Traditional Blues

Traditional blues is a genre characterized by its soulful, emotive sound, often featuring a 12-bar structure, improvisational vocals, and a distinctive, storytelling lyrical style. Emerging in the Deep South during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, traditional blues drew from African American work songs, spirituals, and field hollers, with Delta bluesmen like Robert Johnson and Son House influencing the genre's development. During the 1940s and 1950s, electric blues artists like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf popularized the style, which later evolved into distinct regional flavors, such as Chicago blues and Memphis blues. Traditional blues' cultural significance lies in its raw, personal expression of African American experiences, struggles, and emotions, making it a powerful voice for social commentary and storytelling. Its influence can be seen in rock, R&B, and soul music, with many artists incorporating blues elements into their sound. Notable for its emphasis on individual expression and emotional intensity, traditional blues remains a vital part of American musical heritage.

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AK-77
Albert King
B.B. King
Barbecue Bob
Big Bill Broonzy
Big Joe Turner
Big Joe Williams
Big Maceo
Big Mama Thornton
Big Walter Horton
Bill Hangley, Jr
Blind Blake
Blind Joe Taggart
Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blind Willie Johnson
Blind Willie McTell
Bo Carter
Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Brian Grey
Brownie McGhee
Buddy Guy
Bukka White
Cal Williams Jr
Canned Heat
Champion Jack Dupree
Charley Patton
Dr. John
Earl Hooker
Eddie Taylor
Eddy Wilsons Blues Band
Frank Hutchison
Freddie King
Furry Lewis
GA-20
Gus Cannon
Henry Thomas
Howlin' Wolf
Ida Cox
Ishman Bracey
J.B. Lenoir
JT Coldfire
James Cotton
Jimmy Reed
John Lee Hooker
John Mayall
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
Johnny Burgin
Johnny Shines
Johnny Winter
Jose Ramirez
Junior Wells
Justin Golden
Kokomo Arnold
Lauren Anderson
Lead Belly
Leroy Carr
Lightnin' Hopkins
Lil Johnson
Little Junior Parker
Lonnie Johnson
Lowell Fulson
Ma Rainey
Magic Sam
Mamie Smith
Memphis Minnie
Memphis Slim
Mississippi Fred McDowell
Mississippi John Hurt
Muddy Waters
Nick Schnebelen
Olga
Omar Coleman
PC Soares
Pee Wee Crayton
Rev. Gary Davis
Robert Cray
Robert Pete Williams
Shaye Cohn
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Skip James
Sleepy John Estes
Slim Harpo
Snooks Eaglin
Son House
Sonny Boy Williamson II
Sonny Terry
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee
Taj Mahal
Tampa Red
Terry Evans
Terry Robb
Texas Alexander
The Blue Flames
The Mystix
Tommy Johnson
Tommy McClennan
Tony Holiday
Val Monroe
Willie Dixon
Willie J. Campbell
B.B. King
Canned Heat
John Lee Hooker
Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Muddy Waters
Buddy Guy
Howlin' Wolf
Dr. John
Taj Mahal
Albert King
Fenton Robinson
Freddie King
Robert Cray
Ry Cooder
Albert Collins
Little Walter
Bo Diddley
Sonny Boy Williamson II
Robert Johnson
R.L. Burnside
Johnny Winter
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
T-Bone Walker
Koko Taylor
Elmore James
Slim Harpo
Jimmie Vaughan
John Mayall
Big Mama Thornton
Lightnin' Hopkins
Otis Rush
Roy Buchanan
Woody Guthrie
Willie Dixon
Mississippi John Hurt
Junior Wells
Junior Kimbrough
Elizabeth Cotten
Jimmy Rogers
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Lead Belly
Jimmy Reed
Big Walter Horton
Professor Longhair
Odetta
Magic Sam
Big Joe Turner
Champion Jack Dupree
J.B. Lenoir
Bessie Smith
Blind Willie Johnson
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Lowell Fulson
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup
Mississippi Fred McDowell
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Hound Dog Taylor
Rev. Gary Davis
Otis Spann
Gene Deer
Duane Allman
Kim Simmonds
James Cotton
Mike Bloomfield
Son House
Earl Hooker
Sonny Terry
Skip James
Brownie McGhee
Snooks Eaglin
Blind Willie McTell
Memphis Slim
The Mystix
Bukka White
Big Bill Broonzy
Big Joe Williams
Brian Grey
JT Coldfire
Pee Wee Crayton
John Hammond
GA-20
Lonnie Johnson
Blind Lemon Jefferson
Charley Patton
Memphis Minnie
Shaye Cohn
Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues
Little Junior Parker
Guitar Slim
Eddie Taylor
Ma Rainey
Lucille Bogan
Magic Slim & The Teardrops
Blind Blake
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee
Blind Boy Fuller
Henry Thomas
Mance Lipscomb
Tampa Red
Tony Holiday