Joe Bonamassa has been cultivating his top-notch blues career for around twenty-seven years, over which he has released thirteen studio albums, 13 released live albums with British Blues Explosion being released this year, and collaboration albums with various groups. He also tours relentlessly throughout the year and is quite literally always on the road.

In 2002, at only 25 years old, Joe released his sophomore album So, It’s Like That with Medalist Entertainment. This album was a stark contrast from his heavy blues-centric debut and featured a wide range of all original tunes that covered rock, pop, acoustic, and blues. In 2002, hip-hop and pop were dominating the airwaves and rock music was fading out of the spotlight. Bonamassa’s eclectic rock-focused album was a welcoming change that audiences were itching for.

So, It’s Like That debuted at the number 2 spot on the Billboard Top Blues Albums and developed into Joe’s first #1 blues album, where it remained for 30 weeks. The album was a perfect fit for the times and answered the cry for quality rock music. The principle producer, Cliff Magness is a Grammy-winning album producer who is known for working with artists like Avril Lavigne, Celine Dion and others. He helped to formulate Joe’s album to fit into the mainstream while maintaining his quality musicianship. Songs like “My Mistake,” “No Slack,” and “Never Say Goodbye” offered memorable and hooky choruses that satisfied the popular music fans while “So It’s Like That,” “Pain and Sorrow,” and “Takin the Hit” featured hard rocking riffs and the blues flare Joe is known for.