Mississippi's 'Home Of The Blues' Is A Retro City That Feels Stuck In The '70s

Music from the United States has been a global pop culture force for practically 100 years. What makes American music history so interesting is how much the genres change from region to region. For an iconic look at rock and roll history, head to Cleveland and Memphis. For the origins of grunge, head to Seattle. For blues, the perhaps unassuming Clarksdale, Mississippi is the place to go.

Historians credit the blues — more specifically Mississippi Delta blues– to late 19th-century and early 20th-century singers around the Mississippi River. Blues artists brought their music to bigger cities during the early 20th century, which allowed for it to influence future genres like R&B, rock and roll, and even rap. Clarksdale claims to be the birthplace of the blues. Even if this is debatable, it is a great addition to any music lover's travel bucket list. Clarksdale's retro downtown features stops on the Mississippi Blues Trail and famous blues musicians like Muddy Waters, Ike Turner, and Robert Johnson have significant connections here. The town could find itself among the best live music cities too, as it claims to have live music somewhere in the city every single night. Bonus: It's also the setting of the hit 2025 horror movie, "Sinners," which prominently features Clarksdale's blues history.

In central Clarksdale, check out a landmark for an urban legend at the intersection of Desoto Avenue and North State Street, a spot better known as the Blues Crossroads. The story goes that this was where blues pioneer Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in order to gain his intriguing musical skills. Just around the corner from the Blues Crossroads is the Riverside Hotel, one of the only hotels for African Americans in Jim Crow-era Mississippi. Ike Turner, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and more blues musicians spent time here. Now as part of the Mississippi Blues Trail, the Riverside Hotel houses the Living Blues and Civil Rights Museum.

If you can only make one stop on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Clarksdale, make it the Delta Blues Museum. It has received national recognition on multiple occasions throughout its nearly 50 years of blues history preservation. Highlights include the remains of the cabin where Muddy Waters lived as a sharecropper, exhibits about the Great Migration of during which millions of African Americans began moving to cities in the 1920s, and deep dives into the stories of blues legends.

Although Clarksdale's cultural impacts date back much further, this city is well-loved for its 1970s feel. Downtown Clarksdale around the Delta Blues Museum has not changed much since this decade. Along the streets, you'll notice handwritten ads for live music performances and lots of vinyl records. To do some vinyl crate digging for yourself, head to Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art. The store's mismatched decor, exposed brick, and scuffed paint all add to the vintage appeal. Across the street is the Mississippi Blues Trail marker for WROX Radio, a station that first went on-air in the mid-1940s and gained popularity for showcasing local blues performers.

Popular places in Clarksdale to enjoy some of the previously mentioned live music include Ground Zero Blues Club. Musicians perform here each night from Wednesday through Saturday. There are plenty of southern staples to enjoy for dinner too, like friend green tomatoes, catfish, and deep-fried pecan pie. To sip on some bourbon or original cocktails while you enjoy some blues music, head to Levon's. But when in Clarksdale, perhaps simply follow the sounds of this all-American genre and see what venues you stumble across.