Blues is a foundational American music genre born from African-American experience, marked by expressive lyrics, distinctive musical forms, and a lasting influence on nearly every modern style of popular music.
Blues emphasizes the expression of feelings, such as sorrow, resilience, humor, and longing, over narrative storytelling. The most common musical structure is the 12-bar blues, built on three chords (I, IV, V). Lyrics often use an AAB pattern, a line repeated, then answered with a variation. Its characteristic sound features "blue notes" (flattened 3rd, 5th, and 7th scale degrees), call-and-response phrasing, and improvisation.
Blues emerged in the Deep South during the late 19th century, drawing from African work songs, field hollers, and spirituals. The term blues comes from the phrase "blue devils," a 19th-century English expression for melancholy or withdrawal hallucinations. The genre originated among African-Americans facing hardship, serving as both personal catharsis and communal storytelling.
The first documented blues songs appeared around 1910-1920, with W.C. Handy (Father of the Blues) publishing influential compositions. During the 1920s and 1930s, classic female blues singers like Bessie Smith brought blues to vaudeville and recordings. Rural Mississippi artists like Robert Johnson shaped the raw, guitar-driven style known as the Delta Blues. The genre evolved into Chicago Blues (Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf), featuring electric guitars and harmonica. In the postwar era, blues directly influenced rock and roll, R&B, and soul.
The genre also influenced jazz, country, gospel, and hip-hop. Fusion styles like blues rock, boogie-woogie, jump blues, and soul blues expanded its reach. The British blues revival (Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones) reintroduced American blues to new audiences.
Modern blues repertoire includes reinterpretations of standards, such as Sweet Home Chicago and Cross Road Blues. New works blend blues with rock, funk, and world music. Festivals celebrate blues, keeping its traditions alive while encouraging innovation.
A list of blues artists spanning early pioneers to modern icons might include W.C. Handy, Ma Rainey, Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Memphis Minnie, Big Bill Broonzy, Bessie Smith, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lead Belly, Son House, Tampa Red, T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bonnie Raitt, Keb' Mo', Susan Tedeschi, Gary Clark Jr., and Joe Bonamassa.
Recommended Resources
Positioned as an online blues-loving community that explains the genre's roots, evolution, and cultural impact, emphasizes the Blues as the foundation for R&B, soul, rock, and others, and highlights the emotional storytelling at the heart of the music, All About Blues Music is a comprehensive fan site that covers blues history, artist biographies, essential albums, classic songs, and community features. Learning and interactive features include tutorials on guitar chord progressions.
https://www.allaboutbluesmusic.com/
Founded in 2010, American Blues Scene is an independent roots-music website covering blues, Americana, folk, and related genres with news, reviews, interviews, event listings, and videos. Billed as an independent roots music site, it focuses on blues and adjacent genres, offering editorial content and a subscription option for updates. Website categories include "News," "Reviews," "Interviews," "Events," and "Videos." Social media links are provided at the bottom of the page.
https://www.americanbluesscene.com/
The online home for Blues Music Fan Radio, Blues Beats is a music blog and companion site that publishes news, album reviews, artist features, and a Top 20 list. The site also links to the radio station and accepts donations. The site functions as a blog and news hub with categories for "Blues Artists," "Blues Happenings," and "Top 20 Blues Albums. Recent posts and highlighted articles, such as reviews and album announcements, are featured on the index (home) page.
https://bluesbeats.com/
Positioned as a dedicated blues music hub tracing the genre from its Mississippi Delta roots through Chicago's electrified blues to today's scene, Blues Chronicles emphasizes both historical context and current coverage, aiming to serve newcomers and longtime fans alike. The main sections of the website include "History," "Artists," "Album Reviews," "Blues News," and "Catch a Show," each of which serves as a resource for discovering and preserving blues culture.
https://blueschronicles.com/
Sometimes stylized BluesMusicFan Radio, the commercial-free, listener-supported Internet radio station plays world-class blues 24/7, and is run by volunteer DJs from around the globe. Users can stream it in high definition, and support or volunteer via the website. BMFR programs a wide mix of blues styles, from Delta and traditional blues to contemporary blues-rock and blues-based classic rock, with an emphasis on deep tracks and artist support. BMFR is listener-supported and volunteer-powered.
https://www.bluesmusicfanradio.com/
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Jus' Blues Music Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to preserving Blues heritage, running youth education through "Blues-Got-A-Soul," and producing the annual "Jus' Blues Music Awards & Conference," along with other cultural heritage and special events. The Foundation was created to nurture and preserve the cultural heritage of the Blues through events, education, and recognition of both historic and contemporary artists. Schedules and ticket info are featured.
https://www.jusblues.org/
A comprehensive blues-focused site, Still Got The Blues Music offers news, artist and album reviews, curated song lists, lessons, and community features. It bills itself as "the world's largest site for Blues Music," and is actively updated with posts and news. The site includes news and tour updates for modern blues artists and festivals, curates song features and performance highlights, and educational content such as lessons and historical pieces that explore origins and influential figures.
https://stillgotthebluesmusic.com/
Thomas Heppell is an award-nominated UK blues singer, songwriter, and bandleader who blends Blues, Rock & Roll, and Jazz. He performs solo and with a high-energy three-piece band, and sells a self-titled debut album and merchandise through the website. The singer fronts "The Thomas Heppell Band," described as an award-nominated act that fuses blues, rock, and jazz influences into live shows and original material. His site maintains an events page with upcoming gigs and past shows.
https://www.thomasheppell.com/
