Talk:Blues

Redirect unexplained

The term Kansas City blues redirects here - correctly. However, an additional note in the header would be nice for non-native speakers: The homonym Kansas City Blues is a completely different lemma but not everybody is aware of case sensitivity's influence on meaning here. Cheers, --Hodsha (talk) 11:20, 30 May 2021 (UTC)

Solved, I think, by new use of the disabiguation page Titusmars (talk) 22:21, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

"Blue laws" and origin of "the blues"

The assertion supported by a Huffington Post blog article that the term "the blues" is connected to blue laws strikes me as absurd. For one, blue laws were not aimed primarily at prohibiting alcohol sales but at banning all secular activities on Sundays: the sales of non-essentials, sporting events, working, etc. Debra Devi, who wrote the HuffPost piece, is also the author of the book Language of the Blues. But an etymologist she is not.

The use of the word "blue" meaning depressed or feeling "low" can be traced as far back as Chaucer, to the 1300's. Devi, on the other hand, settles on a 17th century term "blue devil", which describes severe alcohol withdrawal, also known as delirium tremors. She then goes on to mention an 18th century work where the term "blue laws" was first used, but since nobody knows why "blue" was attached to the laws, it's a stretch - a leap, actually - to use this as an explanation for the term "the blues".

I have no problem mentioning the "theory" set forth in the HuffPost article, ridiculous as it seems, but it should be clearly offset (refuted) by more widely accepted explanations, sources abound, that point to the term's more literal, and therefore more obvious, meaning. Allreet (talk) 21:16, 22 December 2021 (UTC)

Rather than placing a large template on the page, why not just amend the text yourself, based on reliable sources? Ghmyrtle (talk) 23:07, 22 December 2021 (UTC)

@Ghmyrtle: That's my usual approach, but since Blues is not my area of expertise and the article could have a closer "following", I wanted to get some feedback from editors more knowledgeable on the subject. Regarding the wide interest in the blues, I'm surprised an article of this importance would include such a speculative (and illogical) explanation at its core for such a long time - since 2015. So on that thought, I'll give it another day or so to see who else chimes in, then I'll tackle it myself.Allreet (talk) 15:13, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

I’m surprised that the history of “the Blues” does not credit the long proceeding folk traditions using a guitar to tell all kinds of tragic of mournful as well as joyful personal and moral stories Where Black story tellers took it is a marvel of poetic expression, but it also displayed the vitality of its European origins.

It’s speculative on my part, but that the first traces of the Blues seem to come with Black freedom, and contact with the North, it seems its origin might have been different from Black spirituals, apparently beginning during slavery. Mention of these connections would be important to have in the article to make it authoritative. JessieHenshaw (talk) 01:34, 2 February 2025 (UTC)

Contradictory dates for origin

The top of the article states the blues dates back to the 1860s, and the history section states it dates back to the 1890s. The source used for the 1860s date does not cite any evidence for its claim, but the 1890s date does have supporting evidence. 2601:1C2:C00:CE10:351B:EE7B:F0D8:DA50 (talk) 17:36, 21 February 2022 (UTC)

The "Origins" section says: "The first appearance of the blues is usually dated after the Emancipation Act of 1863, between 1860s and 1890s....". So. it's not inconsistent. The reliability of the source used for both statements is not something I can easily judge. Ghmyrtle (talk) 18:30, 21 February 2022 (UTC)

"a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s" is contradicted by "But the origins of the blues were some decades earlier, probably around 1890." However, I don't understand why the 1870s as the date when boogie-woogie developed cannot be considered the latest date for the existence of the blues. Consider this passage, from Boogie-woogie:

"The earliest documented inquiries into the geographical origin of boogie-woogie occurred in the late 1930s when oral histories from the oldest living Americans of both African and European descent revealed a broad consensus that boogie-woogie piano was first played in Texas in the early 1870s. Additional citations place the origins of boogie-woogie in the Piney Woods of northeast Texas."

The first Negroes who played what is called boogie-woogie, or house-rent music, and attracted attention in city slums where other Negroes held jam sessions, were from Texas. And all the Old-time Texans, black or white, are agreed that boogie piano players were first heard in the lumber and turpentine camps, where nobody was at home at all. The style dates from the early 1870s.

