While the metropolis may not be the birthplace of the blues, Chicago plays an important role in the urbanization and electrification of the genre. From the blues standard "Sweet Home Chicago" to The Blues Brothers, the city and the music are also inextricably linked in the popular imagination. What are the stories that we tell about the genre and its offshoots, and where and/or how do we separate fact from fiction in popular music? This panel focuses on the narratives of popular music, whether fictitious, historiographical, or somewhere in between.