Alligator Records is een onafhankelijk Amerikaans blueslabel in Chicago, dat werd opgericht in 1971 door Bruce Iglauer. Iglauer was ook een van de oprichters van het tijdschrift Living Blues in Chicago in 1970.
Geschiedenis Iglauer begon het label met zijn eigen spaargeld om zijn favoriete band Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers op te nemen en te produceren, die zijn werkgever Bob Koester van Delmark Records weigerde op te nemen. Negen maanden na het uitbrengen van het eerste album stopte hij met werken bij Delmark Records om zich volledig op de band en zijn label te concentreren. Er werden slechts 1.000 exemplaren van het debuutalbum van Taylor gemaakt, terwijl Iglauer ook de leiding van de groep overnam. Andere vroege publicaties voor het jonge label waren opnamen van Big Walter Horton met Carey Bell en Fenton Robinson. In 1976 werd I Got What It Takes van Koko Taylor genomineerd voor een Grammy Award en Albert Collins tekende al snel bij het label. Iglauer trad voornamelijk op als uitvoerend producent van het label.
In 1982 won het label zijn eerste Grammy Award voor het album I'm Here van Clifton Chenier. De tweede Grammy kwam in 1985 voor Showdown! door Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland en Robert Cray. In 1991 werd een 20-jarig verzamelalbum uitgebracht.
Sinds de oprichting heeft Alligator Records meer dan 250 blues- en blues/rockalbums uitgebracht, evenals een inmiddels ter ziele gegane reggaeserie. Huidige en vroegere Alligator-artiesten zijn onder meer Lonnie Mack, Marcia Ball, Koko Taylor, Lonnie Brooks, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Eddy Clearwater, Sam Lay, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Roomful of Blues, Eric Lindell, JJ Gray & MOFRO, Lee Rocker, Cephas & Wiggins en Michael Burks. Meer recent hebben veteranen Charlie Musselwhite en James Cotton opnieuw getekend bij het label.
Alligator vierde in 2011 zijn 40-jarig jubileum en merkte op dat het een jaar eerder winst maakte. In januari 2021 investeerde Exceleration Records in Alligator en werd een financiële en administratieve partner van Iglauer. In 2021 vierde Alligator zijn 50e verjaardag en burgemeester Lori Lightfoot van Chicago riep 18 juni 2021 uit tot 'Alligator Records Day' in Chicago.
Onderscheidingen 34 Grammy Award-nominaties (twee onderscheidingen) 18 Indie Awards van de Association for Independent Music (AFIM) 3 Grand Prix du Disque 70 W.C. Handy Blues Awards
Artiesten Luther Allison Marcia Ball Elvin Bishop Lonnie Brooks Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown Roy Buchanan Michael Burks Cephas & Wiggins Little Charlie & the Nightcats Clifton Chenier Albert Collins Shemekia Copeland Robert Cray Buddy Guy Dave Hole Smokin' Joe Kubek Lazy Lester Lonnie Mack Charlie Musselwhite Professor Longhair Fenton Robinson Otis Rush Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women Son Seals The Siegel-Schwall Band Hound Dog Taylor Koko Taylor Sonny Terry Rufus Thomas Maurice John Vaughan Johnny Winter Lil' Ed and The Blues Imperials
