List of blues standards
![Color photo of Barak Obama singing into a microphone with B.B. King and other musicians and guests.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Barack_Obama_singing_in_the_East_Room.jpg/300px-Barack_Obama_singing_in_the_East_Room.jpg)
Blues standards are blues songs that have attained a high level of recognition due to having been widely performed and recorded.[1] They represent the best known and most interpreted blues songs that are seen as standing the test of time.[2] Blues standards come from different eras and styles, such as ragtime-vaudeville, Delta and other early acoustic styles, and urban blues from Chicago and the West Coast.[3]
Many blues songs were developed in American folk music traditions and individual songwriters are sometimes unidentified.[1] Blues historian Gerard Herzhaft noted:
In the case of very old blues songs, there is the constant recourse to oral tradition that conveyed the tune and even the song itself while at the same time evolving for several decades. This was long before the first recording. The fact that such blues are attributed to Charlie Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Blind Blake often means that they were the first to record them.[1]
Compounding the problem is that, in the earlier days, many blues songs were not copyrighted.[1] Later, the rights were claimed by those who recorded a subsequent version or were managers or record company owners.[1]
Nearly one-half of the blues standards listed were first recorded in the pre-World War II acoustic blues era, before music publications tracked the sales of blues records.[4] However, many popular renditions, as reflected in the record charts, are more modern versions featuring electric instruments. Music journalist Richie Unterberger commented, "From its inception, the blues has always responded to developments in popular music as a whole: the use of guitar and piano in American folk and gospel, the percussive rhythms of jazz, the lyrics of Tin Pan Alley, and the widespread use of amplification and electric instruments all helped shape the evolution of the blues."[5] Blues standards that appeared on the main charts in the 1960s and 1970s often had been recorded by rhythm and blues, soul, and rock musicians.[6] Each song listed has been identified by five or more music writers as a blues standard. Spellings and titles may differ; the most common are used.
List[]
Title | First recorded by | Year | Charting single(s) by[7] | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Ain't Nobody's Business" | Anna Meyers with the Original Memphis Five | 1922 | Jimmy Witherspoon (1944) | [8] |
"All Your Love (I Miss Loving)" | Otis Rush | 1958 | — | [9] |
"Baby What You Want Me to Do" | Jimmy Reed | 1960 | Etta James (1964) | [10] |
"Baby, Please Don't Go" | Big Joe Williams | 1935 | [13] | |
"Blues with a Feeling" | Rabon Tarrant | 1947 | Little Walter (1953) | [14] |
"Boom Boom" | John Lee Hooker | 1962 |
|
[16] |
"Born Under a Bad Sign" | Albert King | 1967 | Albert King (1967) | [17] |
"Caldonia" | Louis Jordan | 1945 |
|
[18] |
"Catfish Blues" | Robert Petway | 1941 | Muddy Waters (1951 as "Still a Fool") | [19] |
"Crosscut Saw" | Tommy McClennan | 1941 | Albert King (1967) | [20] |
"Crossroads" | Robert Johnson | 1936 | Cream (1969)[21] | [22] |
"Don't You Lie to Me" | Tampa Red | 1940 | — | [23] |
"Driftin' Blues" | Johnny Moore's Three Blazers | 1945 |
|
[24] |
"Dust My Broom" | Robert Johnson | 1936 | Elmore James (1952) | [25] |
