Best Rhythm & Blues albums of all time - Rate Your Music
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Top Rhythm & Blues albums of all time

Separate: live, archival, soundtracks and scores
Updated: 21 May
Average Ratings Reviews
Nina Simone - Pastel Blues, Cover art
4.02 9k 9,354 72 72
October 1965 Album
passionate melancholic spiritual melodic conscious longing sombre love
9k Ratings 72 Reviews 4.02 Average
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black, Cover art
3.84 15k 14,852 238 238
27 October 2006 Album
lonely drugs alcohol breakup melodic love bittersweet hedonistic
15k Ratings 238 Reviews 3.84 Average
Bobby Bland - Two Steps From the Blues, Cover art
May 1961 Album
passionate
869 Ratings 23 Reviews 3.83 Average
Little Richard - Little Richard, Cover art
21 July 1958 Album
energetic playful raw sexual passionate rhythmic longing uplifting
1k Ratings 25 Reviews 3.81 Average
Etta James - At Last!, Cover art
3.79 3k 3,406 48 48
15 November 1960 Album
passionate love melodic sentimental breakup sensual romantic lush
3k Ratings 48 Reviews 3.79 Average
Little Richard - Here's Little Richard, Cover art
4 March 1957 Album
energetic playful passionate uplifting party happy raw rhythmic
5k Ratings 70 Reviews 3.71 Average
Ray Charles - Crying Time, Cover art
March 1966 Album
197 Ratings 5 Reviews 3.72 Average
Booker T. & The M.G.'s - Melting Pot, Cover art
January 1971 Album
instrumental rhythmic psychedelic passionate
817 Ratings 27 Reviews 3.68 Average
Ike & Tina Turner - Workin' Together, Cover art
December 1970 Album
warm uplifting melodic
519 Ratings 12 Reviews 3.67 Average
The Staple Singers - Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, Cover art
February 1972 Album
spiritual warm conscious passionate uplifting
433 Ratings 10 Reviews 3.67 Average
Bo Diddley - The Black Gladiator, Cover art
June 1970 Album
summer warm psychedelic energetic raw playful rhythmic eclectic
401 Ratings 11 Reviews 3.66 Average
Laura Nyro and Labelle - Gonna Take a Miracle, Cover art
17 November 1971 Album
melodic uplifting rhythmic energetic passionate
874 Ratings 20 Reviews 3.64 Average
Nina Simone - Forbidden Fruit, Cover art
1961 Album
breakup love soft playful lonely melancholic energetic longing
762 Ratings 10 Reviews 3.64 Average
Nina Simone - Silk & Soul, Cover art
21 August 1967 Album
uplifting passionate love political soothing romantic spiritual melodic
786 Ratings 5 Reviews 3.63 Average
Bo Diddley - Have Guitar, Will Travel, Cover art
January 1960 Album
rhythmic raw playful energetic noisy passionate urban love
538 Ratings 14 Reviews 3.63 Average
The Yardbirds - Having a Rave Up With The Yardbirds, Cover art
15 November 1965 Album
energetic raw passionate longing playful warm love psychedelic
2k Ratings 47 Reviews 3.60 Average
Ike & Tina Turner - River Deep - Mountain High, Cover art
September 1966 Album
Wall of Sound love uplifting melodic epic passionate lush romantic
892 Ratings 27 Reviews 3.62 Average
LaVern Baker - LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith, Cover art
March 1958 Album
melodic love
173 Ratings 7 Reviews 3.64 Average
Ike & Tina Turner and The Ikettes - Come Together, Cover art
May 1970 Album
205 Ratings 4 Reviews 3.64 Average
James Brown - Soul on Top, Cover art
April 1970 Album
358 Ratings 6 Reviews 3.62 Average
Etta James - The Second Time Around, Cover art
14 December 1961 Album
202 Ratings 3.64 Average
The King Khan & BBQ Show - The King Khan & BBQ Show, Cover art
May 2005 Album
energetic playful lo-fi raw uplifting melodic noisy sarcastic
654 Ratings 12 Reviews 3.60 Average
Amy Winehouse - Frank, Cover art
3.57 5k 4,680 84 84
20 October 2003 Album
lush urban romantic passionate love mellow bittersweet nocturnal
5k Ratings 84 Reviews 3.57 Average
Chuck Berry - After School Session, Cover art
May 1957 Album
playful rhythmic passionate melodic rebellious warm
1k Ratings 32 Reviews 3.60 Average
The Chambers Brothers - The Time Has Come, Cover art
November 1967 Album
melodic passionate spiritual uplifting love warm lush psychedelic
784 Ratings 24 Reviews 3.60 Average
Them - The "Angry" Young Them!, Cover art
11 June 1965 Album
raw rebellious rhythmic energetic passionate angry
1k Ratings 44 Reviews 3.59 Average
Them - Them Again, Cover art
3.60 677 677 8 8
21 January 1966 Album
romantic passionate
677 Ratings 8 Reviews 3.60 Average
Eric Burdon and War - The Black-Man's Burdon, Cover art
December 1970 Album
energetic conscious passionate eclectic
550 Ratings 19 Reviews 3.60 Average
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger, Cover art
15 November 1960 Album
rhythmic energetic
579 Ratings 17 Reviews 3.60 Average
Ray Charles - Genius + Soul = Jazz, Cover art
February 1961 Album
496 Ratings 13 Reviews 3.60 Average
Jimmy Reed - I'm Jimmy Reed, Cover art
August 1958 Album
love longing bittersweet warm raw optimistic
295 Ratings 6 Reviews 3.61 Average
The Temptations - The Temptations Sing Smokey, Cover art
22 March 1965 Album
happy warm romantic uplifting melodic vocal group love lush
605 Ratings 13 Reviews 3.59 Average
Bo Diddley - In the Spotlight, Cover art
July 1960 Album
playful energetic rhythmic
241 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.60 Average
Jr. Walker & the All Stars - Shotgun, Cover art
May 1965 Album
rhythmic happy party energetic instrumental
280 Ratings 6 Reviews 3.60 Average
Bo Diddley - Go Bo Diddley, Cover art
July 1959 Album
eclectic repetitive playful rhythmic passionate
721 Ratings 5 Reviews 3.58 Average
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley Is a Lover, Cover art
February 1961 Album
playful energetic love rhythmic
192 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.60 Average
Small Faces - Small Faces, Cover art
3.56 1k 1,003 32 32
6 May 1966 Album
energetic
1k Ratings 32 Reviews 3.56 Average
Sam Cooke - Twistin' the Night Away, Cover art
April 1962 Album
happy uplifting party melodic passionate energetic
341 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.56 Average
The Spencer Davis Group - Gimme Some Lovin', Cover art
March 1967 Album
energetic rhythmic
215 Ratings 5 Reviews 3.57 Average
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Soundtracks

