Sweet Soul Music: The Songs that Define a Genre
From Sam Cooke to Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye to Aretha Franklin, discover the sweet soul music that defined a genre and changed the world.
Introduction
Welcome to Sweet Soul Music: The Songs that Define a Genre. This book is a labor of love, an attempt to define a sound that has been close to my heart since I was born.
Sweet soul music is the product of a unique confluence of social and musical elements. It emerged in the early 1960s, in the wake of the civil rights movement, as African American artists began to cross over into the mainstream pop charts. At the same time, a new generation of white artists was beginning to experiment with R&B sounds. The result was a vibrant, new genre that blended R&B with pop, gospel, and jazz.
In the ensuing years, sweet soul music would come to dominate the pop charts, producing some of the most timeless and beloved songs in popular music history. In this book, I have attempted to capture the essence of this sound by selecting 100 essential sweet soul tracks. These are the songs that define a genre.
What is Sweet Soul Music?
Sweet soul music is a genre of rhythm and blues and soul music featuring trigger happy, finger-snapping, hip-shaking tunes with highly emotive lyrics about love, relationships, and other matters of the heart. The style was first popularized in the mid-1960s by artists such as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and Wilson Pickett.
Often interpolating or outright covers of pop hits of the day, sweet soul tracks were characterized by their horns-heavy arrangements and often orchestral backdrops. The genre took off in a big way after being given a boost by the release of The Beatles’ film “A Hard Day’s Night”, which featured the group performing their song “Shout” in a raucous performance that saw them tearing up the stage with abandon.
The sweet soul sound would come to dominate the radio waves in the late 1960s and early 1970s thanks to artists such as Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes, and The Staple Singers. With its mix of romantic lyrics and toe-tapping beats, sweet soul music remains as popular as ever today, with modern artists like John Legend, Adele, Bruno Mars, and Justin Timberlake carrying on the tradition.
The Songs that Define Sweet Soul Music
The sweet soul music genre emerged in the early 1970s. It was pioneered by artists such as Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding. These artists took inspiration from gospel music and blended it with elements of rhythm and blues to create a unique sound. The songs that define this genre are filled with emotion and convey a message of hope and love.
“I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” by The Four Tops
The Four Tops released “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” in 1965, and the song quickly became a emblematic sweet soul hit. The tune perfectly encapsulates the carefree, easy feeling of many sweet soul songs. The lyrics are simple and direct, and the music is light and upbeat. This is the kind of song that can make even the most cynical listener feel happy and hopeful.
“My Girl” by The Temptations
“My Girl” is a 1965 hit single recorded by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It was written by the group’s Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Ronald White and produced by Robinson. The song, a 1967 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, is a classic example of 1960s soul music.
The song introduces each member of The Temptations; lead singer David Ruffin (singing the opening line: “I’ve got sunshine”); Melvin Franklin (bass voice); Paul Williams (baritone); Eddie Kendricks (tenor); and Otis Williams (baritone). Each subsequent verse features different members singing lead; however, Ruffin sings the lead on all choruses.
“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by The Temptations
Released in 1966, “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” was written by Motown legends Eddie Holland, Norman Whitfield and Edward Holland Jr. The song became an instant classic, reaching the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It would go on to be covered by a multitude of artists, including Otis Redding, Gladys Knight & the Pips and the Rolling Stones. With its plea for a lover to come back, “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” sums up the heart and soul of sweet soul music.
“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye
“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown in 1966. The most famous recording of the song was done by Marvin Gaye in 1968. It is included on Gaye’s 1968 album In the Groove and released as a single in October 1968. The song was ranked number 51 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and number one on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. In 2010, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
“What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye
Gaye’s “What’s Going On” is often cited as the first sweet soul song, and with good reason: it’s a gorgeously gentle track, with a lovely melody and lyrics that reflect on the Vietnam War and its effects on inner-city America. Gaye recorded the song in 1970, at the height of the war, and it struck a chord with listeners who were looking for something more than the standard Motown sound. The song eventually became a #1 hit, and has since been covered byeveryone from Eric Clapton to Janet Jackson.
Conclusion
While the sweet soul sound isn’t as prevalent in music today as it was in the 1960s and 1970s, its influence can still be heard. The songs on this list are just a small sampling of the music that defined the genre. If you’re a fan of sweet soul, take some time to explore the music of that era. You might be surprised by what you find.
