Lightnin' Hopkins Strums the Blues was released in 1963 on Score Records, a Los Angeles label. The recordings were made in Houston, Texas, in 1962, with Hopkins as producer and sole performer.
The album consists entirely of acoustic guitar instrumental pieces, without vocals. Hopkins demonstrates his virtuosity in the Texas blues style, with syncopated rhythms and fingerpicking techniques.
This record is unusual in Hopkins' discography for its purely instrumental focus. It was later reissued on CD by several blues specialty labels and is considered a rarity among enthusiasts.