com/artist/b-b-king/)
- **Canonical page:** https://waxonia.com/track/b-b-king--3-oclock-blues/

## What we say

### No. 8 in [Blues](https://waxonia.com/genre/blues/)

King's first hit, and the arrival of the single-note, vibrato-heavy style that became the default setting for lead guitar everywhere for fifty years.

## Listen

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/B.B.%20King%203%20O'Clock%20Blues) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=nPeTtg3fTB8)

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Hand-curated by Waxonia. We host no audio; all links point to streaming platforms.