   — Elliot Paul, That Crazy American Music (1957)

If we accept that "Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, developed in African-American communities in the 1870s," we should note that some sources have given later dates for the origins of the blues, but that those sources are probably incorrect (instead, it's much more likely that the blues had already existed before boogie-woogie, just based on logical deduction, but we can't state that in the article, as it cannot be documented). I seem to remember editing this article accordingly at some point, and I'm not sure why those edits didn't stick (or it's possible that I made the edit in the Jazz article). Ikan Kekek (talk) 10:20, 6 June 2022 (UTC)

I guess the only issue is making sure that the style of boogie-woogie as already being a form of the blues in the 1870s is specifically citable. If anyone has the Elliot Paul reference, your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to look for such a passage. -- Ikan Kekek (talk) 10:25, 6 June 2022 (UTC)

The source from which the 1860s origin statement derives - here - does not mention boogie-woogie at all. I think the problem is that the various styles developed gradually and, to some extent, separately, before coming together into what we now call "blues". But different sources probably give different interpretations. Ghmyrtle (talk) 14:02, 6 June 2022 (UTC)

I definitely take your point on the gradual development of musical styles and the question of when they are called by x or y name, but the source I quoted from that's cited in the Boogie-woogie article does mention boogie-woogie. If boogie-woogie was a type of blues in the 1870s, the blues have to date from no later than the 1870s. Ikan Kekek (talk) 21:26, 11 June 2022 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Black American Music 209

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 23 October 2022 and 15 December 2022. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Legacyua (article contribs).

— Assignment last updated by Legacyua (talk) 17:03, 9 November 2022 (UTC)

AI-generated content

Hi -- I have tagged this article as possibly containing AI-generated text, specifically the edits by NebulaNavigator77. They need thorough review and fact check, but I have not removed them as this is a suspicion, not proof. In this case the blast radius seems to be limited to captions. Gnomingstuff (talk) 17:44, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

Thanks for tagging this! I've gone through and either removed their changes or rewritten & verified the associated captions.

I kept the picture of 1980s Dan Aykroyd since it is vaguely topical to the nearby text, but I do think an actual screencap of The Blues Brothers or something would be more appropriate. I kept Koko Taylor too, since she is a good example of women in blues (even though her image does not really tie in with the associated text in any direct way). Altoids0 (talk) 12:24, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

The source I am reading about is talking something called "blue devils" and where it originated from. . By the 1800s in the United States, the term "blues" was associated with drinking alcohol, a meaning which survives in the phrase 'blue law', which prohibits the sale of alcohol on Sunday.(user. talk:MynameismarieHT) source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues

This is the article I feel best represents the importance of Blues and musicking in the movie Sinners. Although this source is a ".com" source, I do feel that it is credible. It connects the use of Blues in the movie to Black expression and Black music. It explains how Blues is culturally rooted and is a genre of music that truly connects to Black culture. It is a beautiful connection.

The link is posted below. - https://a-rabbitsfoot.com/editorial/film/blood-blues-how-sinners-uses-music-to-reflect-the-history-of-the-oppressed/

Edit by

Braceletwearer

Section 2 Gold Section

Wiki Education assignment: Blk Am Music 209 Purple Section 2

Add your citations or ideas for edits here for Purple Section. sheridanford (talk) 14:05, 19 October 2025 (UTC)

The blues emerged out of African American southern experience, yet its influence quickly reached far beyond U.S. borders and established itself as a global cultural practice.

Source: https://www.southerncultures.org/article/the-color-of-the-blues-considering-revisionist-blues-scholarship/ RiddimScholar (talk) 01:13, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

https://a-rabbitsfoot.com/editorial/film/blood-blues-how-sinners-uses-music-to-reflect-the-history-of-the-oppressed/#:~:text=Sinners'%20use%20of%20music%20is,music%20is%20the%20ultimate%20connector. E4Real25 (talk) 09:33, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

The article I found is interesting because, considering that Sinners is a horror movie, using the Blues is perfect, as Ryan Coogler says it was the first form of American music known as the devil's music. Additionally, the film is set in Mississippi, where the blues originated. The Blues enhances the horror element because it is initially comforting, and then the comfort shifts to an eerie feeling. Although it adds this spooky feeling, it also reminds viewers of African American history. Using the blues to tell a story or speak their mind. https://https://thegrio.com/2025/04/17/ryan-coogler-talks-the-delta-blues-spirituality-and-why-his-latest-film-is-titled-sinners-its-a-term-of-judgment-but-its-welcoming-as-well/ [User: Selfmade princess|Selfmade princess ]] (talk) 14:38, 22 October 2025 (UTC)Selfmade princess (talk) 18:39, 22 October 2025 (UTC)

The article I found connects to Sinners and the Blues as it explores how Sinners uses the blues to reflect the history, pain, as well as resistance of the Black community. It's a strong source to add to this discussion because it blends the historical context of the blues with a deep analysis of the film, which offers insight into both the musical and thematic aspects of the film.

Georgiades, Luke. “Blood & Blues: How Sinners Uses Music to Reflect the History of the Oppressed.” A Rabbit’s Foot, 25 Apr. 2025, a-rabbitsfoot.com/editorial/film/blood-blues-how-sinners-uses-music-to-reflect-the-history-of-the-oppressed/. — Preceding unsigned comment added by FluffyBunny5771 (talk • contribs) 19:46, 19 October 2025 (UTC)

These Article shows the blues and musicking with singing and using an instrument to convey a message about choices in your life. It also shows why the blues culture should be spread to other people for the beautiful things that shape music.

