Blues Ballad
tagStarted late 1940sPeak 1950–1972Last big hit still active
Blues Ballad slows the form down until every line can ache. Expect 12/8 time or a very slow backbeat, rich chord support, lyrical lead guitar or piano fills, and vocals that linger on each word as if the singer is trying to reason with fate and knows fate is not taking calls.
History
Balladry has always been part of blues, but postwar studio blues and soul-blues made the style especially prominent by pairing pain-soaked material with elegant arrangements. Charles Brown, Bobby Bland, Etta James, B.B. King, Little Milton, and Percy Mayfield helped establish the blues ballad as one of Black popular music’s great slow-burn forms.
Defining artists
Essential listening
- Driftin Blues — Charles BrownSpotifyYouTube
- Aint No Love in the Heart of the City — Bobby Blue BlandSpotifyYouTube
- Id Rather Go Blind — Etta JamesSpotifyYouTube
- The Thrill Is Gone — B.B. KingSpotifyYouTube
- Walking the Back Streets and Crying — Little MiltonSpotifyYouTube
- Please Send Me Someone to Love — Percy MayfieldSpotifyYouTube
Sources
- Britannica on rhythm and blues and key soul-blues figures
- NMAAHC on R&B and soul’s gospel-blues roots
- Blues Foundation definitions and soul-blues categories