blues
An African-American music genre built on blue notes, call-and-response, and 12-bar structures.
In Depth
The blues originated in the American South in the late 19th century, rooted in African-American work songs, spirituals, and field hollers. Its defining features include the 12-bar chord progression, blue notes (flatted thirds and sevenths), and call-and-response patterns between voice and instrument.
The blues became the foundation for virtually all American popular music that followed — jazz, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and soul all grew directly from blues traditions. Artists like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and B.B. King shaped the genre, and its influence extends into every corner of modern music.
Robert Johnson recorded only 29 songs in his lifetime, yet those recordings influenced virtually every rock guitarist who followed — from Eric Clapton to Keith Richards.