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Contemporary R&B

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Contemporary R&B

34,580 releases

Characterized by soulful, passionate and melismatic vocals originally derived from popular Soul and Disco, and by smooth, lush and often synthezised production variously influenced by Hip Hop, Funk, and related strands of Pop.
Read more Contemporary R&B is a form of music that emerged in the US in the early 1980s. The style mixes the vocal techniques associated with earlier R&B genres and Disco, with a form of synthesized and smooth production characterized by lush arrangements, and electronically programmed rhythms sometimes influenced by Hip Hop. Contemporary R&B has been intrinsically connected to the rise of certain forms of Pop music, and to pop music in general. Contemporary R&B sticks to typical pop songwriting and is almost universally based on verse-chorus structures. Lyrically, the genre is nearly always about love, romance, and relationships, though many artists have written songs discussing other subjects.

The roots of the genre go back to the late disco era, when producer Quincy Jones created a more eclectic and smoother sound that was still derived from disco, but already presented a departure from it. The resulting album, Off the Wall, served as an important early point for the genre. Hip hop became an increasingly prominent influence in the genre throughout the 1980s, both in production and the later incorporation of rapping. This influence was manifested in styles like the American New Jack Swing style and the British UK Street Soul.

The sound of contemporary R&B underwent changes in the early 1990s in the form of Hip Hop Soul as the earlier reliance on synth-heavy production was replaced with dominant influence from newer hip hop styles like Boom Bap. Neo-Soul emerged in the mid-to-late 1990s in the US and the UK, characterized by the incorporation of 1970s Soul influences and other older Afro-American genres onto a palette of hip hop and contemporary R&B production.

Contemporary R&B enjoyed a period of massive commercial success and popularity in the 2000s. The genre became frequently mixed with Pop Rap, Dance-Pop, and Electropop, in addition to other forms of popular music. The deliberate use of auto-tune, which would become much more widespread in the 2010s, was also introduced then.

The 2010s introduced a number of new prominent influences in R&B production, from the rhythms of Trap and certain post-Dubstep trends to the growing popularity of 2010s Electronic Dance Music genres in mainstream music. The former partially resulted in the emergence of Alternative R&B. The growing popularity of trap music was further manifested in the music of many popular artists, who utilized the genre's rhythms for their singing, with many other trap artists creating seamless blends of both genres, solidifying into distinct styles like Trap Soul. While many artists from the decade attempted to create more futuristic, colorful R&B music with heavier electronic elements, the 2010s also saw a prominent nostalgia wave that revived 1980s production styles.

Contemporary R&B's global influence has resulted in its sustained influence over many other popular music genres, including Afrobeats, Dancehall, Reggaetón, amongst others. Despite that, the main center where most popular R&B musicians originate from remains firmly rooted in the Anglophone world.

Top-ranked albums

See full chart

#1

Blonde
Frank Ocean
#2

Thriller
Michael Jackson
#3

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
#4

Sign "☮︎" the Times
Prince
#5

The Velvet Rope
Janet
#6

The Ghost~Pop Tape
Devon Hendryx
#7

The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
#8

E
Ecco2k
#9

Transient
Gaelle
#10

Aaliyah
Aaliyah

Years active

Contemporary R&B

Discography

34,580 Releases

1 2 ... 250 Next

Release Date

Avg Ratings Reviews

Prince
Prince

1979 Album

5k Ratings 71 Reviews 3.49 Average

3.49 5k 5,031 71 71
Rock With You / Working Day and Night
Michael Jackson

1979 Single

1k Ratings 12 Reviews 4.02 Average

4.02 1k 1,256 12 12
Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase

1980 Album

1 Ratings 2.50 Average

2.50 1 1
When I Come Knocking
Poncho C. Saint Fingers

1980 Single

15 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.41 Average

3.41 15 15 1 1
Just How Sweet Is Your Love
Rhyze

1980 Album

19 Ratings 3.56 Average

3.56 19 19
You and Me
Rockie Robbins

1980 Album

22 Ratings 3.52 Average

3.52 22 22
René & Angela
René & Angela

1980 Album

23 Ratings 3.44 Average

3.44 23 23
Give Me the Night
George Benson

1980 Album

636 Ratings 11 Reviews 3.39 Average

3.39 636 636 11 11
Jermaine
Jermaine Jackson

1980 Album

24 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.36 Average

3.36 24 24 1 1
Triumph
The Jacksons

1980 Album

865 Ratings 23 Reviews 3.68 Average

3.68 865 865 23 23
Twennynine With Lenny White
Twennynine Featuring Lenny White

1980 Album

32 Ratings 2.90 Average

2.90 32 32
The Gap Band III
The Gap Band

1980 Album

204 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.50 Average

3.50 204 204 2 2
Avenida Brasil
Marina

1981 Single

10 Ratings 4.29 Average

4.29 10 10
When Love Calls / Mystery Girl
Atlantic Starr

1981 Single

27 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.56 Average

3.56 27 27 2 2
One Hundred Ways / Velas
Quincy Jones

1981 Single

51 Ratings 2 Reviews 2.92 Average

2.92 51 51 2 2

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.
- Contemporary R&B
- - Alternative R&B
    Deviating from the traditional styles of Contemporary R&B and featuring smooth, reverberated, Electronic-influenced production with heavy bass and often reverberated vocals.
  - Hip Hop Soul
    Hip Hop-oriented style that evolved out of New Jack Swing in the early 1990s.
  - New Jack Swing
    Mixes light Hip Hop & Funk production techniques with Contemporary R&B vocals and melodies as well as swinging and danceable drum grooves.
  - Trap Soul
    Mixes passionate vocals derived from Contemporary R&B with laid-back, nocturnal and atmospheric Trap production.
  - UK Street Soul
    Emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s; combines raw basslines and breakbeats with Contemporary R&B/Soul vocals.

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