An Additional List of Blues-Based Songs

Links are to YouTube.com

Source: Richard J. Scott, Chord Progressions for Songwriters, Chapter 3, “Blues Progressions” (New York, 2003)

The Blues has influenced many music forms including jazz, swing, rhythm ‘n blues, folk, country, and rock and roll. This document includes songs based on the 12-bar blues, including 8-, 16-, 24-, and 32-bar blues forms, and also songs where only a portion of the song is based on a blues format (e.g., verse or chorus/refrain). It excludes song titles already captured and printed on this website.

Lists of Songs, pp. 60-63.

Songs that have their basis in one of the blues forms, by genre:

Blues

• See See Rider Blues (Gertrude “Ma” Rainey & Lena Arant, 1924) by Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (1924); 419 covers according to Second Hand Songs

• See See Rider by Eric Burton and the Animals

• See See Rider – Elvis (1974 Live) (98)

• C. C. Rider by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels (1966)

• Corrina Blues by Blind Lemon Jefferson (1926); based on See See Rider, not Corrine, Corrina.

• Corrine, Corrina (Armenter "Bo Carter" Chatmon, Mitchell Parish & J. Mayo William, ca. 1926) by Charlie McCoy and Bo Chatmon (1928)

• Corrine, Corrina by Ray Peterson (1960)

• Corrine, Corrina by Big Joe Turner (1956)

• Corrine, Corrine by Muddy Waters

• Corrina, Corrina by Bob Dylan, a blues-based song with lyrics and song structure from "Corrine Corrina" but the melody is from Stones in My Passway by Robert Johnson in 1937 (Vocalion 3723).

• Stones in My Passway by Eric Clapton (ca. 2004)

• Stones in My Passway by Joe Bonamassa (ca. 2012)

• Shake, Rattle & Roll ("Charles Calhoun" (Jesse Stone), 1954) by Big Joe Turner (1951)

• Shake, Rattle & Roll by Bill Haley and His Comets

• Shake, Rattle & Roll by Elvis

• The Thrill is Gone by B. B. King

• Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers

• Lucille by B.B. King

Rock

• Slippin’ & Slidin’ – Little Richard

• Rip It Up – Little Richard

• Lucille – Little Richard

• Bird Dog (Verse) – Everly Brorhes

• Oh Boy – Buddy Holly & The Crickets, 1958

• Rock & Roll Is Here To Stay (David White, ca. 1957) – Danny and the Juniors, 1958

• Rock & Roll Is Here To Stay by Sha Na Na from “Grease.”

• Good Golly Miss Molly – Little Richard

• At The Hop – Danny and the Juniors, 1958

• Rockin’ Robin – Bobby Day

• Charlie Brown – The Coasters

• The Twist – Chubby Checker

• The Wanderer – Dion

• Wipeout – Surfaris

• Chains – The Cookies

• Hippy Hippy Shake – The Swinging Blue Jeans

• Little Honda – The Hondells

• Little Honda – The Beach Boys

• Mountain of Love (verse) – Johnny Rivers

• Hanky Panky – Tommy James and the Shondells

• Creeque Alley – Mamas & the Papas

• In The Summertime – Mungo Jerry

• Never Been To Spain – Three Dog Night

• Your Momma Don’t Dance – Loggins & Massina

• Spiders & Snakes – Jim Stafford

Jazz

• Listed below.

Folk/Country

• I’m Moving On (verse) – Hank Snow

• A Worried Man – The Kingston Trio (aka “It Takes A Worried Man” and “Worried Man Blues”)

Individual Song Listings, pp. 72-104.

12-Bar Blues

• Frankie & Johnny – Elvis (Movie Clip) (72)

• In the Mood (A Section) – Glenn Miller (1939) (Instrumental)

• In The Mood – The Andrews Sisters

• Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (Verse) – The Andrews Sisters

• Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy – Bette Midler

• (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 – Nat King Cole

• Let The Good Times Roll – Shirley and Lee (1956)

• Let The Good Times Roll – Little Richard

• I’m Into Something Good – Herman’s Hermits

• I’m Crying – The Animals

• Heart of Stone (Jagger/Richards) – Rolling Stones (1964)

• On The Road Again – Canned Heat

• Steamroller Blues [aka ‘Steamroller’] – James Taylor (1969)

• Steamroller by Elvis Presley (Cover; from Aloha from Hawaii, Live in Honolulu, 1973)

• I Can Help – Billy Swan (1974)

• I Can Help – Elvis Presley (Cover)

• Kansas City – Wilbert Harrison

8-Bar Blues

• Georgia On My Mind (Hoagy Carmichael & Stuart Gorrell, 1930) by Ray Charles (88)

• Sea of Love (John Philip Baptiste & George Khoury, ca. 1959) by Phil Phillips (89)

• The Midnight Special (Traditional, Before 1905) by Creedence Clearwater Revival

• The Midnight Special (Traditional, Before 1905) by Johnny Rivers (91)

• The Midnight Special by Leadbelly

• Oh, Darling – The Beatles (91)

16-Bar Blues

• Jailhouse Rock – Elvis (94)

• Chantilly Lace – The Big Bopper [Jiles Perry "J.P." Richardson Jr. ] (95)

• Sweet Little Sixteen (Chuck Berry, ca. 1957) by Chuck Berry (95)

• Surfin’ U.S.A. – The Beach Boys (95). “Surfin’ USA” was a new set of lyrics attached to the melody of “Sweet Little Sixteen”

• The Ballad of John and Yoko – The Beatles (95)

• 16-Bar Talking Blues: Alice’s Restaurant – Arlo Guthrie

24-Bar Blues

• Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash (97)

• Slow Down – The Beatles (98)

• She’s A Woman – The Beatles (98)

• Mustang Sally – Wilson Pickett (98)

• Mustang Sally – Muddy Waters

• Mustang Sally – The Young Rascals

• Sunshine Superman – Donovan (98)

• See See Rider – Elvis (1974 Live) (98)

• Often recorded as “C. C. Rider” as for example C. C. Rider by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels (1966)

• Life in the Fast Lane – The Eagles (99)

Return to The 12-Bar Blues Progression