"Every Day I Have the Blues" | Pinetop Sparks | 1935 |
|
[26] |
"Farther Up the Road" | Bobby Bland | 1957 | Bobby Bland (1957) | [27] |
"Five Long Years" | Eddie Boyd | 1952 |
|
[28] |
"Forty-Four" | Roosevelt Sykes | 1929 | — | [29] |
"Goin' Down Slow" | St. Louis Jimmy Oden | 1941 | Bobby Bland (1974) | [30] |
"Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" | Sonny Boy Williamson I | 1937 | Smokey Hogg (1950 as "Little School Girl") | [31] |
"Got My Mojo Working" | Muddy Waters | 1956 | Jimmy Smith (1966) | [32] |
"Help Me" | Sonny Boy Williamson II | 1963 | Sonny Boy Williamson II (1963) | [33] |
"Hide Away" | Freddie King | 1961 | Freddie King (1961) | [34] |
"Hoochie Coochie Man" | Muddy Waters | 1954 |
|
[35] |
"How Long Blues" | Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell | 1928 | — | [36] |
"I Can't Quit You Baby" | Otis Rush | 1956 | Otis Rush (1956) | [37] |
"I'm a Man" | Bo Diddley | 1955 |
|
[39] |
"I'm Ready" | Muddy Waters | 1954 | Muddy Waters (1954) | [40] |
"It Hurts Me Too" | Tampa Red | 1940 |
|
[41] |
"Kansas City" | Little Willie Littlefield | 1952 |
|
[42] |
"Key to the Highway" | Charlie Segar | 1940 | Little Walter (1958) | [43] |
"Killing Floor" | Howlin' Wolf | 1964 | — | [44] |
"Little Red Rooster" | Howlin' Wolf | 1961 | [46] | |
"Mean Old World" | T-Bone Walker | 1942 | Little Walter (1953) | [47] |
"My Babe" | Little Walter | 1955 |
|
[48] |
"Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" | Bessie Smith | 1929 |
|
[49] |
"Reconsider Baby" | Lowell Fulson | 1954 | Lowell Fulson (1954) | [50] |
"Rock Me Baby" | Lil' Son Jackson | 1950 | B.B. King (1964) | [51] |
"Rollin' and Tumblin'" | Hambone Willie Newbern | 1929 |
|
[54] |
"See See Rider" | Ma Rainey | 1924 |
|
[56] |
"Sitting on Top of the World" | Mississippi Sheiks | 1930 | — | [57] |
"The Sky Is Crying" | Elmore James | 1960 | Elmore James (1960) | [58] |
"Spoonful" | Howlin' Wolf | 1960 | Etta James & Harvey Fuqua (1961) | [59] |
"Stormy Monday" | T-Bone Walker | 1948 |
|
[60] |
"Sugar Mama" | Tampa Red | 1934 | — | [61] |
"Sweet Home Chicago" | Robert Johnson | 1936 | Junior Parker (1958) | [62] |
"Sweet Little Angel" | Lucille Bogan | 1930 | B.B. King (1956) | [63] |
"That's All Right" | Jimmy Rogers | 1950 | — | [64] |
"The Things That I Used to Do" | Guitar Slim | 1953 |
|
[65] |
"The Thrill Is Gone" | Roy Hawkins | 1951 |
|
[66] |
"Trouble in Mind" | Bertha "Chippie" Hill | 1926 |
|
[67] |
"Walkin' Blues" | Robert Johnson | 1936 | Muddy Waters (1948 as "I Feel Like Going Home") | [68] |
"Worried Life Blues" | Big Maceo | 1941 |
|
[69] |
"You've Got to Love Her with a Feeling" | Tampa Red | 1938 | Freddie King (1961)[70] | [71] |
A dash ( — ) denotes a song that did not appear on a record chart. |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Herzhaft 1992, p. 435.
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 73.
- ^ Herzhaft 1992, pp. 436, 440, 442.
- ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 14.
- ^ Unterberger 1996, p. 381.
- ^ Whitburn 1988, pp. 59, 60, 101, 158, 295, 391, 453; "Them – Singles". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved April 26, 2015; "Cream: Chart history – The Hot 100". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 9, 2017; Russo & Hinman 2001, p. 45; "Rolling Stones – Singles". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved December 27, 2013; Russo 1994, p. 21; Billboard 1969, p. 96; Billboard 1966, p. 24
- ^ Whitburn 1988, pp. 465–578.