1. The History of Music, At the Crossroads: Robert Johnson and the Enduring Mystery of ‘Cross Road Blues’ This shows the creation of the blues music created for the movie, "Sounder 1972".

2. JFE publication: Blues people music and folklore. This article shows why it's important for people to be able to learn the blues. Also shows the creativity involved in the blues music.

3. NPR. Remembering Roberta Flack, 24 Feb 25, https://www.npr.org/2020/02/10/804370981/roberta-flack-the-virtuoso In this article, we discover how this article is based on the passing of Roberta Flack. This article contributes to her and the things that people should know about her since she was an important person in the history of the blues music production. For example, she made the song, "Killing Me Softly With His Song" which was a huge hit, using a blend of multiple black genres to create the song during the 1970's. She then made multiple other songs over the next 20 years, showing how talents till the 2000's. Overall, her music showed how to be expressive with your life in following music.

^[1] Comment added by naeice (talk) 19:34, 19 October 2025 (UTC)

I found two sources that explains how the director wanted the Blues to be heavily leaned on during the movie sinners and the other examines how the blues can be seen as metaphorically while also tying in the history of African Americans.

Sources: https://variety.com/2025/artisans/news/sinners-ludwig-goransson-sinners-soundtrack-ryan-coogler-1236368959/

• https://a-rabbitsfoot.com/editorial/film/blood-blues-how-sinners-uses-music-to-reflect-the-history-of-the-oppressed/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jp273-Peter (talk • contribs) 15:13, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Sinners and the Blues (Religion & Film, 2025)

Hello everyone,

I found three credible sources that each expand on the section on the relationship between Blues, Religion and spirituality. These three things also connect music, faith and the African American experience each in different ways.

1. “Sinners.” Journal of Religion & Film, Vol. 29, No. 2.

  - This article reviews Ryans Cooglers film Sinners, it highlights how the Blues expresses both sin and salvation while also blending Christian faith with African spiritual traditions

2.Levine, Lawrence W. (1977). Black Culture and Black Consciousness: Afro-American Folk Thought from Slavery to Freedom. Oxford University Press.

  - Author Levine explains that the Blues has turned hardships into creative resilience,  connecting African American folk spirituality with personal freedom and self-expression. 

3.PBS (2003). The Blues: Feel Like Going Home [Documentary and companion website]

- PBS describes the Blues as emerging from spiritual and work songs, blending the sacred and everyday life as a from of emotional survival during the Jim Crow Era.

Origin

The idea that “the blues” comes from “blue laws” isn’t supported by evidence. “Blue” meaning “sad” or “melancholy” dates back to the 1300s, and the phrase “blue devils” was used in the 1600s to describe sadness or withdrawal. The term “the blues” likely came from this meaning, not from Sunday laws. The article should also note the music’s true roots in African American folk and spiritual traditions that expressed both pain and hope. Acorn202 (talk) 21:08, 19 October 2025 (UTC)

Adding Onto Origin

The article currently gives two different origin dates. To fix this, we should standardize the text to state that the blues developed in the post-Emancipation period, with its formative years being the 1870s to 1890s. This reconciles the earliest stylistic developments with the period when the genre became more clearly defined.

https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1015&context=history_theses Kayjay1101 (talk) 21:19, 19 October 2025 (UTC)

Blues in Modern Day film

I want to suggest adding a reference to the 2025 film Sinners, written and directed by Ryan Coolger. The movie is set in the Mississippi Delta in 1932 and uses blues music as a central theme to explore Black spiritual and community life. This would be a relevant addition because it shows how the blues continues to inspire films and remains a powerful symbol of African American cultural identity. It also connects the historical roots of the blues with its ongoing representation in modern storytelling. Jayda222 (talk) 21:49, 19 October 2025 (UTC) https://www.npr.org/2025/05/05/nx-s1-5381034/sinners-ryan-coogler-blues-rap-religion

Sterling A. Brown -The Blues (1952)

I have found an essay titled "The Blues" that was written in 1952 by Sterling a. Brown and published in Phylon. The essay explained how the blues came from African American folk life and was used as a way to express real life experiences of survival, pain, and love. He also explains how the music combines sadness with humor and honesty, showing how the blues allowed people to cope with the struggles they were facing and a way to find strength in such hard times. This source could help the article become more stronger by showing the emotional and cultural side of the blues, instead of just having the historical and musical background.

Article: Brown,S. A. (1952). The Blues. Phylon (1940-1956), 13(4), 286-292. https://doi.org/10.2307/272562 Mialindquist (talk) 23:18, 19 October 2025 (UTC)

Birth of the Blues website

I have found an article that has some geographical information on the blues, specifically New Orleans, that I think could be valuable to this wiki page. For example that is where the first officially published blues song came from. Originally, New Orleans had interpreted the term blues differently as well.

