Cinderella - Bad Seamstress Blues / Fallin' Apart at the Seams

Blues is categorized according to two main groups, Country Blues (sometimes called "Acoustic Blues," the best-known sub-group of Country Blues is Delta Blues) and City Blues (or "Big City Blues").  The distinction is made primarily by how elaborate the artist or group is.  A Country Blues piece may be done by a solo artist or two or more artists, with a small number of instruments, primarily the acoustic guitar (often played with a slide made of a bottleneck or even an improvised slide such as the back of a closed jackknife) and frequently accompanied by a "Blues Harp" (a type of harmonica).  A City Blues piece typically has electric guitar, drum set, and other instruments.

While many fans of Metal in the 1980s seemed to assume that Blues influence on Metal was never stronger, that contention is debatable.  Beginning by the 1960s, Rock artists began to make use of inspiration from both Country Blues and City Blues.  The Yardbirds, Cream, Led Zeppelin (yes, Led Zeppelin were around in the '60s), The Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix are well-known examples.  Eric Clapton even covered "Crossroads Blues," originally written, performed, and recorded by Robert Johnson, sometimes known as "King of the Delta Blues Singers."  In the 1970s, Hard Rock was heavily influenced by Blues, and late '60s / early '70s Acid Rock included a strain that might be better named "Acid Blues."  About the middle of the '80s, however, Metal artists began to seriously study the roots of some of their predecessors (of whom the most influential were probably Led Zeppelin), and went back to those strong Blues roots.  One of the best examples of Blues Metal from the late '80s, the medley performed in the video below demonstrates clearly the influence of Country Blues on the Metal of the period.