Heartbreak, hard times, and harrowing emotion. These are just some of the descriptors that come to mind when we think of blues, folk, and country music.

Each of these genres has distinct origins and styles, but there are some commonalities. Think of the quintessential instrumentation: acoustic guitars, fiddles, banjos, harmonicas, drums, and soulful or harmonic vocals. Indeed, vocals and lyrics are often key features.

As with other musical genres, there are subgenres within blues, folk, and country, with each having adopted rock and roll elements along the way: electric guitars and bass, for example.

That being said, the musical arrangements in blues, country, and folk music tend to be simpler than, say, jazz or classical.

For blues, country, and folk music, we recommend headphones that are balanced and neutral. You want a headphone that will showcase guitar strums and more sparse, soulful, and acoustic arrangements. A headphone with a full sound and a bit of "grit" is desirable. You want to hear the plucking of the strings, all of the nuance and emotion in the singer's voice.

To help you narrow your headphone choices, we've curated a list of what we consider to be our best headphones for listening to blues, country, and folk music. If you're looking for the best headphones under $1,000, you've got some great options. If you're looking to spend a little more, we've recommended a few headphones in the $1,000 to $2,000 range. Finally, you'll see some "cream of the crop" headphones over $2,000. Click on any headphone image to learn more.