Sabatella, M. (n.d.). Birth of the Blues. Ballad of America. https://balladofamerica.org/birth-of-the-blues/ IggyGirl (talk) 00:00, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Sinners/Blues

In the movie Sinners you see the director include The Blues to represent the impact that it had throughout Black American Music. One character names Sammy was the son of a preacher and a talented Blues guitarist. In one scene Sammy starts off playing The Blues and you see the transition flow from Rock & Roll, all the way to modern day Hip Hop. It also implements music traditions from Africa and even China.

The Blues was a representation of freed African Americans, people are misinformed about The Blues being Slave Songs. The Blues can be traced to about the 1860's, around the time when slavery was abolished, it spoke less about the enslaved Africans but more about the freed African Americans during the Jim Crow Era.

Blues was clearly a big factor in the movie Sinners, one simple Blues performance took the watchers throughout the history of Black American Music. You can see the scene as a love letter to Black music, showing love to every major genre that led us to where we are now. J3wlzbrown (talk) 00:13, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Blk Am Music 209 Purple Section 1

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 26 August 2025 and 13 December 2025. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Pinkishmoon, Theonequincy, NAEIce, Jpilson23, Thecolorblue04 (article contribs). Peer reviewers: Arigano116.

— Assignment last updated by Lilac Tokki (talk) 19:53, 18 December 2025 (UTC)

Source 1 - O’Connell, Christian. “The Color of the Blues: Considering Revisionist Blues Scholarship.” Southern Cultures, vol. 19, no. 1, 2013

Paraphrase - The blues emerged out of African American southern experience, yet its influence quickly reached far beyond U.S. borders and established itself as a global cultural practice.

Source 2 - Harvard Gazette article on Paul Oliver

Paraphrase - Around the turn of the 20th century, multiple musical streams converged — work songs, field hollers, vernacular expression — giving rise to what became known as the blues.

Source 3 - Debrot, “Jammin’ the Blues: Experiencing the ‘Good Life’”

Paraphrase - Blues jam sessions function as collaborative spaces where musicians pool their experience and abilities, forming an active community practice rather than simply isolated performance.

RiddimScholar (talk) 01:42, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Blk Am Music 209 Gold Section 2

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 25 August 2025 and 13 December 2025. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Lirio-2, Johndiggle23, DBSlayn, Misterhityoufirst, Mr.student14, Artexloading, Tangerineowltoystory, Marcwarner1017, ATracetosilent, Student6725784, Acorn202, Pinkwikii, Lenicia24 (article contribs). Peer reviewers: DarwinsAmazingWorld.

— Assignment last updated by Stay on it (talk) 02:34, 14 December 2025 (UTC)

Potential Source Sinners & Blues

I have found an article which writes about the process of exploring of sin, redemption and spirituality in blues music: Burnim, Mellonee V., and Portia K. Maultsby, African American Music: An Introduction (2nd ed., Routledge, 2015), Chapter 6, “Sinners and the Blues.”

This may increase the part about lyrical themes and this is more so on religion and morality in blues songs. Jacobjones123123 (talk) 01:40, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Blues and sinners

I found an article titled "The importance of Blues & Folk Music in Sinners explained" by Megan Hemenway. The article highlights the connection race and the Jim crow laws that were taken place at the time and how music can stand in for themes of race and ownership. Additionally, this article points to the fact that blues and folk music represent culture and in this case the culture of the main characters and the way that culture can be stolen, appropriated, and its entire meaning be altered.

Arigano116 (talk) 01:45, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Blues and Sinners Article

I have found an article which explores the connection of blues, race, and religion/spirituality, a foundational aspect of the film, and history of the Blues as a whole itself.

Pearce, Sheldon. “In ‘sinners,’ the Blues Is a Portal between This World and the Next.” NPR, NPR, 5 May 2025, www.npr.org/2025/05/05/nx-s1-5381034/sinners-ryan-coogler-blues-rap-religion. Rogersaqilah06 (talk) 02:43, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Source/Blues/Sinners —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Matyas, Josephine & Jones, Craig. Chasing the Blues: A Traveler’s Guide to America’s Music. Backbeat, 2021. Geographical, cultural, and voyage into the blues history- helps depict the regional aspects of this article https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/chasing-the-blues-9798216252481/? class="autosigned">— Preceding unsigned comment added by Marskishin (talk • contribs)

Blues and relation to modern music; Radiohead

I found a youtube video titled "analysis of Just by Radiohead" by David Bennet where he looks into the chord structure and some of the chords used in the song which are in direct relation of Blues music. Likewise, the song "Every Planet we Reach is Dead" by Gorillaz features Ike Turner, a famous late Blues musician, where he plays the piano for the track, one of the last recorded pieces of music by him before his passing.

Anon. 2022. “Ike Turner.” The Mississippi Blues Trail. Retrieved October 19, 2025 (https://msbluestrail.org/blues-trail-markers/ike-turner#:~:text=Ike%20Turner%2C%20a%20rock%20’n’%20roll%20and,of%20the%20Ike%20&%20Tina%20Turner%20Revue).

