1890-1893Rural American South

Blues

Also known as the blues

A foundational African American genre with deep roots in the rural South, blues remains both intimate and far-reaching: a small ensemble language that can sound bruised, defiant, or quietly luminous. Its recorded history begins in the early twentieth century, but its cultural memory reaches farther back.

Origins and context

African American secular music traditions rooted in spirituals, work songs, and field hollers.

Rural American South

The sound

Characteristics

Expressive vocals
Guitar
Harmonica
Piano
Electric guitar
Drums
Bass
Simple three-chord forms
12-bar blues

History

The blues was created and sung by African Americans in the rural American South at the end of the nineteenth century, though its origins are only partly documented. Library of Congress and AllMusic sources trace it to spirituals, work songs, field hollers, and other older Black vernacular forms, with the style becoming clearly recognizable by the 1890s. (loc.gov) By the early twentieth century, the blues was moving into print and onto records. W. C. Handy helped popularize the style through published songs, Mamie Smith’s “Crazy Blues” reached a national audience in 1920, and later artists such as Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters pushed the music into new regional and electric forms that helped shape rhythm and blues and rock and roll. (loc.gov)