Ever thought to discover why people link blues music to sadness? Let us tell you! When a musical form perfectly expresses feeling rather than telling mainstream stories, it unquestionably earns a special place in the sad music genre. And guess what? Blues songs are no exception. So let’s see why is blues music sad.
This is secular folk music incepted by African Americans during the twentieth century. A group of people was responsible for blues music after going through some difficult times. Also called devil’s music, blues notes have their roots in slave songs and also gospel songs.
The whole world bowls over the blues notes because the blue style represents emotional expressions. Talking of the instruments, guitar (electric), brass instrument, and a piano is considered.
If you talk about what this African American music incorporates, you will be dazzled to know that it incorporates work songs, field hollers, etc. Also, the blues performers play the music on acoustic or electric instruments. Blues music entered the popular music category in the twentieth century.
Now in today’s time, the city of Chicago is known as the epic center for the blues. Out of distinct music venues, the particular hit is Chicago blues which came onto the radar after the World War II era.
What Is Blues Music Form?
Blues music is amongst the most intense, emotional music genres. This sort of music is developed in the southern United States. In this music form, blues singers shun the complex chord progressions and amalgamate them with the rhythm of classical, jazz, and rock.
The joyful blues song plays the music with feelings, and hence, people feel that blues is sad music. It draws its root from back American tradition. Alongside, this genre has become the inspiration for jazz, hip-hop, and rock. In brief, blues is an excellent form of music as every song engulfs a profound message and feeling.
Plus, blue notes main features include specific chord progression. Alongside flattened blue notes, dissonant harmonies are taken into consideration. In addition, there are longer variations in the blues scale. But the most common blues scale from which most of the harmony and melody is composed is a six-note scale. If you talk, the most common blues form is the twelve-bar blues, and you could use it as a basic chord progression.
Is the Blues Genre Sad?
The answer hovers between yes and no – both. We allow you to decide it yourself because people listen to folk music or blues songs to discover the artist’s emotions. In a nutshell, the blues style represents life in slap, hard, trump, and ironic turnarounds. Most people think the joyful blues song is released and revealed while absorbing the inner pain. It is more like listening to the pain of others and tends to relax some of your own.
In addition, you must know that people respond to music according to their taste. And blues music is also no exception. That’s why you shouldn’t feel blues songs as sad music. In fact, take it as an enjoyable form of entertainment because blues describes things that go wrong in life. Overall, this musical form is considered popular music globally.
How Does Blues Music Affect Your Mood?
Unknown to many, music can affect your emotions and trigger them in so many ways. The human brain produces distinct chemicals and hormones that invoke a feeling of joy. And guess what? Country music – blues song with blues artists, imparts intense emotions. So if you choose to hear sad blues songs sad, you can make yourself feel better.
Simultaneously, you can calm your nerves and subdue anxiety with the blues style’s rhythm. To your surprise, the blues scale is very large because people worldwide have a strong love for the blues in parallel to their emotional expression.
5 Most Popular Blues Music Songs
Take a deeper dive into the most popular blues music songs at your disposal. This influential style of music has shaped not only the history of the music but also the world! And hence, we decided to curate the list to give you the knowledge of the best blues section. If you want to familiarize yourself with the very best blues song, then continue reading!
One Love
Consider this all-time classic blues music, one of their second album’s most famous blues music songs. Although, this is the title track of that album too! This song defines blues with a vibe that makes everyone happy.
One Love was released in November 2002 and later peaked at the top of the chart. Later on, in December 2003, this album by English boy band Blue earned a certification of 4x platinum in the U.K. The song is just 3.25 minutes in duration, and many people love to keep it on rotation. You can listen to various audio streaming apps any time of the day!
All Rise
Let’s be honest – some traditional blues will never get old, and all rise is no exception. This one is blue’s debut single that topped the chart worldwide with its release in May 2001. Now it’s 2022, and it is still ‘Poppin.’ In just 3:43 minutes, you will feel like you have heard a story.
U Make Me Wanna
If you are today’s kid and want to get the vibe of the joyful blue songs, listen to the U Make Me Wanna with your special one for 3:55 minutes. This is another traditional blues song by the English boy band Blue. U Make Me Wanna was released as the third and final single from One Love (2002) – their second album.
Cross Road Blues
Cross Road Blues topped the chart in a quest for early blues hits. Cross Road Blues is a historical one dating back to 1936. This 2:48 second is Robert’s one of the classic songs encapsulating the funky, rhythmically freestyle.
You will find the blues tonality in this song, and hence, it became a religious hit. Compared to the other blues music, Cross Road Blue is one of the significant parts of music history.
The Thrill is Gone
This is a slow minor-key blues song composed by West Coast blues musicians – Roy Hawkins and Rick Darnell in 1951. It is a 12-bar popular blues song. Later on, in 1969, B.B. Kings uplifted it and cemented The Thrill is Gone as one of the best songs composed by blues singers. The length of the song is 3:55 minutes.
Anything Else?
You must know that Blues originated after the US Civil War. At the same time, it revolves around the oral tradition of African American songs. But it gained huge popularity in the 1920s. Since its inception, the basic idea was to make the song unusually rich in emotions.
Alongside, some other blues-style music revolves around the expression of victory after coming from painful life experiences. Last but not least, many elements are overall between blues and jazz. But in a nutshell, it is an antecedent to jazz.
Furthermore, many blues musicians indirectly encourage the number of subgenres like country blues and early rock. However, their development defines other subgenres like Delta Blues and Chicago Blues. Additionally, there is nothing like blue devils. As this genre is resurrected through early rock and roll that pushed the teens with low self-esteem to indulge in sinful activities.
Final Words – Why is Blues Music Sad?
Haven’t we made you clear on what blues music is? To give you the last recap, blues is both a genre and a musical form. The term blues was often associated with mundane and sadness during its heyday.
In addition, modern days are no exception. Understand with this phrase – to feel blue means to feel sad. Subsequently, the music originated in slow tempo, and later on, it became faster with its increase in popularity. Also, you can consider a blues song upbeat too!
Unknown to many, happy blues were played at weekend night house parties during its inception. So it goes without saying that blues music is much more than slaves singing. If you pick the right blues songs to hear, you can celebrate and have a good time.
