The blues became marked as a distinctive musical genre around the turn of the 20th century, developing throughout the Southeast as a synthesis of the African American music traditions which preceded it, including work songs, field hollers, dance tunes, minstrel songs, and spirituals.

Blues lyrics often captured the hardships of the oppressive era of Jim Crow racism, segregated society, and civil rights injustices in addition to chronicling the joys and sorrows of daily life. The blues remain an outlet for the expression of personal and shared experience.

Marked by the electrification of accoustic instruments, the electric blues builds on the traditions of those blues musicians who came first.