The Best of 70s Soul Music

Looking for some soulful tunes from the 70s? Check out our roundup of the best soul music from the decade, featuring classics from Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and more.

Introduction

Are you looking for the best of 70s soul music? Well, you’ve come to the right place! On this page, you’ll find a comprehensive guide to the greatest soul hits of the 1970s.

The 1970s was a groundbreaking decade for soul music. With the rise of disco in the latter half of the decade, soul music evolved and diversified, giving birth to new subgenres like funk and Philadelphia soul. But no matter what form it took, soul music remained at its core about emotions, about feeling, about connection.

On this page, we’ve compiled some of the greatest hits from the decade, from both well-known artists and more obscure ones. So whether you’re a diehard fan of Aretha Franklin or Al Green, or you’re just discovering the joys of 70s soul music for the first time, we hope you’ll find something to enjoy here!

What is Soul Music?

The term “soul” has been used to describe many different genres of music over the years, but it wasn’t until the late 1950s that soul music began to develop as its own distinct genre. Soul music is a combination of rhythm and blues and gospel music that originated in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Some of the earliest soul musicians were Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Stevie Wonder. These artists helped to define the sound of soul music with their tempered yet emotional vocal performances and their heavy use of rhythm and blues musical stylings.

While there have been many different interpretations of soul music over the years, the genre is generally characterized by its focus on emotion, its use of call-and-response patterns, its emphasis on groove and rhythm, and its distinctive vocal style.

The Origins of Soul Music

Though soul music is often thought of as a product of the southern United States, its roots can actually be traced back to the African-American community in the northeastern city of Philadelphia. In the early 1950s, a local record label called Gotham began releasing a series of groundbreaking recordings by black vocal groups like the Dixie Hummingbirds and the Swans. These records caught the ear of a young Philadelphia disc jockey named Frankie Crocker, who began playing them on his popular radio show.

Crocker’s show helped to popularize soul music in Philly and beyond, and by the end of the decade, the city had become one of the most important centers for black music in America. Motown Records, which would go on to launch the careers of some of the biggest names in soul and R&B, was founded in Detroit in 1959, but it wasn’t until 1961 that Philly really began to make its mark on the genre. That year, two local labels – Gamble and Huff’s Philadelphia International Records and Thom Bell’s Newtowne – released a series of hit singles that would help define the sound of Soul Music for years to come.

The Best of 70s Soul Music

The 70s was a golden era for soul music, with a host of classic artists and songs emerging from the decade. From the smooth sounds of Al Green to the funky grooves of Parliament-Funkadelic, 70s soul music is still hugely popular today.

Here are just a few of the best soul tracks from the 1970s:

-Al Green – “Love and Happiness”
-The Stylistics – “You Make Me Feel Brand New”
-Aretha Franklin – “Rock Steady”
-Tower of Power – “Soul With A Capital S”
-War – “The Cisco Kid”
-Marvin Gaye – “Got to Give It Up”
-Kool & The Gang – “Hollywood Swinging”
– Parliament – “Flash Light”

The Legacy of Soul Music

The 1970s was a decade that saw the birth and rise of a new genre of music, known as disco. However, amidst the disco mania, another type of music was also gaining popularity – soul music. Soul music is a genre that combines elements of rhythm and blues, gospel, and sometimes jazz. Unlike disco, which is often associated with hedonism and excess, soul music is often seen as music with a message, as it often deals with topics such as love, social issues, and spirituality.

The early 1970s saw the release of some of the defining albums of the genre, such as Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and Stevie Wonder’s “Talking Book”. These albums were not only critically acclaimed, but were also commercial successes, reaching the top of the Billboard charts. The popularity of soul music continued into the late 1970s and early 1980s with artists such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Prince becoming some of the biggest names in popular music.

Today, the influence of soul music can still be felt in many genres of popular music. R&B and hip-hop artists often cite soul musicians as their biggest influences, and many contemporary pop singers have been influenced by the style and sound of classic soul music. The legacy of soul music is one that has endured for over 50 years and looks set to continue for many years to come.