Historically, blues music developed in the American south, during the slavery-era. African-American slaves would sing songs in the fields during work that began the tradition of the melancholy tone associated with blues music. Whether these songs were religious or told a story, they are the roots of the iconic rhythms of blues music. While some historians believe the melodies featured in early blues music have their origins in the native African cultures of the earliest singers, blues music, as a genre, has become a uniquely American tradition.

Blues Music History

Blues music did not enter the popular culture until the early twentieth century. Since ragtime piano music was popular at the time, the first significant blues music songs were actually ragtime variations. The first tune to crossover into mainstream popularity was "Saint Louis Blues" by W.C. Handy, the self-proclaimed "Father of the Blues." Noticeably, songs were entitled as regionally-specific blues. The Mississippi Delta Blues is the most famous, due in part to Robert Johnson and his legendary deal with the Devil that made him a great blues musician.

Blues Music Today

Today, the influence of blues music can be perceived across almost every genre. Jazz and country singers like Louis Armstrong and Hank Williams all recorded blues music songs. In the folk and rock music revolution of the 1960s, musicians made the steady rhythms and simple melodies of blues with new sounds. When famous blues recordings are sampled in today's electronic music, they serve to introduce a new generation to the great blues music tradition.

Listen to Blues Music Online

To listen to your favorite blues music, check out our radio portal on hit-Tuner.net - here you can find internet radio stations for blues music or any of your favorite music genres. With our Online Player, you can access thousands of internet radio stations to find your favorite music.