Bennet, David. 2019. “Analysis of ‘Just’ by Radiohead.” YouTube. Retrieved October 19, 2025 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGcH6I0Y_10) Jjdww (talk) 03:03, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Blues Citation for Sinners

^[1] to elaborate on the Sinners Comment, more elaboration to come INVINCIBLEe (talk) 03:28, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

The Roots Music from Sinners

I found an article titled “The Roots Music of Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners,’ Explained” from The Bluegrass Situation. This article explains how the film’s composer, Ludwig Göransson, intentionally incorporates Delta Blues traditions into the soundtrack to reflect the film’s Southern setting and its themes of sin, redemption, and cultural memory. NectarHappy (talk) 03:30, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Blues & Sinners

I found this article which shows how Ryan Coogler, director of Sinners, incorporated Blues with the making of each character in his movie "Sinners". "Sinners" is a vampire forward movie with the undertones, of racial segregation and the uprising of Blues within the South. It shows clear connections between the awakening that blues has on the evil spiritual elements that was found in the South during that time period. https://samuelj.substack.com/p/a-quick-guide-to-the-blues-of-sinners SanaaAllison (talk) 04:17, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Buddy Guy and Sinners

I found an article titled "Legendary Bluesman Buddy Guy on His Buzzy Movie Role in ‘Sinners’....". The article is an interview between Variety and Buddy Guy. In the article they talk about Buddy's experience while being in the film and how being casted in the film helps keep the legacy of blues music alive. Enfinetbubbles (talk) 04:36, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Sinners & The Blues

I found this article called "The Bloody Blues of Sinners" from The Nation Magazine. This article looks at how the film features the juke joint as a space of refuge and performance and explores how the concept of sin in the blues is tied to survival and defiance under white supremacy.

https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/sinners-ryan-coogler/ Dunkwatkin (talk) 04:40, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Blues Influence in Sinners

I found this article called “The Movie Sinners: Blues, Blood & Soul Battle Explored in Cinema” by Dr. Amanda Davis-Buie. It talks about how the movie Sinners uses Blues music to show the characters’ struggles with sin, freedom, and Black identity. The music isn’t just background it helps tell the story and shows the culture and spirit of the South. https://www.strengthloveandmotivation.com/post/the-movie-sinners

Blues Citation for Sinners

I found this source titled "Sinners" by John C. Lyden of the University of Nebraska . This article focuses on culture, vampires, religion, and the importance of Hoodoo within Black religion.

https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2714&context=jrf Mayzozi (talk) 04:58, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

“Musicking” by Christopher Small – Suggested source

I found a book titled "Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening" by Christopher Small, where the author explains that music is more than a tool: it's an act to which people attach symbolic and abstract meaning. The blues can be considered the very embodiment of musicking, and adding this source to the article could offer a deeper explanation of the interrelationship between the two concepts musicking and blues.

Small, Christopher. (1998). Musicking: The meanings of performing and listening. Wesleyan University Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=es&lr=&id=1lOx9nr0aHkC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=musicking+blues&ots=l07wXVw5nR&sig=iKjQY9lq-cjYRdS_1R5rfIBTBYk#v=onepage&q=musicking%20blues&f=false

Lirio-2 (talk) 05:00, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Sinners and the Blues articles

https://theemancipator.org/2025/04/26/topics/movies-and-tv/sinners-movie-analysis-beautiful-struggle-belong-survive/ < sinners article

https://www.stlpr.org/npr/2025-05-05/in-sinners-the-blues-is-a-portal-between-this-world-and-the-next < sinners and blues ZakorPo (talk) 05:23, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Sinners and the Blues

The piece explores how Ryan Coogler’s film Sinners uses the blues and the framework of vampires to dramatize Black spirituality, the church‑vs‑juke‑joint paradox, and music’s power to connect past and future.

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/05/nx-s1-5381034/sinners-ryan-coogler-blues-rap-religion Lovealbany (talk) 05:43, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Blues sinners

The blues began as a form of African-American expression that captures both joy and struggle, not just sadness. Its emotional variety and storytelling have deeply influenced later genres like jazz, rock, and hip-hop.https://www.loc.gov/collections/songs-of-america/articles-and-essays/musical-styles/popular-songs-of-the-day/blues/

Recent projects like the 2025 film Sinners and Buddy Guy’s music have helped revive attention to the blues. These works show that the genre continues to connect with new audiences through streaming and media. https://www.loc.gov/collections/songs-of-america/articles-and-essays/musical-styles/popular-songs-of-the-day/blues/

The blues emerged in the late 19th-century American South, growing out of African musical traditions, spirituals, and work songs. It became a way for African-American communities to express real-life experiences through music. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/discovering-music-the-blues/content-section-5 Zachs123 (talk) 05:46, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: AMUS 209

