Blues

The foundation of modern popular music. Originated in the American South from African-American work songs and spirituals. Characterized by the twelve-bar blues progression and blue notes.

The tags above show the period in which Blues emerged and is still active (1860s-present) and the typical tempo of its songs in beats per minute (70-120 BPM); individual tracks can fall outside that range. The artists below are a starting point chosen for commercial impact, critical influence or genre-defining work, not a ranking.