R&B is a genre of music that was pioneered by the African-American community in the 1940s, and can often be recognized by its soulful melodies and emotional vocals. “Rhythm and blues” stems from a mixture of jazz and blues music, and often features piano, guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, and other electronic instruments. Thanks to artists like Louis Jordan’s Tympany Five, Big Joe Turner, James Brown, and LaVern Baker, R&B became immensely popular in New Orleans. The migration of African-Americans across the U.S. allowed R&B to spread across the country, gathering more popularity for the genre and for other artists, like Little Richard, Ray Charles, and Fats Domino. Later, R&B began incorporating more modern elements, and singers like Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye paved the way for Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.
Today, R&B has evolved into several sub-genres that capture a variety of listeners from around the globe. Soul, contemporary R&B (with hip-hop elements), neo-soul, and gospel have all stemmed from the genre. Because it is so broad, listing the top five songs and artists of R&B is difficult; however, many people agree that Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin are the faces of R&B. Personally, I love alternative and indie R&B, like Frank Ocean and SZA, and definitely enjoy classics like Michael Jackson and Lauren Hill as well. For songs, I would have to suggest SZA’s “Prom” and “Good Days” and “Pyramids” and “Pink + White” by Frank Ocean. There are many other fantastic R&B songs and artists, and I would definitely encourage anyone to explore the genre and find music that they resonate with.
