The blues is a music genre that originated in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It developed from roots in African-American work songs and spirituals, and is closely related to jazz and ragtime. The blues form is characterized by call-and-response patterns, blue notes, and specific chord progressions, such as the twelve-bar blues. The blues has been a major influence on later American and Western popular music, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and country music.
