The blues became a prominent American musical form at the turn of the 20th century. The style originated in communities of former African slaves, deriving from spirituals, praise songs, field hollers, shouts, and chants. The use of blue notes and the prominence of call-and-response patterns in the music and lyrics can be linked to centuries-old musical styles from West Africa. The blues has been a major influence on American and Western popular music, inspiring ragtime, jazz, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, hip-hop, and country music. More about Music in Poetry, Ballad and Blues Stanzas