Blues Catalogus NrAlbumArtiestDetails4701Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockersHound Dog Taylor4702Big Walter Horton with Carey BellBig Walter Horton and Carey Bell4703The Son Seals Blues BandSon Seals4704Natural BoogieHound Dog Taylor4705Somebody Loan Me a DimeFenton Robinson4706I Got What It TakesKoko Taylor4707Beware of the DogHound Dog Taylor4708Midnight SonSon Seals4709Stomping on a Saturday NightBlind John Davis4710I Hear Some Blues DownstairsFenton Robinson4711The EarthshakerKoko Taylor4712Live and BurningSon Seals4713Ice Pickin''' |Albert Collins
|4714 |Bayou Lightning|Lonnie Brooks
|4715 |Someday You'll Have These Blues|Phillip Walker
|4716 |Been Gone Too Long|Lonesome Sundown
|4717 |Johnny Jones with Billy Boy Arnold|Johnny Jones and Billy Boy Arnold
|4718 |Crawfish Fiesta|Professor Longhair
|4719 |Frostbite|Albert Collins
|4720 |Chicago Fire|Son Seals
|4721 |Turn On the Night|Lonnie Brooks
|4722 |Condition: Blue|Tony Mathews
|4723 |Stone Crazy!|Buddy Guy
|4724 |From the Heart of a Woman|Koko Taylor
|4725 |Frozen Alive!|Albert Collins
|4726 |The New Johnny Otis Show with Shuggie Otis|Johnny Otis and Shuggie Otis
|4727 |Genuine Houserocking Music|Hound Dog Taylor
|4728 |Raw Magic|Magic Slim
|4729 |I'm Here!|Clifton Chenier and His Red Hot Louisiana Band
|4730 |Don't Lose Your Cool|Albert Collins
|4731 |Hot Shot|Lonnie Brooks
|4732 |Playing for Keeps|Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows
|4733 |Live in Japan|Albert Collins
|4734 |Whoopin|Sonny Terry |met Johnny Winter en Willie Dixon |- |4735 |Guitar Slinger |Johnny Winter
|4736 |Nightflight |Fenton Robinson
|4737 |High Compression |James Cotton
|4738 |Bad Axe |Son Seals
|4739 |Strike Like Lightning |Lonnie Mack
|4740 |Queen of the Blues |Koko Taylor
|4741 |When a Guitar Plays the Blues |Roy Buchanan
|4742 |Serious Business |Johnny Winter
|4743 |Showdown! |Albert Collins, Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland
|4744 |Bar Room Preacher |Jimmy Johnson
|4745 |Pressure Cooker |Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
|4746 |Live from Chicago - Mr. Superharp Himself! |James Cotton
|4747 |Dancing on the Edge |Roy Buchanan
|4748 |3rd Degree |Johnny Winter
|4749 |Roughhousin''' |Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials
|4750 |Second Sight|Lonnie Mack
|4751 |Wound Up Tight|Lonnie Brooks
|4752 |Cold Snap|Albert Collins
|4753 |All the Way Crazy|Little Charlie & the Nightcats
|4754 |An Audience with the Queen|Koko Taylor
|4755 |Live from Chicago! Bigger Than Life!!|Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows
|4756 |Hot Wires|Roy Buchanan
|4757 |I'm in the Wrong Business!|A.C. Reed
|4758 |Edge of the City|The Kinsey Report
|4759 |Live from Chicago: Bayou Lightning Strikes|Lonnie Brooks
|4760 |The Siegel–Schwall Reunion Concert|Siegel–Schwall Band
|4761 |Disturbing the Peace|Little Charlie & the Nightcats
|4762 |Years Since Yesterday|The Paladins
|4763 |Generic Blues Album|Maurice John Vaughn
|4764 |Big News from Baton Rouge!!|Kenny Neal
|4765 |Georgia Blue|Tinsley Ellis
|4766 |The Swamp Boogie Queen|Katie Webster
|4767 |Big Fun|Elvin Bishop
|4768 |Harp and Soul|Lazy Lester
|4769 |That Woman is Poison!|Rufus Thomas
|4770 |Lucky Strikes!|Lucky Peterson
|4771 |One More for the Road|Charles Brown |heruitgave van de lp Blue Side |- |4772 |Chicken, Gravy and Biscuits|Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
|4773 |Live from Austin|Delbert McClinton
|4774 |Devil Child|Kenny Neal
|4775 |Midnight Drive|The Kinsey Report