I found an article about blue laws, which relates to how blues got its name. By not being able to drink on Sundays, people were sad; it relates to Christianity and how, since Sunday is a holy day, they were restricted of alcohol consumption. Growingdaisies (talk) 06:09, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

the blues as a genre was more than just a music of sorrow, but also of endurance and affirmation within African-American life

<ref>Albert Murray, Stomping the Blues (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2017), 45–46.</ref> Hundreddollaro1 (talk) 06:28, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

WikiEDU assignment AMUS209

I found this journal from published in the Gettysburg Historical Journal titled "What They Sang: The Religious Roots of Spirituals and Blues" written by Carly A. Jensen that discusses and explores the connection between the Blues as a genre and spirituals.

https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1325&context=ghj Any1canwearthemask (talk) 07:23, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Blues and sinners

I found an article titled st. Louis Blues, which is a 1929 American two real short film, directed by Dudley Murphy. The film features a full Black cast and it's about a women Bessie who goes to a speakeasy with a broken heart and starts to sing the St. Louis blues.I added a couple citations and a couple details. I also edited an article titled sinners soundtrack , another article tilted Blues, and Sinners 2025 film. All these text dissus blues and the history that connects blues to different kinds of song films etc.. User:Kayjay1101 (talk) 07:37, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Blues and Musicking

I found a book titled Stomping the blues. The beginning of the book talks in a more abstract way about the effect and essence of the blues in both its positive light and the negative and evil connatation that it came with. What I wanted to extract from the book was the mention of a place known as the Savoy where on saturday nights people would gather and dance/stomp to the blues

Murray, Albert. Stomping the blues. U of Minnesota Press, 2017. DPinnacle (talk) 11:22, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Sinners and The Delta Blues

I found this article about Ryan Coogler talking about the Delta Blues and how the music effects the soul and body and how blues music covers themes of humans with carnal desires. It also details how he added Delta Blues to the movie in order to make the movie supernatural effect similar to the effect that the Delta Blues had during that time period.

https://thegrio.com/2025/04/17/ryan-coogler-talks-the-delta-blues-spirituality-and-why-his-latest-film-is-titled-sinners-its-a-term-of-judgment-but-its-welcoming-as-well/ Marcwarner1017 (talk) 11:37, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

AMUS 209 Wiki Edu assignments

I found this article that gives us insight on the connection between Blues Music and the popular film, "Sinners", The article gives us background information on what happens in the movie while connecting it to the hisotric art of blues music. Pinkwikii (talk) 11:45, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

AMUS 209 Wiki Edu (Sinners + Blues)

Billy Eckstine referred to the Blues as “The Mother of Sin”, but not in the case that the message is bad but because that sin seems inescapable. In correlation to Sinners because of how powerful the voices and messages are of people who sing the Blues, it can attract evil spirits and even reach beyond the veil of life and death. We see the example with Remmick and Samuel, he wanted his voice and anytime Samuel sang it attracted him more.

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/05/nx-s1-5381034/sinners-ryan-coogler-blues-rap-religion

Shanicee6 (talk) 12:14, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Wiki Education: Blk Am Music 209 Gold Section 2

This article I discovered offers insight to the Blues and its deep history. It also explores the topic of the 2025 movie "Sinners" and how deep the theme of the blues is in the movie. The article highlights how many aspects of the movie, down to character names, are an ode to blues music and how it shaped and ran rampant in Black American culture.

1. Mckenna, Britney, The Roots Music of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, Explained, https://thebluegrasssituation.com/read/the-roots-music-of-ryan-cooglers-sinners-explained/

Nosnebbl (talk) 12:30, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Sinners and the Blues

I found this tiktok explaining the relationship between black music and the blues history. Especially when it comes to queer folks and their resistences and servival https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8AtCqn8/

I also found this source delta blues that discuss the many female artists that were involved in the blues and the origins of the blues wic was from mississippi delta.

Rhythm and blues was also a source that talks deeply about "r&b" and how it was used to be called race music

Kxlopxx0 (talk) 12:40, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Sinners and the Blues

I found this article / website that broke down each character fro sinners and their percieved connections to historical blues/ jazz musicians and singers. And goes on to connect and explain how many people at the time would connect the blues with devil worship.

https://samuelj.substack.com/p/a-quick-guide-to-the-blues-of-sinners Zakinola20 (talk) 13:19, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

AMUS 209 Wiki Assigment (Sinners + Blues)

I found this article titled "Sinners, the South, and The Price of Playing the Blues" and it talks about how blues music originated and thrived in juke joints in the South, like in the movie Sinners as well. It allowed people to have entertainment and a place to go without being bothered or told what to do by white Sinners, the South, and the Price of Playing the Blues – Scalawag Nunu106 (talk) 14:27, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Blues and Sinners