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Erlewine 2003, p. 71; Hal Leonard 2013, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 436; Oliver 1968, p. 16; Talevski 2010, p. 728
- ^ Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 436; Huxley 1995, eBook; Obrecht 2000, p. 9; Sammon 2015, eBook
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Friedland 2004, p. 80; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 437; Sing Out 1993, p. 81
- ^ "Them – Singles". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
- ^ Walker 2011, p. 148.
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Eagle & LeBlanc 2013, p. 111; Erlewine 2003, p. 712; Guralnick 1982, p. 1965; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 437; Komara 2005, p. 39; Milward 2013, p. 64; Perone 2019, p. 176
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 440; McMullen, Steve. "Steve Hackett: Blues With a Feeling – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved January 11, 2018.; Sokolow 2014, eBook
- ^ Billboard 1964, p. 26.
- ^ Amicone 2001, p. YE-29; Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Blues Revue 2005, p. 82; Edmondson 2013, p. 564; Morris 2001, p. 70
- ^ Evans & Kingsbury 2009, p. 210; Hal Leonard 2005, Song list; Murray 1991, p. 141; Perone 2019, p. 22; Santelli 2001, p. 107; Stang 1998, p. 4
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Hal Leonard 2005, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 441; Leggett, Steve. "Various Artists: Blues Story [Shout! Factory] – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved January 27, 2018.; Marcus 2011, p. 65
- ^ Cummings-Yeates 2014, p. 32; Danchin 2001, p. 275; Herzhaft 1992, p. 441; Moseley 1996, p. 83; Moskowitz 2010, p. 114; Southern 1997, p. 509
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Goldberg 1969, p. 32; Herzhaft 1992, p. 443; Komara 2005, p. 568; Murray 1991, p. 141
- ^ "Cream: Chart history – The Hot 100". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 443; Pellegrino 2012, p. 73; Santelli 2001, p. 107; Verna 1995, p. 152
- ^ Encyclopaedia Universalis 2019, eBook; Guralnick 1982, p. 66; Herzhaft 1992, p. 445; Larkin 2013, p. 334; Rusch 1977, p. 22
- ^ Evans 2005, p. 104; Evans & Kingsbury 2009, p. 210; Farley 2011, p. 137; Herzhaft 1992, p. 445; Levy 2013, eBook
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Komara 2005, p. 21; Herzhaft 1992, p. 446; Milward 2013, p. xiii; Palmer 1981, p. 128; Pegg 2013, p. 164; Southern 1997, p. 509; Talevski 2010, p. 719; Unterberger & Hicks 1999, p. 196
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Driggs & Haddix 2006, p. 224; Hal Leonard 2005, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 447; Rothwell 2001, p. 158; Southern 1997, p. 509
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Big City Blues 1999, p. 55; Erlewine 2001, p. 218; Hal Leonard 2005, Song list; Oklahoma Today 1999, p. 48
- ^ Blues Foundation 2011; Erlewine 2003, p. 64; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 448; Komara 2005, pp. 1014–1015; Larkin 2013, p. lx; Wyman & Havers 2001, p. 300
- ^ Evans 1982, p. 340; Herzhaft 1992, p. 448; Living Blues 1983, p. 12; Segrest & Hoffman 2004, eBook; Southern 1997, p. 509
- ^ Blues Foundation 2002; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 449; Journal of American Folklore 1973, p. 423; Komara 2005, p. 732; Rees & Crampton 1999, p. 105
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Erlewine 2002, p. 482; Evans 2005, p. 197; Field 2000, p. 166; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 449; Komara 2005, p. 670; Palmer 1981, p. 145; Perone 2019, p. 178; Skinner Sawyers 1991, p. 295
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Ford, Jr. 1979, p. 63; GPI 2007, p. 7; Herzhaft 1992, p. 449; O'Neal 1984; Southern 1997, p. 509
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 450; Living Blues 1991, p. 52; Unterberger & Hicks 1999, p. 249
- ^ DeCurtis, Henke & George-Warren 1992, p. 398; Emerson 2004, p. 39; Erlewine 2003, p. 304; Herzhaft 1992, p. 451; Smith 2013, p. 46
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Erlewine 2003, p. 214; Hal Leonard 2005, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 452; Milward 2013, p. 14; Southern 1997, p. 509; Talevski 2010, pp. 134–135
- ^ Danchin 2005, p. 62; Hal Leonard 2005, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 453; Hoffmann 2005, p. 62; Southern 1997, p. 509; Talevski 2010, p. 72
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Erlewine 2001, p. 520; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 453; Hoffmann 2005, p. 62
- ^ Russo & Hinman 2001, p. 45.
