The Potters recorded their biggest ever Premier League win on the day the club celebrated Sir Stanley Matthews day.
Blackburn visited the Britannia after recently shooting up the table but the hosts put the brakes on their good run with a comprehensive victory.
Stoke didn't take long to get going and after only eight minutes they had the lead as a well struck volley from Danny Higginbotham broke the deadlock, and nearly the net, after a corner was half cleared to the defender.
The Potters continued to dominate the game with Huth having a goal disallowed, the ref giving a harsh foul by Fuller as he headed the ball across goal, and Etherington curling a free kick over the bar inside the opening twenty minutes.
Rovers first opportunity fell to Franco Di Santo but he missed the goal when he should have tested Sorenson in the Potters nets. The on loan Chelsea striker was making a nuisance of himself on the half hour mark and Wilkinson ended up with a severe laceration to his face after diving head first at the Italians feet to block his shot. After lengthy treatment he returns to the pitch and gets a second standing ovation in two minutes from the crowd.
The referee was starting to feel the wrath of the Potters crowd as he waved away clear fouls on Fuller and Lawrence, the latter nearly leading to a goal conceded as the visitors quickly broke and N'Zonzi fired over.
As half time loomed Delap nearly had a hand in a second Stoke goal as his throw missed out Robinson and found Whitehead but his shot was headed over by the defender on the line. Another throw is imminent though and this time its half cleared to Etherington. The in form winger sends in a perfect ball to Sidibe who stabs it past Robinson from close range and doubles the advantage.
Even with a two goal lead Stoke showed no signs of letting up and Shawcross headed an Etherington corner through a cluster of bodies and forced Robinson into an impressive last ditch save.
Things were about to go from bad to worse for Blackburn as powerhouse centre back Chris Samba was sent off for a second booking. After picking up an early caution for jostling with Shawcross in the first half he added a second when he cynically pulled back Fuller after the Jamaican had left him trailing with a superb piece of skill knocking the ball over Samba's head.
Etherington nearly picked up a third assist but Higginbotham's header from the wingers corner was headed off the line and the winger's corners caused more problems minutes later when Fuller headed one at goal only to find the usual large object of Paul Robinson in the way, the keeper flinging himself to his left to tip teh header off the line.
The third goal that weas needed to absolutely kill the game was eventually found on sixty seven minutes when Etherington got sick of teeing everybody else up and went on a mission to seal the game himself. He cut in from the left, danced past three defenders on the edge of the area, played a one-two with Lawrence before turning the last defender and curling the ball into the far corner leaving the keeper with no chance.
Stoke seemed to settle for that result, with a tough schedule ahead in February, but still had time for Higginbotham to have another header cleared off the line and Whelan to have a free kick deflected over the bar.