|4776 |The Big Break|Little Charlie & the Nightcats
|4777 |Two-Fisted Mama|Katie Webster
|4778 |Fanning the Flames|Tinsley Ellis
|4779 |Standing My Ground|Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
|4780 |The Uppity Blues Women|Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women
|4781 |Ace of Harps|Charlie Musselwhite
|4782 |Let's Buzz!|The Paladins
|4783 |Louisiana Legend|Raful Neal
|4784 |Jump for Joy|Koko Taylor
|4785 |Return of the Thin Man|Noble "Thin Man" Watts
|4786 |Live! Attack of the Killer V|Lonnie Mack
|4787 |Keep It To Ourselves|Sonny Boy Williamson |opgenomen in 1963 |- |4788 |Blowin' Like Hell|William Clarke
|4789 |Triple Play|Lucky Peterson
|4790 |Harp Attack!|James Cotton, Carey Bell, Junior Wells and Billy Branch
|4791 |Don't Let the Bossman Get You Down!|Elvin Bishop
|4792 |Tore Up!|Nappy Brown
|4793 |Street Party|The Mellow Fellows
|4794 |Captured Live|Little Charlie & the Nightcats
|4795 |Walking On Fire|Kenny Neal
|4796 |Hot Flash|Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women
|4797 |Lost in the Blues|Otis Rush
|4798 |Living in the Danger Zone|Son Seals
|4799 |Satisfaction Guaranteed|Lonnie Brooks
|4800 |The Touch|Johnny Heartsman
|4801 |Signature|Charlie Musselwhite
|4802 |Alone & Acoustic|Buddy Guy and Junior Wells
|4803 |No Foolin'!|Katie Webster
|4804 |No Looking Back|Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
|4805 |Trouble Time|Tinsley Ellis
|4806 |Serious Intentions|William Clarke
|4807 |Short Fuse Blues|Dave Hole
|4809 |...What You See Is What You Get|Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
|4810 |Bayou Blood|Kenny Neal
|4811 |Broadcasting|Saffire − The Uppity Blues Women
|4812 |Night Vision|Little Charlie & the Nightcats
|4813 |In the Shadow of the City|Maurice John Vaughn
|4814 |Working Overtime|Dave Hole
|4815 |Back Where I Belong|Billy Boy Arnold
|4816 |Down in the Alley|Bob Margolin
|4817 |Force of Nature|Koko Taylor
|4818 |In My Time|Charlie Musselwhite
|4819 |Blue Blazes|Sugar Blue
|4820 |Soul Fixin' Man|Luther Allison
|4821 |Bloodlines|Michael Hill's Blues Mob
|4822 |Nothing but the Truth|Son Seals
|4823 |Storm Warning|Tinsley Ellis
|4824 |Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues|Corky Siegel
|4825 |Hoodoo Moon|Kenny Neal
|4826 |Old, New, Borrowed & Blue|Saffire − The Uppity Blues Women
|4827 |Groove Time|William Clarke
|4828 |Deep Down|Carey Bell
|4829 |Straight Up!|Little Charlie & the Nightcats
|4830 |Too Much Fun|C. J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band
|4831 |In Your Eyes|Sugar Blue
|4832 |Steel on Steel|Dave Hole
|4833 |Ace in the Hole|Elvin Bishop
|4834 |Blue Streak|Luther Allison
|4835 |My Blues & My Guitar|Bob Margolin
|4836 |Eldorado Cadillac|Billy Boy Arnold
|4837 |Between Midnight and Day|Corey Harris
|4838 |Cool Down|Cephas & Wiggins
|4839 |Border Town Legend|Long John Hunter
|4840 |Cleaning House|Saffire − The Uppity Blues Women
|4841 |Wake Up and Live!|Floyd Dixon
|4842 |The Hard Way|William Clarke
|4843 |Roadhouse Rules|Lonnie Brooks
|4844 |The Big Squeeze|C. J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band
|4845 |Have Mercy!|Michael Hill's Blues Mob
|4846 |Son Seals Live: Spontaneous Combustion|Son Seals
|4847 |Ticket to Chicago|Dave Hole
|4848 |Music Makin' Mama|Ann Rabson
|4849 |Reckless|Luther Allison
|4850