- ^ Ford, Jr. 1979, p. 63; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 454; Murphy 2008, p. 72; Shapiro, Heatley & Mayer 2009, p. 53
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Erlewine 2003, p. 421; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 454; Hoffmann 2005, p. 62
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Encyclopaedia Universalis 2019, eBook; Guralnick 1982, p. 1905; Hal Leonard 2005, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 455; Journal of American Folklore 1978, p. 742; Larkin 2013, p. 1932; Obrecht 2000, p. 4
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Goldberg 1969, p. 12; Hal Leonard 2013, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 456; Marsh 1999, p. 125
- ^ Blues Foundation 2010; Blues Revue 2005, p. 186; Erlewine 2003, p. 214; Hal Leonard 2013, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 457; Komara 2005, p. 563; Living Blues 1991, p. 78
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Devi 2012, p. xv; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 457; Komara 2005, p. 472; Moskowitz 2010, p. 112; Perone 2019, p. 22; Shapiro, Heatley & Mayer 2009, p. 53; Talevski 1998, p. 180
- ^ "Rolling Stones – Singles". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ^ Erlewine 2001, p. 520; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 467; Hoffmann 2005, p. 62; Komara 2005, p. 21; Perone 2019, p. 41; Rees & Crampton 1999; Talevski 2010, pp. 134–135
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 461; Komara 2005, pp. 1014–1015; Pegg 2013, p. 164
- ^ Erlewine 2003, p. 421; Hal Leonard 2005, Song list; Hay 2005, p. 75; Herzhaft 1992, p. 463; Talevski 2010, pp. 134–135
- ^ Hal Leonard 2005, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 464; Morris 2003, p. 5; Rodriguez 2010, p. 164; Sandage 2009, p. 268
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Farley 2011, p. 127; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 467; O'Neal 1993
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Hal Leonard 2005, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, pp. 467–468; Komara 2005, p. 21; Murray 1991, p. 145
- ^ Russo 1994, p. 21.
- ^ Billboard 1969, p. 96.
- ^ Eagle & LeBlanc 2013, p. 240; Erlewine 2001, p. 531; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 468; Komara 2005, p. 722; Palmer 1981, p. 128; Santelli 2001, p. 107; Southern 1997, p. 509
- ^ Billboard 1966, p. 24.
