Blues Music Genre Family Tree
click the bars on the chart above for more info and interactive Blues timeline from to 1960's to 2025
Blues Sub-Genres
Country Blues
A raw, acoustic form of blues that originated in the rural South.
Bands: Robert Johnson, Son House.
Delta Blues
Originated in the Mississippi Delta, characterized by emotional intensity and slide guitar.
Bands: Charley Patton, Muddy Waters.
Piedmont Blues
Known for its ragtime-based fingerpicking guitar style.
Bands: Blind Willie McTell, Rev. Gary Davis.
Blues (electric)
Blues is a music genre and musical form which was originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1870s by African Americans from roots in African musical traditions, African-American work songs, and spirituals.
Bands: Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith
Chicago Blues
Urban blues style featuring electric guitar and harmonica, evolved in Chicago.
Bands: Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon.
West Coast Blues
A smoother, jazz-influenced style that emerged in California.
Bands: T-Bone Walker, Charles Brown
Electric Blues
Blues amplified with electric instruments, blending traditional blues with rock elements.
Bands: B.B. King, Buddy Guy
Blues Rock
A hybrid of blues and rock, which brought blues to a wider audience.
Bands: Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones.
1980s Revival
A resurgence of blues interest, focusing on both new and traditional styles.
Bands: Joe Bonamassa, Beth Hart, Derek Trucks.
Contemporary Blues
Modern blues artists infusing new energy and styles into traditional blues.
Bands: Joanne Shaw Taylor Samantha Fish, Larkin Poe, Ally Venable