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Soul

34,499 releases

Originated in the African American culture of the 20th century, resulting from the combination of the ecstatic vocals of Gospel with the upbeat instrumentation of Rhythm & Blues, consisting of guitar, bass and percussion.
Read more Soul music originated in African-American culture of the 20th century. It resulted from the combination of the ecstatic vocals of Gospel music with the upbeat instrumentation of Rhythm & Blues, consisting of guitar, bass and percussion. Two further strong influences on the style are Big Band brass and the call-and-response style of Work Songs.

The vocal delivery is the most important and distinctive feature of soul music, with most vocalists possessing an expressive, flexible voice. Despite the loose and unleashed feeling of the music, the expectations towards a soul singer include virtuosity and discipline, as well as great abilities as an entertainer. Many soul musicians became icons of popular culture and were more sexually explicit than their contemporaries, a point that was stretched by the closely related Funk, popularized by singer James Brown (who was dubbed the "Godfather of Soul"). Other founding fathers of soul and recording giants are Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder.

During the 1960s, soul music was the most popular form of African-American music with commercially and artistically successful record labels. Motown Records was the leader of the pack, with its distinctive Motown Sound defining the Pop Soul music of the era. Stax Records hailing from Memphis, Tennessee was another significant label for the genre's development with its raw, gritty Southern Soul style. The renaming of the "Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles" Billboard category to "Best Selling Soul Singles" indicated the growing dominance of soul music within African-American music.

Soul spawned other various subgenres and scenes since its inception. Smooth Soul emphasizes the themes of love and seduction with decidedly soft vocals and polished production, exemplified by 1970s-era Marvin Gaye. Chicago Soul combines groove with a glossy studio production. Outside the USA, Samba Soul is the combination of the delivery of soul with the rhythms of Samba by artists such as Jorge Ben. From the 1980s onwards, Contemporary R&B is associated with the vocal delivery also common in soul music, while the 1990s saw Neo-Soul emerge as a fusion of classic (mostly smooth) soul with Hip Hop.

Top-ranked albums

See full chart

#1

Songs in the Key of Life
Stevie Wonder
#2

Igor
Tyler, the Creator
#3

Blonde
Frank Ocean
#4

What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
Image blocked due to account settings.

#5

Love Deluxe
Sade
#6

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
#7

Curtis
Curtis Mayfield
#8

Voodoo
D'Angelo
#9

Pastel Blues
Nina Simone
#10

Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes

Years active

Soul

Discography

34,499 Releases

1 2 ... 250 Next

Release Date

Avg Ratings Reviews

Please, Please, Please / Why Do You Do Me
James Brown & James Brown and The Famous Flames

1956 Single

303 Ratings 6 Reviews 3.62 Average

3.62 303 303 6 6
Ray Charles
Ray Charles

1957 Compilation

572 Ratings 13 Reviews 4.02 Average

4.02 572 572 13 13
Gonna Try / Can't Be the Same
James Brown & James Brown and The Famous Flames

1957 Single

36 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.32 Average

3.32 36 36 1 1
You Send Me / Summertime
Sam Cooke

1957 Single

519 Ratings 12 Reviews 3.93 Average

3.93 519 519 12 12
I'll Come Running Back to You / Forever
Sam Cooke

1957 Single

118 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.56 Average

3.56 118 118 1 1
(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons / Desire Me
Sam Cooke

1957 Single

138 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.34 Average

3.34 138 138 1 1
We Have Love / Singing a Song
Jackie Wilson

1958 Single

10 Ratings 2 Reviews 2.51 Average

2.51 10 10 2 2
Baby Daddy-O / No Other Love
The Blossoms

1958 Single

5 Ratings 3.87 Average

3.87 5 5
Begging, Begging / That's When I Lost My Heart
James Brown and The Famous Flames

1958 Single

42 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.22 Average

3.22 42 42 3 3
Yes Indeed / I Had a Dream
Ray Charles

1958 Single

33 Ratings 3.30 Average

3.30 33 33
To Be Loved / Come Back to Me
Jackie Wilson

1958 Single

61 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.53 Average

3.53 61 61 2 2
Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke

1958 Album

380 Ratings 7 Reviews 3.46 Average

3.46 380 380 7 7
For Your Precious Love / Sweet Was the Wine
Jerry Butler and The Impressions

1958 Single

186 Ratings 5 Reviews 3.73 Average

3.73 186 186 5 5
All of My Life / Stealing Kisses
Sam Cooke

1958 Single

22 Ratings 2 Reviews 2.92 Average

2.92 22 22 2 2
Win Your Love for Me / Love Song From "Houseboat" (Almost in Your Arms)
Sam Cooke

1958 Single

69 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.29 Average

3.29 69 69 1 1

1 2 ... 250 Next

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Hierarchy

See all genres

R&B
Umbrella of styles covering the most popular forms of Black American music from the late 1940s, when the term Rhythm & Blues first appeared; includes the developments of Soul and Funk in the '60s and '70s, and the Contemporary R&B of the 1980s onward.
- Soul
- - Chicago Soul
    Combination of the hard, groove-oriented rhythms of Southern Soul and the sophisticated gloss of the Motown Sound which was developed in Chicago.
  - Country Soul
    Combining the gritty horn-driven sound of Southern Soul with the textures and aesthetics of Country.
  - Deep Soul
    Draws on the typical Southern Soul groove and accentuates the Gospel and Blues influence, particularly Chicago Blues.
  - Latin Soul
    Soul combined with Hispanic American Music, such as Salsa and Mambo.
  - Neo-Soul
    Emerged during the mid-to-late 1990s; defined by a combination of Soul with the rhythmic percussion and groove of Hip Hop.
  - Northern Soul
    Soul popular in northern England in the late 1960s and early 1970s, consisting primarily of lesser-known American artists in the mid-1960s copying the Motown Sound.
  - Philly Soul
    Defined by lush arrangements, often borrowing upon the orchestral instrumentation seen on productions from the 1960s, with the commercial atmosphere exemplified by Pop Soul and the Motown Sound.
  - Pop Soul
    Fusion of Pop and Soul; originated in the 1960s as an attempt to give soul crossover success.
    - Motown Sound
      Succinct, catchy song structures; complex arrangements; Gospel-influenced vocals; highly melodic and rhythmic bass lines; 4-4 drum patterns; often syncopated piano parts; regular use of horn and string sections; and historically a distinctive reverb and treble-heavy production.
  - Psychedelic Soul
    Soul which incorporates the effects and instrumentation of Psychedelic Rock.
  - Smooth Soul
    Slow tempo ballads with silky, often sensual, vocals and light, polished arrangements, creating an intimate, romantic atmosphere.
  - Southern Soul
    Soul primarily from the American South that was popular in the 1960s and 1970s, with a gritty and raw sound that places an emphasis on the groove, making it highly danceable.

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Contributions

Contributors to this page: diction Nakkinak ecjam6

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