- ^ Danchin 2005, p. 62; Edmondson 2013, p. 938; Hal Leonard 2013, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 469; Hoffmann 2005, p. 280; Komara 2005, p. 190; Marsh 1999, p. 168; Oliver 1968, p. 16; Perone 2019, p. 130; Talevski 1998, p. 62; Wyman & Havers 2001, p. 290
- ^ Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 470; Oliver 2001, pp. 186–187; Palmer 1981, p. 110; Whiteis 2013, p. 86
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 471; Perone 2019, pp. 81–82; Talevski 1998, p. 191; Wynne 2007, p. 140
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Blues Revue 2005, p. 186; Erlewine 2001, p. 520; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 471–472; Perone 2019, p. 41; Santelli 2001, p. 107
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Evans 2005, p. 104; Ford, Jr. 1979, p. 63; Hal Leonard 2013, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 472–473; Murray 1991, p. 145; Southern 1997, p. 509; Stang 1998, p. 2; Talevski 2010, p. 390
- ^ Encyclopaedia Universalis 2019, eBook; Evans 1982, p. 197; Herzhaft 1992, p. 473; Perone 2019, p. 179; Field 2000, p. 166; Moseley 1996, p. 83; Skinner Sawyers 1991, p. 295
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Devi 2012, p. 141; Hal Leonard 2005, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 473; Milward 2013, p. xiii
- ^ Barlow 1983, p. 326; Encyclopaedia Universalis 2019, eBook; Guralnick 1982, p. 1905; Herzhaft 1992, p. 473; Living Blues 1996, p. 92; Obrecht 2000, p. 4
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Blues Foundation 2016; Darwen 1989, p. 1; Malvinni 2013, p. 8; Nadel 1988, p. 166; Palmer 1981, p. 181; Perone 2019, p. 84
- ^ Arnett Ervin 1999, p. 184; Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Eagle & LeBlanc 2013, p. 98; Herzhaft 1992, pp. 474–475; Journal of American Folklore 1973, p. 423; Malvinni 2013, p. 8; Rothwell 2001, p. 110; Tracy 1999, p. 449
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Big City Blues 2001, p. 48; Herzhaft 1992, p. 475; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Wiley 1993, p. 275; Wynne 2009, p. 96
- ^ Driggs & Haddix 2006, p. 220; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 476; Morris 2003, p. 5; Oliver 2001, p. 205; Riesman 2011, p. 212
- ^ Barrett & Garcia 2010, p. 74; Beaumont 2011, p. 91; Hal Leonard 1996, Song list; Herzhaft 1992, p. 477; Parrish 2001, p. 13
- ^ Erlewine 2003, p. 398; Guralnick 1982, p. 1906; Komara 2005, p. 305; Riesman 2011, p. 142; Rothwell 2001, p. 89
- ^ "Freddy King: Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard.com. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
- ^ Guralnick 1982, p. 1905; Herzhaft 1992, p. 459; Larkin 2013, p. 1932; Journal of American Folklore 1978, p. 742; Obrecht 2000, p. 4
Bibliography[]
- Amicone, Michael (December 29, 2001). "Passings". Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 52. ISSN 0006-2510.
- Arnett Ervin, Hazel (1999). African American Literary Criticism: 1773–2000. Twayne Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8057-1683-2.
- Barlow, William Brook (1983). Voices from the Heartland: A Cultural History of the Blues (PhD). 2. University of California Santa Cruz.
- Barrett, David; Garcia, John (2010). "Blues Standards". Improvising Blues Harmonica. Mel Bay. ISBN 978-1-61065-276-6.
- Beaumont, Daniel E. (2011). Preachin' the Blues: The Life and Times of Son House. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-539557-0.
- Big City Blues (1999). "Article". Big City Blues. Vol. 5. Detroit Blues Magazine.
- Big City Blues (2001). "Chris Duarte Group". Big City Blues. Vol. 7. Detroit Blues Magazine.
- Billboard (December 26, 1964). "Hot 100". Billboard. Vol. 76 no. 52. ISSN 0006-2510.
- Billboard (October 15, 1966). "Hot 100". Billboard. Vol. 78 no. 42. ISSN 0006-2510.
- Billboard (May 10, 1969). "Bubbling Under the Hot 100". Billboard. Vol. 81 no. 19. ISSN 0006-2510.
- Blues Foundation (2002). "2002 Hall of Fame Inductees: Going Down Slow – St. Louis Jimmy Oden (Bluebird, 1941)". Blues Foundation. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
- Blues Foundation (2010). "2010 Hall of Fame Inductees: Key to the Highway – Big Bill Broonzy (OKeh, 1941)". Blues Foundation. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
- Blues Foundation (2011). "2011 Hall of Fame Inductees: Five Long Years – Eddie Boyd (J.O.B., 1952)". Blues Foundation. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
- Blues Foundation (2016). "2016 Hall of Fame Inductees: Jimmy Rogers – "That's All Right" (Chess, 1950)". Blues Foundation. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
- Blues Revue (2005). "Article". Blues Revue. No. 92–97. ISSN 1091-7543.
