Top Soul Music Artists of 2014

As we head into the new year, it’s time to take a look back at the top soul music artists of 2014. These are the artists who have kept us grooving and inspired us with their music.

Al Green

A Smooth Operator

Al Green is a legendary name in soul music. The minister-turned-musician has been entertaining audiences for decades with his silky voice and smooth tunes. He’s been nominated for Grammys, won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Green’s most well-known songs include “Let’s Stay Together” and “Tired of Being Alone.”

Aretha Franklin

Ranked the #1 greatest artist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, Aretha Franklin is a true legend in the world of soul music. Born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1942, she started singing gospel music at her father’s church when she was just a child. After moving to Detroit in 1956, her career took off and she soon became one of the most popular R&B singers of the 1960s. Over the course of her long and successful career, she has released dozens of hit songs, including “Respect”, “Chain of Fools”, and “I Say a Little Prayer”. She has won numerous awards, including 18 Grammy Awards, and was even given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2009. At the age of 71, she is still going strong and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of hits, including “Ain’t That Peculiar”, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”. Gaye’s final recordings were the three albums that comprise The Marvin Gaye Collection: In Our Lifetime?, Love Man and Midnight Love.

Otis Redding

Otis Redding was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a major figure in the development of soul music. His singing style influenced many other soul artists of the 1960s.

During his short career, Redding wrote and recorded a number of landmark songs, including “Respect”, “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay”, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”, “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)”, and “Try a Little Tenderness”. All four of these songs were released after his death in a plane crash at just 26 years old. At the time of his death, Redding was one of the most popular live performers in America.

Rolling Stone ranked him as number 8 on its list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time and number 4 on its list of 100 Greatest Voices Of All Time.

Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke was an African-American singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocals and importance within popular music. Cooke had 29 Top 40 hits in the U.S. between 1957 and 1964 including major hits “You Send Me”, “A Change Is Gonna Come”, and “Wonderful World”. Majority of his work consists of pop, soul, and R&B genres.

Stevie Wonder

Even at the age of 64, Stevie Wonder is still going strong. He released two new albums in 2014, and both received critical acclaim. His songs are timeless classics that evoke emotion and touch the soul. He is a true legend in the world of soul music.

The Temptations

The Temptations are an American vocal group who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group’s best-known lineup included Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, and David Ruffin. Although having 28 charted singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including three number-one hits, “My Girl”, “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”, and “I Wish It Would Rain”, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.