The Best of Old School Soul Music

Looking for some good old soul music to listen to? Check out our blog for a list of the best soul songs from the golden era.

The Pioneers

The best of old school soul music would not be complete without the pioneers who created the sound and style that would later be known as classic soul. The originators of old school soul music were the musicians who were brought up in the church and who later migrated to secular music. These artists created a new sound that was a blend of the two genres.

Ray Charles

Ray Charles was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was born in 1930 in Albany, Georgia. He began losing his sight at the age of five, and by the age of seven, he was completely blind. Despite his disability, he became one of the most influential figures in soul music. He blended rhythm and blues, gospel, and country to create a unique sound that appealed to a wide range of audiences. His hit songs include “What’d I Say,” “Georgia on My Mind,” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” Charles won multiple Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

James Brown

James Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and bandleader. The ‘Godfather of Soul’, he was a major figure in the development of funk music and its incorporation into popular culture. Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. He joined an R&B vocal group, the Famous Flames, in 1953, and his career launched into the mainstream from their hit single “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”.

During the 1960s, Brown became noted for his intense live performances featuring elaborate dancing and pyrotechnics powered by his bands’ rhythmic stomping and sharp playing of funk-influenced rock instrumentals. Brown continued to perform and record through the 1970s and 1980s with notable commercially successful singles such as “Get Up”, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” and “Living in America”. His 1986 album Call It Stormy Monday was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Sam Cooke

One of the most important and influential African American musicians of his time, Sam Cooke was born on January 22, 1931, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He first gained attention as the lead singer of The Soul Stirrers, a gospel group with whom he recorded such songs as “Touch the Hem of His Garment” and “Nearer to Thee.” In 1957, Cooke left the group to pursue a career in secular music.

It was as a pop singer that Cooke became a crossover sensation, attracting both black and white audiences with his smooth voice and romantic ballads like “You Send Me” and “Cupid.” He also wrote and recorded more socially conscious material, including the civil rights anthem “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Tragically, Cooke was shot and killed at the age of 33 under mysterious circumstances. His death helped pave the way for other African American artists to achieve mainstream success.

The Motown Sound

The Motown Sound is a subgenre of Soul music that was developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s at Motown Records in Detroit, Michigan. It achieved mainstream success in the 1960s and 1970s with artists such as Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and the Supremes. The Motown sound was characterized by a heavy use of electric bass, acoustic guitar, drums, and horns, as well as clean, melodic vocals.

The Supremes

The Supremes were one of the most successful groups of the 1960s, with a string of hits that includes “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.” The group was originally known as the Primettes, and was composed of Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and Betty McGlown. The group was signed to Motown Records in 1961, and released their first single, “Barbara Ann,” in 1962.

The Supremes achieved their first number-one hit with 1964’s “Where Did Our Love Go,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. The song also reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. The group went on to have a total of twelve number-one hits on the Hot 100, including “Baby Love” (1964), “Come See About Me” (1964), “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965), and “Back in My Arms Again” (1965). The Supremes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

The Temptations

The Temptations are an American vocal group who released a series of chart-topping singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group’s classic lineup featured Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, and David Ruffin. Many of the group’s hits were written by Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield, and Barrett Strong.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles were an American R&B/soul vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as Motown’s first successful chart-toppers. They were formed in 1955 by Smokey Robinson, Warren “Pete” Moore, and Ronnie White. The group’s membership shifted several times over their five-decade career.

The Miracles are notable for having several #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “Shop Around”, “The Tears of a Clown”, and “Love Machine”. They were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.

The Stax Sound

The Stax sound was a product of the South. It was the sound of Memphis, but also the sound of Muscle Shoals, of Detroit, and of Chicago. It was the sound of the 60s, but also the sound of the 70s. It was the sound of Otis Redding, but also the sound of Isaac Hayes.

Otis Redding

Otis Redding is considered one of the greatest soul singers of all time. He was born in Georgia in 1941, and his career began playing clubs in the South. He was discovered by record producer Jerry Wexler, who signed him to Atlantic Records. Redding’s first hit was “Respect,” which quickly became a anthem for the Civil Rights movement. Other hits included “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” and “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long.” Redding’s final album, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” was released posthumously after he tragically died in a plane crash in 1967.

Sam and Dave

Sam & Dave were an American soul and R&B duo who performed together from 1961 through 1981. The duo consisted of singers Sam Moore (1935–2008) and Dave Prater (1937–1988). Several of their songs, such as “Hold On, I’m Comin'”, “Soul Man”, “I Thank You”, and “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby”, are considered among the greatest recordings in pop music history.

The pair’s elated vocal style is often compared with that of James Brown and Otis Redding, and they had a major impact on the development of soul music. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2008, they received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Booker T. and the M.G.’s

Formed in 1962, Booker T. and the M.G.’s were the house band at Memphis’s legendary Stax Records. The group’s instantly recognizable instrumentals like “Green Onions” and “Time Is Tight” helped define the sound of Southern soul music. Over the years, Booker T. and the M.G.’s have backed up everyone from Otis Redding to Bill Withers, but they’re best known for their own classic hits.

The Philly Sound

The Philly sound is a subgenre of old school soul music that was most popular in the 1970s. The Philly sound is known for its use of close harmony vocals, soulful melodies, and a laid-back groove. Some of the most famous Philly sound artists include The O’Jays, The Spinners, and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.

The O’Jays

Formed in Canton, Ohio in the early 1960s, The O’Jays originally comprised Walter Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, Bill Isles and Professional MC Archie Bell. Originally a doo-wop group influenced by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, they later found success with a string of sophisticated soul singles released on Philadelphia International Records in the 1970s. “Back Stabbers,” “Love Train” and “For the Love of Money” were all million-selling hits, while their 1973 album Love Train: The Philly Soul Album was a critical and commercial success. The O’Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.

The Stylistics

The Stylistics are an American soul group that rose to fame in the early 1970s. They were created by Harvey Fuqua of The Moonglows, and featured the lead vocals of Russell Thompkins, Jr. The group’s hits included “You Make Me Feel Brand New”, “Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love)”, “I’m Stone in Love with You” and “Break Up to Make Up”.

Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes

Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes were an American soul and R&B group, one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. The group’s repertoire included various genres, including doo-wop, disco, and urban contemporary music. Founded in 1954 by Harold Melvin, the original lineup of the group consisted of Melvin on lead vocals, Theodore Mills on baritone vocals, Lawrence Brown on tenor vocals, Lloyd Parkes on bass vocals, and Bernard Williams on first tenor vocals.

The group’s most successful single was “If You Don’t Know Me by Now”, which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972. The song was written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and was included on the group’s third studio album, Wake Up Everybody (1975). The album also included the singles “Don’t Leave Me This Way” and “Bad Luck”. Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes continued to release albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s but failed to achieve mainstream success. In 2003, the group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.