Bullock explored the intersections of the LGBTQ+ community and blues music history. The book highlights the contributions of queer artists in the 1920's 1930's blues scene and the importance these people held within the community of musicians. 1. Darryl W. Bullock. (2023). Queer Blues: The Hidden Figures of Early Blues Music. Omnibus Press.https://search.library.albany.edu/permalink/01SUNY_ALB/qlq07b/alma9932812064504808

This documentary film explores the cultural roots and history of as well as influences of blues music. It also highlights the evolution of the blues and the impacts from it. 2. Walton, Kip et al. America’s Music Legacy. Blues. Paris, France: Qwest TV, 1982. Film, https://search.library.albany.edu/permalink/01SUNY_ALB/qlq07b/alma991061768892304801 SGallo1313 (talk) 14:33, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Sinners and Blues

The music in sinners is very Blues inspired. Like traditional blues music, it expresses pain, guilt, and the search for forgiveness—universal feelings that come from real human experiences. The rises and falls of the Blues inspired music is what expresses the emotion of the film. I left a link to the sinners soundtrack and classical Blues songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0JsVmfaeuc

https://open.spotify.com/album/0zjAqh1Fr7XQWy1SlzGhMn ATracetosilent (talk) 16:00, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Sinners, Blues, Musicking, and spirituality

This article analyzes “Sinners” and elaborates that the film utilizes Blues and Musicking as both a Literal and Symbolic outlet between the sacred and the secular in the black southern south. Portrayed in 1932 in Mississippi, this piece of art follows African American protagonists navigating racial and supernatural threats. “Sinners” challenges the view of blues as "devil’s music," instead presenting it as essential to Black identity, spirituality, and resilience. Vampires serve as metaphors for cultural appropriation. The film ultimately portrays the blues as a vital, living tradition in Black American experience. Ultimately, the film portrays blues as a vital living tradition to liberate and perpetuate African American experiences.(Pearce, 2025)Pearce, S. (2025, May 5). In “sinners,” the blues is a portal between this world and the next. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/05/05/nx-s1-5381034/sinners-ryan-coogler-blues-rap-religion [https://www.npr.org/2025/05/05/nx-s1-5381034/sinners-ryan-coogler-blues-rap-religion AMILEAMINUTE05 (talk) 16:02, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

I used two online tools to determine that about 40% of this text is generated by AI. Binksternet (talk) 16:24, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Blues and Sinners

I found one source which discussed the blues influence has on Sinners. The author talks about the history of blues and how important that genre is in the south. The author also discusses how well the significance of blues music and blues culture is portrayed in the movie, Sinners. https://thebluegrasssituation.com/read/the-roots-music-of-ryan-cooglers-sinners-explained/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dctlonm (talk • contribs) 16:33, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

How Memphis Blues Inspired Hollywood

Memphis played a large role within the Blues. In fact it was one of the primary reasons of how it was constructed as a genre. "Sinners" was purposely made to demonstrate the history and culture of African American. This movie can be considered an art due to every single detail being practically spot on which.

Coolger, Ryan. “Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’: How Memphis Blues Inspired Hollywood.” We Are Memphis, 19 May 2025, wearememphis.com/news/ryan-coogers-sinners-how-memphis-blues-inspired-hollywood/. Alikgt1234 (talk) 18:36, 20 October 2025 (UTC)

Sinners and the Sound of the Blue - Gold Section 2

1) Chaudhuri, L. (2022, November 28). What is blues music? Www.classical-Music.com. https://www.classical-music.com/articles/blues-music

This source discusses the originality of Blues music and also highlights some of the musical sounds, such as instruments and other forms of musicking, that are a part or used in Blues. They also highlight some of the most famous Blues musicians whose sounds and rhythms have made a huge impact / contribution to the Blues.

2) Jazz Tangcay. (2025, April 19). “Sinners”: Ludwig Göransson on Creating Blues Music for the Soundtrack. Variety. https://variety.com/2025/artisans/news/sinners-ludwig-goransson-sinners-soundtrack-ryan-coogler-1236368959/

This source mentions executive producers who produced the soundtrack of the movie Sinners, Ludwig and Serena Goransson, and discusses the process of making the movie soundtrack. Both executives highlighted some of the songs and use of instruments that were meant to pay homage to the Blues and its history.

3) Blues Journey. (n.d.). The Kennedy Center. https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/media/music/blues-journey/

This source talks about the rise of the musical genre, the Blues, and its emergence that started out on the coast of Africa and traveled to different parts of the South. It also highlights the genre's musical impact on modern music and musical artists today, and that the musical elements used in the blues have never faded in other musical genres you hear today. Tiana.Beauty23 (talk) 01:34, 21 October 2025 (UTC)

Sinners and the Sound of the Blue - Gold Section 2 ( Redo)

1) Chaudhuri, L. (2022, November 28). What is blues music? Www.classical-Music.com. https://www.classical-music.com/articles/blues-music

This source discusses the originality of Blues music and also highlights some of the musical sounds, such as instruments and other forms of musicking, that are a part or used in Blues. They also highlight some of the most famous Blues musicians whose sounds and rhythms have made a huge impact / contribution to the Blues.