- Cummings-Yeates, Rosalind (2014). Exploring Chicago Blues: Inside the Scene, Past and Present. The History Press. ISBN 978-1-62584-815-4.
- Danchin, Sebastian (2001). Earl Hooker: Blues Master. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-57806-307-9.
- Danchin, Sebastian (2005). Blues Boy: The Life and Music of B. B. King. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-60473-726-4.
- Darwen, Norman (1989). That's All Right (Album notes). Jimmy Rogers. Charly Records. CD RED 16.
- DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly, eds. (1992). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. ISBN 978-0-679-73729-2.
- Devi, Debra (2012). The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu. True Nature Books. ISBN 978-1-62407-185-0.
- Driggs, Frank; Haddix, Chuck (2006). Kansas City Jazz: From Ragtime to Bebop – A History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-530712-2.
- Eagle, Bob L.; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-34424-4.
- Emerson, Keith (2004). Pictures of an Exhibitionist. John Blake. ISBN 978-1-84454-053-2.
- Edmondson, Jacqueline, ed. (2013). "Entries". Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories that Shaped our Culture. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-39348-8.
- Encyclopaedia Universalis, ed. (2019). "Tampa Red" [Tampa Red entry in Dictionary of the Blues: The Dictionaries of the Universal Encylopedia]. Dictionnaire du Blues: Les Dictionnaires d'Universalis (in French). Encyclopaedia Universalis. ISBN 978-2-341-00208-0.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, ed. (2001). "Biographies and Reviews". All Music Guide: The Definitive Guide to Popular Music. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-627-4.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, ed. (2002). "Biographies and Reviews". All Music Guide: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-653-3.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, ed. (2003). "Biographies and Reviews". All Music Guide to the Blues. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-736-3.
- Evans, David (1982). Big Road Blues: Tradition and Creativity in Folk Blues. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-03484-6.
- Evans, David (2005). The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Blues. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-399-53072-2.
- Evans, Mike; Kingsbury, Paul, eds. (2009). Woodstock: Three Days that Rocked the World. Sterling Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4027-6623-7.
- Farley, Charles (2011). Soul of the Man: Bobby "Blue" Bland. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-60473-920-6.
- Field, Kim (2000). Harmonicas, Harps and Heavy Breathers: The Evolution of the People's Instrument. Cooper Square Press. ISBN 978-0-8154-1020-1.
- Friedland, Ed (2004). Bass Grooves: Develop Your Groove. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-1-61774-509-6.
- Ford, Jr., Robert (July 21, 1979). "Tribute to Muddy Waters, Radio City Music Hall". Billboard. Vol. 51 no. 29. ISSN 0006-2510.
- Goldberg, Daniel (September 6, 1969). "King of the Blues Courts Fans". Billboard. Vol. 81 no. 36. ISSN 0006-2510.
- GPI (2007). "Article". Keyboard. Vol. 33–34. Guitar Player. ISSN 0730-0158.
- Guralnick, Peter (1982). The Listener's Guide to the Blues. Facts on File. ISBN 978-0-87196-567-7.
- Hal Leonard (1996). Deep Blues: 57 Essential Blues Standards. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-0-7935-6483-5.
- Hal Leonard (2005). Blues Standards: Easy Piano 18 Songs. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-0-634-09260-2.
- Hal Leonard (2013). Blues Standards: Volume 13. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-1-4234-9648-9.
- Hay, Fred J., ed. (2005). Goin' Back to Sweet Memphis: Conversations with the Blues. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 978-0-8203-2732-7.
- Herzhaft, Gerard (1992). "Blues Standards". Encyclopedia of the Blues. University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 978-1-55728-252-1.
