The 10 Most Legendary Blues Songs

The blues music genre has been around for a very long time and produced some incredible singers and musicians, but what are the most legendary blues songs? With its origins tracing back over 100 years, blues emerged as songs sung by African-American fieldworkers and slaves in America.

Over time the music genre grew in popularity, especially in the 1920’s, when the first blues tracks were recorded in a studio and marketed to a broad audience. However, most people at the time didn’t distinguish between country and blues, a distinction which would be made very clearly only a few decades later when racism exploded throughout the U.S.

Today, blues are considered the musical home of many great rock-and-roll and R&B artists. In October, we unveiled the 5 most popular rap songs of all time, basing our countdown on the popularity of the song, as well as record sales. Similarly, this list of the most legendary blues songs gathers song popularity, storytelling, and musical genius under one roof: the result is this list of ten blues tracks that blow our minds every time we hear them. So, prime your ears for the most legendary blues songs of our time.

10. Shake Your Money Maker – Elmore James

This up-tempo blues tune was recorded by the great Elmore James in 1961, two years before he passed away. The song features a slide guitar and is a classic featured in most jukeboxes around the world. While several artists have re-recorded the song, the original remains one of the greatest blues tracks of all-time.

The nine most legendary blue songs ever crafted are still to come on our list, don’t miss them.