  • Various Artists - Wattstax: The Living Word, Cover art
    235 Ratings 12 Reviews 3.86 Average
    3.86 235 235 12 12
  • The Blues Brothers - The Blues Brothers, Cover art
    2k Ratings 29 Reviews 3.80 Average
    3.80 2k 1,821 29 29
  • Various Artists - Grease, Cover art
    Grease
    1978 Album
    1k Ratings 31 Reviews 3.30 Average
    3.30 1k 1,129 31 31
  • Amy Winehouse / Antonio Pinto - Amy, Cover art
    120 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.33 Average
    3.33 120 120 2 2
  • Various Artists - Blues Brothers 2000, Cover art
    97 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.46 Average
    3.46 97 97 3 3
  • Live

  • Nina Simone - Emergency Ward!, Cover art
    411 Ratings 9 Reviews 3.94 Average
    3.94 411 411 9 9
  • Etta James - Rocks the House, Cover art
    439 Ratings 10 Reviews 3.92 Average
    3.92 439 439 10 10
  • Van Morrison - It's Too Late to Stop Now, Cover art
    2k Ratings 53 Reviews 3.87 Average
    3.87 2k 1,534 53 53
  • James Brown - 'Live' at the Apollo, Cover art
    5k Ratings 94 Reviews 3.76 Average
    3.76 5k 4,587 94 94
  • Archival

  • Jimi Hendrix - West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology, Cover art
    194 Ratings 11 Reviews 3.93 Average
    3.93 194 194 11 11
  • The Rolling Stones - On Air, Cover art
    206 Ratings 8 Reviews 3.76 Average
    3.76 206 206 8 8
  • Frank Zappa - Joe's Corsage, Cover art
    192 Ratings 11 Reviews 3.38 Average
    3.38 192 192 11 11
  • Albert King / Otis Rush - Door to Door, Cover art
    147 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.59 Average
    3.59 147 147 3 3
  • Otis Redding with Booker T. & the MG's and the Mar-Keys - Captured Live at the Monterey International Pop Festival (Do It Just One More Time), Cover art
    4.06 63 63
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