| The Essential Johnny Winter | |
| Type: | compilation |
| Artist: | Johnny Winter |
| Cover: | The-Essential-Johnny-Winter.jpg |
| Alt: | Black-and-white head shot of Johnny Winter |
| Released: | April 30, 2013 |
| Genre: | Blues rock |
| Length: | 02:36:27 |
| Label: | Columbia |
| Prev Title: | Live Bootleg Series Vol. 8 |
| Prev Year: | 2012 |
| Next Title: | Live Bootleg Series Vol. 9 |
| Next Year: | 2013 |
The Essential Johnny Winter is a two-CD album by guitarist and singer Johnny Winter. It is a compilation of songs from previously released albums, many of them from the late 1960s and the 1970s. It was released by Columbia Records on April 30, 2013.
On AllMusic, Steve Leggett wrote, "This set collects essential tracks and sides from his peak Columbia Records years in the late '60s and early to mid-'70s, a time when Winter's guitar-slinger image was being aggressively marketed. This collection doesn't tell the whole story, but it does spotlight his most commercial period, and quite wisely includes several live tracks, which quite effectively show off Winter's roaring stage image."
On Vintagerock.com, Shawn Perry said, "Taking five decades of Winter's music, both in the studio and on stage, and fitting the best of the best onto two CDs may not have been as easy as it sounds, but the results spread out over The Essential Johnny Winter are sure to give you a decent overview of what the man is about... Where you'll hear the best of everything about Johnny Winter is in the live performances slotted in throughout the set."
On Jambands.com, Ron Hart wrote, "There isn't a meaner white boy alive today who can match the scorchin' blues guitar of the great Johnny Winter.... If you are a novice to Winter's six-string stylings and could use an ample starting point, look no further than The Essential Johnny Winter two-disc set..."