Seventies Soul Music Hits: The Best of the Best

Looking for the best Seventies Soul Music Hits? Look no further than our definitive list of the top tunes from the era!

Introduction

The seventies was a golden era for soul music. It was a time when the genre reached its commercial and critical peak, with a string of hits that are still beloved today. This guide will take you through some of the best soul hits of the seventies, including tracks from artists like Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, and Al Green. Whether you’re a diehard fan of soul music or just getting started, this guide is sure to have something for you. So put on your dancing shoes and get ready to take a trip down memory lane with some of the best soul hits of the seventies.

What is Soul Music?

Soul music is a genre that originated in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It combines elements of African-American gospel music, rhythm and blues, and sometimes jazz. Soul music became popular in the 1960s, reaching its height in the 1970s with artists such as Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Al Green.

The Origins of Soul Music

The origins of soul music can be traced back to the 1950s, when rhythm and blues artists like Sam Cooke and Ray Charles began incorporating gospel elements into their songs. In the 1960s, Motown Records launched the careers of such legendary soul artists as Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. The following decade saw the rise of Philadelphia soul and disco. But it was really in the 1970s that soul music reached its commercial and artistic peak, with a string of classic hits by artists likeAretha Franklin, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Sly and the Family Stone, and Barry White.

The Elements of Soul Music

Most music has a beat, a melody, and harmony, but soul music also has an added ingredient: feeling. The best soul songs have a way of making you feel what the singer is feeling, whether it’s happiness, pain, love, or loss. And while many songs can make you tap your feet or sing along, only a truly great soul song can make you feel like you’ve been hit in the heart.

What is it about certain songs that can affect us so deeply? It’s hard to say, but there are certain elements that are common in many soul songs. These elements include:

-A strong lead vocal performance: The best soul singers have a powerful voice that can convey emotion and convey the meaning of the lyrics.
-Call and response: This element is often used in gospel music, but it’s also common in soul music. It involves the lead singer singing a line or phrase and then the background singers or the audience responding with another line or phrase. This back-and-forth can create a sense of community and connection between the singer and the listener.
-Horns: A brass section (usually made up of trumpets and trombones) is often used in soul music to add energy and excitement to the song.
-Hand claps and foot stomps: These simple percussive sounds can add a lot of power and energy to a song.
-Layers of sound: Many soul songs have multiple instruments playing at the same time (such as keyboards, guitars, bass, drums), which creates a rich sound that can be very pleasing to listen to.

The Best of the Best

If you’re a fan of seventies soul music, then you’re in for a treat. This list contains some of the best soul music hits from the seventies. FromAretha Franklin to Marvin Gaye, these tracks are sure to get you grooving.

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr.; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) 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”. He recorded more than 30 No. 1 Billboard R&B singles and achieved worldwide fame for his work as an artist on the Motown label in the 1970s.

Born in Washington, D.C., Gaye was the second eldest child of Martha Beatrice (née Haughton) and Marvin Gay Sr., an ordained Pentecostal minister who served as a deacon at New Hope Baptist Church in Washington. Gaye’s first home was in a public housing project, the Fairfax Apartments near Monroe Street and Zanada Avenue NW in the Brentwood neighborhood of Northeast Washington. His father had relocated their family after being convicted of assault for punching a police officer who had tried to break up one of his father’s rollicking gospel sing-alongs on Chicago Avenue NW near 14th Street NW.

Stevie Wonder

The best of the best of the seventies soul music hits, with a focus on the work of Stevie Wonder.

In the seventies, soul music underwent a radical transformation. The classic sound of Motown gave way to a more eclectic, experimental style that blended elements of funk, disco, and rock. This new sound was dominated by a handful of superstar artists, including Stevie Wonder.

Wonder is widely considered to be one of the greatest songwriters of all time. He has won 25 Grammy Awards, and his hits include “Superstition,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” and “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.” He is also one of the few artists to achieve success across multiple genres, including pop, R&B, and funk.

If you’re looking for the best of the best when it comes to seventies soul music, you can’t go wrong with Stevie Wonder.

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was minister. In 1960, at the age of 18, she embarked on a secular career, recording for Columbia Records but only achieving modest success. After signing to Atlantic Records in 1966, Franklin achieved commercial acclaim and success with songs such as “Respect”, “A Natural Woman” and “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”.

Franklin went on to achieve international acclaim with a series of successful albums such as I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967), Aretha Arrives (1967), Lady Soul (1968), Spirit in the Dark (1970), Amazing Grace (1972), Let Me in Your Life (1974) and Sparkle (1976). During this time she won a total of 18 Grammy Awards and became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1987, Aretha Franklin became the first female performer to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Conclusion

In conclusion, seventies soul music was definitely the best of the best. From the roots of disco to the height of funk, there was something for everyone in this genre. With so many great artists and songs to choose from, it’s no wonder that this decade of music is still so popular today.