2) Jazz Tangcay. (2025, April 19). “Sinners”: Ludwig Göransson on Creating Blues Music for the Soundtrack. Variety. https://variety.com/2025/artisans/news/sinners-ludwig-goransson-sinners-soundtrack-ryan-coogler-1236368959/

This source mentions executive producers who produced the soundtrack of the movie Sinners, Ludwig and Serena Goransson, and discusses the process of making the movie soundtrack. Both executives highlighted some of the songs and use of instruments that were meant to pay homage to the Blues and its history.

3) Blues Journey. (n.d.). The Kennedy Center. https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/media/music/blues-journey/ This source talks about the rise of the musical genre, the Blues, and its emergence that started out on the coast of Africa and traveled to different parts of the South. It also highlights the genre's musical impact on modern music and musical artists today, and that the musical elements used in the blues have never faded in other musical genres you hear today. Tiana.Beauty23 (talk) 01:39, 21 October 2025 (UTC)

Recommended reading

I found this article titled “Sinners, the South, and the Price of Playing the Blues” by Aallyah Wright, which offers an analysis of the film set in the Deep South (Clarksdale, Mississippi, in the 1930s). I think adding this article as recommended reading might give readers a better understanding of the blues from another perspective.

Wright, A. (2025, April 25). Sinners, the South, and the Price of Playing the Blues. Scalawag Magazine. https://scalawagmagazine.org/2025/04/sinners-the-south-and-the-price-of-playing-the-blues/

Lirio-2 (talk) 12:28, 22 October 2025 (UTC)

Blues Sinners AAFS 209 Zoldyck04

The blues in the movie is seen as a devilish music in certain aspects like how in the movie Preacher Boy's father sees him wanting to play the guitar and the blues as sinful ways due to his scriptures in the bible. When in reality, blues as nothing to do with the devil. That's one side of blues, compared to Delta Slim who had an understanding of Preacher Boy's songs as just making music that makes you feel it in your soul. Sinners (2025 film) Zoldyck04 (talk) 16:03, 22 October 2025 (UTC)

Blues in Sinners AAFS 209 Purple Section

The article I found is interesting because, considering that Sinners is a horror movie, using the Blues is perfect, as Ryan Coogler says it was the first form of American music known as the devil's music. Additionally, the film is set in Mississippi, where the blues originated. The Blues enhances the horror element because it is initially comforting, and then the comfort shifts to an eerie feeling. Although it adds this spooky feeling, it also reminds viewers of African American history. Using the blues to tell a story or speak their mind. ^[1]https://https://thegrio.com/2025/04/17/ryan-coogler-talks-the-delta-blues-spirituality-and-why-his-latest-film-is-titled-sinners-its-a-term-of-judgment-but-its-welcoming-as-well/ [User: Selfmade princess|Selfmade princess ]] (talk) 14:38, 22 October 2025 (UTC)Selfmade princess (talk) 18:39, 22 October 2025 (UTC)

The influence of Blues in Sinners (AAFS 209 Sec 2)

In many interviews, Ryan Coogler stated that his personal history with the blues inspired its heavy inclusion in the film and how it was used for storytelling. I found a couple of articles and reviews stating that the influence for one of the twins' names, Stack, was the legend of Stackolee (also referred to as Stack-a-lee, or Staggerlee). Freedman, S. (2025, October 28). A quick guide to the blues of sinners. Substack. https://samuelj.substack.com/p/a-quick-guide-to-the-blues-of-sinners Camillowongmoreno (talk) 15:22, 28 October 2025 (UTC)

Suggested Source About Sin and the Blues

I found a source that connects the history of the blues to the idea of sin and personal struggle. The book The Land Where the Blues Began by Alan Lomax explains that blues singers often used religious language to express deep emotional struggles. This includes feelings connected to poverty, guilt, heartbreak, and unfair treatment. I think this source can help expand the Blues article by showing how blues musicians used ideas of sin to talk about hardship and freedom. This can be added to the section about themes in blues music. BNightwing45 (talk) 18:13, 3 December 2025 (UTC)

Blues and Sinners Sources

Source 1: The Land Where the Blues Began – Alan Lomax

Lomax says that blues musicians used religious language because it helped them express the emotional pain and real life struggles they lived with every day.

Source 2: Blues People – Amiri Baraka

Baraka explains that the blues was created by Black Americans who turned their suffering and daily challenges into music that showed pride and truth.

Source 3: Deep Blues – Robert Palmer

Palmer writes that the blues came from African rhythms and storytelling, which helped artists tell personal stories that also connected to their community. BNightwing45 (talk) 18:28, 3 December 2025 (UTC)

The idea of sin in blues lyrics is an interesting one. But the three summaries you provided above don't mention "sin" or "sinners." Mark Froelich (talk) 02:06, 4 December 2025 (UTC)