Artists List

Blues music

As the genre of music that set the foundation of popular rock music as we know it today, blues music retains a special place in many peoples' hearts and playlists. Originating from the African Americans in the slavery era of the United States, much of the agony and suffering that they went through was expressed in this form of music, with greats such as John Lee Hooker and B.B. King still being able to soldier on into the 21st century.

Mp3mixx.com has your fix for the blues for those times when you are down and out. Contemporary artists who have blues influences can be found in our large music libraries, like John Mayer, as well as the pioneering players from the old days like Stevie Ray Vaughan and B.B. King. Whatever your taste in blues may be, our wide variety of artists can help you get your blues fix, no matter what you may be feeling at the moment.

From The Delta to Your Headphones

The roots of blues music can be traced back to the years when slavery was still legal in the United States. Many of the African-American slaves of the time were not allowed to do many things, but had their music to help express themselves and the suffering they were going through at the hands of their government and masters. Many of these work songs were considered important precursors to the modern version of blues as we know it today.

Blues music gained even more prominence in the early 20th century, and became relatively widespread in the southern states of the U.S. Areas in and around Mississippi, Southern Texas, and New Orleans. These places had many African-American residential areas which were ripe with this developing style of music, especially around the Mississippi Delta area, which was home to the Delta Blues and artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson and Robert Johnson.

The growth of the recording industry also helped pick on the trends these African-Americans were setting, helping them get their music heard on records and the radio. The development of other music technology such as the electric guitar also helped blues gain a new voice that resonated with more than just the African-Americans at the time. Great players such as B.B. King and Muddy Waters were soon discovered around this technologically ripe era.

Much of popular music developed in the 50's and 60's were directly inspired by blues music at the time. Rock and roll and soul music, which became a part of mainstream music in the 50's and 60's, had elements which were directly derived from blues music, and even helped blues gain popularity across different continents of the globe like Europe. B.B. King sealed his reputation as the “king of the blues” with his fast-developing virtuoso guitar playing, with other, newer blues-inspired bands and artists such as Eric Clapton and Freddie and Albert King emerging in this time.

The civil rights movements of the 60's also helped gain African-Americans more rights at the time, as well as helping their music be heard by more and more people. Blues-inspired artists from the UK such as The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, and Cream soon cemented their place in rock and roll history with their blues-inspired tunes, and helped give way to heavier, more influential bands later on in time like Led Zepplin.

The blues managed to soldier on into the 80's and 90's with players like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robert Cray incorporating new technology while still maintaining their roots in the styles of blues set in earlier times. Contemporary guitar players such as John Mayer still retain much of the soul and virtuoso standards set by older blues players to inspire a newer generation of music listeners and players.

Popular Blues Artists

Blues still remains to be a solid seller in record stores and music download sites because of its influence on popular music as we know it today in addition to its pure roots and raw expression. Artists such as B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan can be found on mp3mixx.com's vast music libraries so that you may get familiar with the rough history of the blues and the impact it has made on music today.

B.B. King has a catalog of nearly 700 songs on the mp3mixx.com music store, a testament to the raw expression and virtuosity the “king of the blues” has been putting out for nearly a century. The many tracks available from B.B. King help you get familiar with his playing from his earliest records to his latest live concerts and exploits. He has outlived countless bands and artists, and still remains a staple in the world of music.

Other blues players like Stevie Ray Vaughan can be found on mp3mixx.com's vast music libraries. This player helped in innovating the Texas style of blues with his unique blend of swing music, blues, and modern rock. His appearances on network television and top-charting albums helped him become a leading musician in this genre, with over 250 tracks available on mp3mixx.com's libraries of music.

John Mayer is another young artist who takes great inspiration from the great blues players of old. Also noted for his virtuoso playing, his top-charting albums have also won favor with hardcore blues enthusiasts. John Mayer has over 200 tracks available for legal download on mp3mixx.com, in addition to the many other completely legal blues music tracks available.