An Introduction to America’s Music

ONE PEOPLE, ONE MUSIC? 3

ALLMUSIC’S BLUES STYLES

Clicking on the word “blues” at AllMusic’s home page leads the reader to the following list of

eleven blues styles, subdivided into fi fty-seven subgenres (not counting repetitions).*

blues styles subgenres

Chicago Blues Acoustic Chicago Blues, Chicago Blues, Electric Chicago

Blues Modern Electric Chicago Blues

Country Blues Blues Gospel, Country Blues, Vaudeville Blues, Prewar

Country Blues, Folk-Blues, Memphis Blues, Blues

Revival, Work Songs, Prewar Gospel Blues, Songster

Delta Blues Delta Blues, Electric Delta Blues, Finger-Picked Guitar,

Modern Delta Blues

Early Acoustic Blues Piedmont Blues, Acoustic Blues, Classic Female Blues,

Acoustic Memphis Blues, Early American Blues, Dirty

Blues, Prewar Blues

East Coast Blues Jump Blues, Piedmont Blues, East Coast Blues, New York

Blues,

Harmonica Blues Electric Harmonica Blues, Harmonica Blues

Louisiana Blues Louisiana Blues

Modern Electric Blues Modern Electric Blues, Blues-Rock, Modern Electric Chi-

cago Blues, Modern Delta Blues, Contemporary Blues,

Modern Electric Texas Blues

Texas Blues Electric Texas Blues, Texas Blues

Electric Blues Early R&B, Soul-Blues, Electric Chicago Blues, Electric

Blues, Electric Texas Blues, Electric Country Blues, Elec-

tric Delta Blues, Electric Memphis Blues, Electric Har-

monica Blues, Urban Blues, New Orleans Blues, Swamp

Blues, Juke Joint Blues, Detroit Blues, Slide Guitar Blues

Jump Blues/Piano Blues Early R&B, Piano Blues, West Coast Blues, Jazz Blues,

St. Louis Blues

*From http://www.allmusic.com/.

side the United States. The others include grunge, post-grunge, noise pop, math

rock, and third wave ska revival. Under the major genre of blues may be found

Chicago blues, electric blues, electric Chicago blues, modern electric blues, and

modern electric Chicago blues. All in all, according to AllMusic, about 440 dif-

ferent types of music are made in the United States.

From this perspective, the “America’s music” that this textbook purports to

introduce is a chimera. Music journalism would lead us to believe that music is

fragmented into myriad genres and subgenres. What’s more, the audience for

that music also appears to be splintered into tiny interest groups, each ready to

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