Ranking of popular blues songs
Blues reached its peak from the 1960s to the 1970s and continues to be loved today.
It has a close relationship with music rooted in Black music, and its techniques are still being adopted today in various forms.
We looked into classic and popular songs by legendary artists.
In this article, we’ve selected popular tracks based on reliable feedback from blues fans submitted to our site so far.
Among them, we’ll present the most highly regarded songs in a ranking format.
Please enjoy.
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Blues Popular Song Rankings (71–80)
When dawn breaksAsakawa Maki78rank/position
When people think of the blues, many picture a genre that’s gritty and energetic.
That’s certainly true for a lot of songs, but there are also blues pieces with a dark, heavy atmosphere.
Those are commonly called “withered blues,” and Maki Asakawa is widely acclaimed as Japan’s best female singer-songwriter when it comes to performing them.
Her music blends elements of jazz and blues into a dark yet stylish sound, making it a great pick for a late-night karaoke song.
Rainy Day BluesNAGISA YŪKO79rank/position
It is a single released by Yūko Nagisa in August 1971, which peaked at No.
8 on the Oricon weekly chart and won the Broadcast Music Award at the 2nd Japan Kayō Awards.
In the same year, it was covered on Reiko Ike’s album Ecstasy World.
Woman’s BluesFuji Keiko80rank/position
It was Keiko Fuji’s second single, released in February 1970.
This song became her first to reach No.
1 on the Oricon weekly chart and was a hit, selling 1.1 million copies.
The B-side featured “Anata Makase no Blues.”
Blues Popular Song Rankings (81–90)
FEEL SO BADodoru! disuko muromachi81rank/position
“FEEL SO BAD” is a funk number that’ll have your body swaying before you know it.
It was released in August 2022 by Kyoto funk band Odoru! Disco Muromachi.
The interplay between the fast-driving guitar and horn sounds is a blast and really lifts your spirits! Even in this modern era of shorter tracks, it clocks in at under two minutes.
The title might remind some listeners of James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good).” With a funky, cool vibe steeped in Black music, it’s perfect for cranking up your energy!
BOMBER GIRLKondō Fusanosuke & Oda Tetsurō82rank/position
This is a collaborative single released in 1992 by Fuyunosuke Kondo—also a member of B.B.
Queens, famous for Odoru Pompokolin—and Tetsuro Oda, a melody maker behind numerous hit songs.
Oda’s sultry vibe and Kondo’s funkiness intertwine, and the resulting cool, seasoned sound is incredibly stylish.
They say it was crafted to showcase Kondo’s bluesy qualities to a broader audience.
It’s catchy yet masculine in mood and vocals, letting you fully enjoy its bluesy character.
Asahi Towerchiaki naomi83rank/position
Asahi-ro is a song I especially recommend to women.
Although the original is a Western song, it has been covered by many artists in Japan.
Among them, Naomi Chiaki’s cover is particularly famous.
The song’s theme is quite dark, but it matches the despair and wistfulness of the melody, and there are many powerful melodic passages throughout.
It’s a vocally challenging piece, but because the melody makes it easy to sing with feeling, I encourage you to give it a try.
Are You That Somebody?Aaliyah84rank/position
The latest “Top 250 Songs of the 1990s,” released in September 2022 by the renowned American music site Pitchfork, was boldly revamped to reflect its impact on today’s music industry and culture, and it became a major topic among music fans.
All five of the top spots were taken by female artists, and particularly noteworthy within this edition’s theme of Black music is Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody?” at No.
3.
A genius singer who tragically died in an accident at the young age of 22—and someone even Hikaru Utada admired—Aaliyah released “Are You That Somebody?” in 1998.
Interestingly, it wasn’t included on an original studio album; it was written specifically for the film Dr.
Dolittle.
Produced by Timbaland, the hitmaking producer who would dominate the charts from the 2000s onward, the track brilliantly fuses streetwise hip-hop vibes with refined R&B and pop elements, achieving major commercial success.
Aaliyah’s restrained vocal delivery is entirely different from singers who belt with soulful power, and precisely for that reason, the song’s exceptional coolness stands out.
Within such an information-dense track, her composed vocal style influenced many artists.
Now, in the 2020s, many young artists are emerging who are influenced by ’90s R&B.
By listening to this song—which already radiates a classic sheen—you can trace the roots of today’s R&B-oriented singers.