- Hoffmann, Frank (2005). Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-hop. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8160-6980-4.
- Huxley, Martin (1995). Aerosmith: The Fall and the Rise of Rock's Greatest Band. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-11737-5.
- Journal of American Folklore (1973). "Article". Journal of American Folklore. American Folklore Society. ISSN 0021-8715.
- Journal of American Folklore (1978). "Article". Journal of American Folklore. American Folklore Society. ISSN 0021-8715.
- Komara, Edward, ed. (2005). "Entries". Encyclopedia of the Blues. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-92699-7.
- Larkin, Colin (2013). "Entries". The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4481-3274-4.
- Levy, Ron (2013). Tales of a Road Dog: The Lowdown Along the Blues Highway. BookBaby. ISBN 978-1-62675-270-2.
- Living Blues (1983). "Article". Living Blues. No. 57–66. ISSN 0024-5232.
- Living Blues (1991). "Article". Living Blues. No. 95–100. Center for the Study of Southern Culture, University of Mississippi. ISSN 0024-5232.
- Living Blues (1996). "Article". Living Blues. No. 125–130. Center for the Study of Southern Culture, University of Mississippi. ISSN 0024-5232.
- Malvinni, David (2013). Grateful Dead and the Art of Rock Improvisation. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-8255-3.
- Marcus, Greil (2011). When That Rough God Goes Riding: Listening to Van Morrison. PublicAffairs. ISBN 978-1-61039-018-7.
- Marsh, Dave (1999). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-80901-9.
- Milward, John (2013). Crossroads: How the Blues Shaped Rock 'n' Roll (and Rock Saved the Blues). UPNE. ISBN 978-1-55553-744-9.
- Morris, Chris (July 7, 2001). "John Lee Hooker Gone but Not Forgotten". Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 27. ISSN 0006-2510.
- Morris, Chris (May 3, 2003). "Genre-Breaking Artist Dies at 70". Billboard. Vol. 115 no. 18. ISSN 0006-2510.
- Moseley, Willie G. (1996). Executive Rock: A Fan's Perspective on the Evolution of Popular Music Since 1950. Vintage Guitar Books. ISBN 978-1-884883-04-0.
- Moskowitz, David (2010). The Words and Music of Jimi Hendrix. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-37592-7.
- Murphy, Keith (December 2008). "Volume: Ultimate 45s – Chess Records". Vibe. Vol. 16 no. 21. ISSN 1070-4701.
- Murray, Charles Shaar (1991). Crosstown Traffic. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-06324-5.
- Nadel, Alan (1988). Invisible Criticism: Ralph Ellison and the American Canon. University of Iowa Press. ISBN 0-87745-190-7.
- Obrecht, Jas (2000). Rollin' and Tumblin': The Postwar Blues Guitarists. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-0-87930-613-7.
- Oklahoma Today (1999). "Article". Oklahoma Today. Vol. 41. Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board. ISSN 0030-1892.
- Oliver, Paul (1968). Screening the Blues: Aspects of the Blues Tradition. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-80344-4.
- Oliver, Paul (2001). Yonder Come the Blues: The Evolution of a Genre. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-78777-2.
- O'Neal, Jim (1984). "1984 Hall of Fame Inductees: Got My Mojo Working – Muddy Waters (Chess album track, 1960)". Blues Foundation. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
- O'Neal, Jim (1993). "1993 Hall of Fame Inductees: Reconsider Baby – Lowell Fulson (Checker, 1954)". Blues Foundation. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
- Palmer, Robert (1981). Deep Blues. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-006223-6.
- Parrish, Tim (2001). Walking Blues: Making Americans from Emerson to Elvis. University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 978-1-55849-302-5.
- Pegg, Bruce (2013). Brown Eyed Handsome Man: The Life and Hard Times of Chuck Berry. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-35684-2.
- Pellegrino, Anthony Michael, ed. (2012). Let the Music Play!: Harnessing the Power of Music. IAP. ISBN 978-1-61735-792-3.
