The Best Rhythm and Blues Music to Listen to Right Now
If you’re looking for the best rhythm and blues music to listen to right now, look no further than this blog post. We’ve compiled a list of the top tracks in the genre, so you can enjoy the best of the best.
Best Rhythm and Blues Music
Rhythm and blues music is a genre that combines blues and jazz. This type of music started in the 1920s and is still popular today. If you’re looking for some good rhythm and blues music to listen to, check out these three artists.
The Temptations
The Temptations are an American R&B/soul vocal group who released a stream of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group’s work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top 10 hit single “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)” in 1971, pioneered psychedelic soul, and was significant in the evolution of R&B and soul music. The band members are known for their choreography, distinct vocal harmony style, and costume presentations. Having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are one of the most commercially successful groups in music history.
Otis Redding
Otis Redding, who died in a 1967 plane crash at the age of 26, was one of the most popular and influential singers of his generation. His emotive voice and skillful songwriting made him a star of the 1960s soul scene, and his untimely death only added to his legend. Though he only released six studio albums during his lifetime, Redding left behind a wealth of recordings, including live albums, compilations, and posthumous releases. These are the ten essential Otis Redding albums every R&B fan should own.
Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul (1966)
Redding’s third studio album is widely considered to be his best. It features some of his most popular songs, including “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now),” “Respect,” and “Shake.” The album mixes soul ballads with up-tempo numbers and showcases Redding’s versatility as a singer.
Live in Europe (1967)
Recorded during Redding’s final tour, this live album captures the raw energy of his performances. It includes renditions of some of his best-known songs, like “I Can’t Turn You Loose” and “Try a Little Tenderness,” as well as covers of tunes byAretha Franklin and James Brown.
The Immortal Otis Redding (1968)
This posthumous release is a collection of previously unreleased recordings, including alternate versions of “I Can’t Turn You Loose” and “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” It also features live performances of “Respect” and “Georgia on My Mind.”
Sam and Dave
Considered one of the best soul groups of all time, Sam & Dave consisted of lead vocalists Sam Moore and Dave Prater. Active between 1961 and 1981, the duo had a string of hit singles, including “Soul Man”, “I Thank You”, “Hold On, I’m Comin'”, and “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby”. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
Best Rhythm and Blues Songs
There are a lot of great rhythm and blues songs out there. Here are some of the best ones to listen to right now.
“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by The Temptations
“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” is a 1966 song and signature hit by The Temptations for Motown Records, written by Norman Whitfield and Edward Holland, Jr.. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1967 and became the Temptations’ eighth R&B chart topper. Rolling Stone ranked the song #138 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2004, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
“Respect” by Otis Redding
“Respect” is a song written and originally recorded by Otis Redding in 1965. The song became a 1967 hit and signature song for R&B singer Aretha Franklin. The music in the two versions is significantly different, and through a few changes in the lyrics, the stories told are also different.
Redding’s version is a plea from a desperate man, who will do anything to keep his woman from leaving him. He begs for her understanding and respect, even offering to “cover [her] with kisses”, and reminds her that he works hard for her.
Franklin’s much-emoted version is a declaration from a strong, confident woman, who knows her value (“I’m about to give you all of my money / And all I’m asking in return, honey / Is to give me my propers / When you get home”), and demands that her man treat her with respect (“R-E-S-P-E-C-T / Find out what it means to me”).
“Soul Man” by Sam and Dave
“Soul Man” is a 1966 song written and first performed by soul duo Sam and Dave, issued as a single in 1967. The song was a hit on both the pop and R&B charts, reaching number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in September 1967 and staying there for two weeks. It peaked at number two on the magazine’s R&B chart. It was ranked as the second-best-selling single of 1967 in the US by Billboard. In the UK, the song reached number 26 on the UK Singles Chart in May 1968.
The song is about a hard-working man who is proud of his work ethic. The lyrics include the repetition of the phrase “I’m a soul man”. The song has been covered by many artists, including James Brown, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Luther Ingram, Joe Simon, Grand Funk Railroad, Cheap Trick, Blues Traveler, Tavares, The Commitments, Sam Moore (of Sam and Dave), and Blues Brothers 2000 ( John Goodman and Dan Aykroyd).
Best Rhythm and Blues Albums
It’s been a great year for rhythm and blues music, with a number of excellent albums being released. Here are our picks for the best rhythm and blues albums of the year.
“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by The Temptations
“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” is a 1966 song written by Eddie Holland, Norman Whitfield and Edward Holland Jr. It was first recorded by The Temptations in 1966 and released on their 1967 album The Temptations Sing Smokey. The song reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it number 325 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
“Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul” by Otis Redding
Otis Redding’s Otis Blue is one of the defining albums of the soul era, and arguably the finest record he ever made. It was released in 1965, a tumultuous year in America that saw the Civil Rights Act become law, and yet also witnessed the Watts Riots erupt in Los Angeles. In such a charged atmosphere, Redding’s decision to record an album of covers of contemporaneous rhythm & blues songs took on added significance. These weren’t simply great songs that he wanted to put his own stamp on; they were anthems of the African-American experience, expressing both pride and pain, defiance and despair. And while Redding’s interpretations didn’t always radically reinvent the originals, his sheer emotional power ensured that they became classics in their own right. With its mix of anger and tenderness, Otis Blue is a towering achievement, cementing Redding’s status as one of soul music’s greatest ever artists.
“Soul Men” by Sam and Dave
This album was released in October 1968 and is credited with revitalizing the careers of its two stars, Sam Moore and Dave Prater. The album features their hit singles “Soul Man” and “I Thank You,” both of which are regulary cited as among the greatest soul songs ever recorded. While the album only reached #35 on the Billboard 200, it spent an impressive 13 weeks at #1 on the magazine’s R&B Albums chart.