- Perone, James E. (2019). Listen to the Blues!: Exploring a Musical Genre. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-4408-6614-2.
- Rees, Dafydd; Crampton, Luke (1999). Rock Stars Encyclopedia. DK. ISBN 978-0-7894-4613-8.
- Riesman, Bob (2011). I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-71745-6.
- Rodriguez, Robert (2010). Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-0-87930-968-8.
- Rothwell, Fred (2001). Long Distance Information: Chuck Berry's Recorded Legacy. Music Mentor Books. ISBN 978-0-9519888-2-4.
- Rusch, Bob (1977). "Article". Cadence. ISSN 0162-6973.
- Russo, Greg (1994). Uncanned! The Best of Canned Heat (Compilation booklet). Canned Heat. EMI Records. E2 29165.
- Russo, Greg; Hinman, Doug (2001). Ultimate! (Box set booklet). The Yardbirds. Rhino Records. R2 79825.
- Sammon, Marty (2015). Hal Leonard Blues Keyboard Method. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-1-4950-3109-0.
- Sandage, Scott A. (2009). Born Losers: A History of Failure in America. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-04305-3.
- Santelli, Robert (2001). The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-100145-6.
- Segrest, James; Hoffman, Mark (2004). Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf. Pantheon Books. ISBN 978-0-375-42246-1.
- Shapiro, Harry; Heatley, Michael; Mayer, Roger (2009). Jimi Hendrix Gear. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-1-61060-421-5.
- Sing Out (1993). "Article". Sing Out!. ISSN 0037-5624.
- Skinner Sawyers, June (1991). Chicago Portraits: Biographies of 250 Famous Chicagoans. Loyola University Press. ISBN 978-0-8294-0701-3.
- Smith, Matt (2013). Basic Blues Guitar Method, Book 4. Alfred Music. ISBN 978-1-4574-1527-2.
- Sokolow, Fred (2014). Blues Banjo: Lessons, Licks, Riffs, Songs & More. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-1-4950-0947-1.
- Southern, Eileen (1997). The Music of Black Americans: A History. W. W. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-03843-9.
- Stang, Aaron, ed. (1998). 21st Century Guitar Song: Trax 3. Alfred Music. ISBN 978-0-7692-6020-4.
- Talevski, Nick (1998). The Unofficial Encyclopedia of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-30032-5.
- Talevski, Nick (2010). Rock Obituaries: Knocking On Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-117-2.
- Tracy, Steven Carl (1999). Write Me a Few of Your Lines: A Blues Reader. University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 978-1-55849-206-6.
- Unterberger, Richie; Hicks, Samb (1999). Music USA: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-85828-421-7.
- Unterberger, Richie (1996). "Modern Electric Blues". In Erlewine, Michael; Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Koda, Cub (eds.). All Music Guide to the Blues. Miller Freeman Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-424-9.
- Verna, Paul (February 25, 1995). "Winwood Gets 'Finer' with Island Boxed Set". Billboard. Vol. 107 no. 8. ISSN 0006-2510.
- Walker, Clinton (2011). Highway to Hell: The Life and Death of AC/DC Legend Bon Scott. Verse Chorus Press. ISBN 978-1-891241-86-4.
- Whitburn, Joel (1988). "The Song Titles". Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-068-3.
- Whiteis, David (2013). Southern Soul-Blues. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-09477-4.
- Wiley, Ralph (1993). What Black People Should Do Now: Dispatches from Near the Vanguard. One World/Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-38045-6.
- Wyman, Bill; Havers, Richard (2001). Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey. DK. ISBN 978-0-7894-8046-0.
- Wynne, Ben (2007). Mississippi. Interlink Books. ISBN 978-1-56656-666-7.
- Wynne, Ben (2009). "King, B.B.". Encyclopedia of African American History: 5-Volume Set. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-516779-5.
- Lists of musical works
- Blues songs