The Best of Soul Music: 60s, 70s, and 80s

Looking for the best soul music of the 60s, 70s, and 80s? Look no further than our list of the top 100 songs of each decade. From Marvin Gaye to Al Green, Aretha Franklin to Stevie Wonder, we’ve got all the classics covered.

The Best of Soul Music: 60s

The 1960s was a decade of great change and one of the most important decades in music. This was the decade that saw the rise of soul music. Soul music is a genre of music that combines rhythm and blues, gospel, and pop. It is a music that is made for dancing and is often associated with the African-American community. Soul music was born in the late 1950s, but it reached its height in the 1960s. This was the decade that saw the rise of soul legends such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Marvin Gaye.

The Temptations

The Temptations are an American pop and R&B group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1961 by Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Elbridge “Al” Bryant, and Eddie Kendricks. The group’s first lineup included Ali-Ollie Woodson (who later rejoined the group in the 1980s) and Paul Williams. Later members David Ruffin, Dennis Edwards, Ron Tyson, and Rick James all achieved success as solo artists.

The Temptations were one of the most successful groups of the 1960s and 1970s. They released a series of hit singles including “My Girl” (1964), “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” (1966), “Get Ready” (1966), and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” (1972). The group has sold tens of millions of records worldwide and has been awarded numerous gold and platinum certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The Temptations were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Three of their singles (“My Girl”, “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”, and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”) have been listed on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye was one of the most iconic and influential soul musicians of the 20th century. He was born in Washington, D.C. in 1939, and began his musical career singing doo-wop and R&B ballads with various local groups in the late 1950s. He signed with Motown Records in 1961, and released his first solo album, The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye, in 1962.

Gaye’s smooth, rich voice and heart-wrenching lyrics made him one of the most popular Motown artists of the 1960s. His hits from this era include “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” “Ain’t That Peculiar,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and “What’s Going On.” In 1971, he released his groundbreaking album What’s Going On, which explored social and political issues such as poverty, racism, and war. The album was a critical and commercial success, and is considered one of the greatest soul albums of all time.

Gaye continued to release successful albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including Let’s Get It On (1973), I Want You (1976), Here, My Dear (1978),In Our Lifetime? (1981), and Sexual Healing (1982). He was tragically murdered by his father in 1984 at the age of 44. Marvin Gaye was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

Hits like “The Tracks of My Tears” and “I Second That Emotion” made The Miracles one of the most successful soul groups of the ‘60s. But it was frontman Smokey Robinson who was the real star, penning classic love songs that were both sensual and spiritual. With a smooth, honeyed voice that floated above the group’s rich arrangements, Robinson was the perfect vessel for his confessions of desire and devotion.

The Best of Soul Music: 70s

There are many great soul songs from the 70s. Some of these classics include “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers, “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye, and “I’ll Take You There” by The Staple Singers. These are just a few of the great soul songs from the 70s.

Al Green

Al Green (born April 13, 1946), also known as The Reverend Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter and record producer, best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including “Tired of Being Alone”, “I’m Still in Love with You”, “Love and Happiness”, and his signature song, “Let’s Stay Together”. Inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, Green is referred to as The Soul Man. He has received numerous awards and nominations.

Green was born Albert Leornes Greene on April 13, 1946, in Forrest City, Arkansas. The sixth of ten children born to Cora Lee (née Johnson) and Robert Gee Greene Jr., a sharecropper and Baptist minister, Green grew up in nearby Arkadelphia. He had a strict upbringing by his father. After his menacing growl scared away a bully when he was five years old, his father gave him the nickname “Al”. When he was ten years old, Green and his family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has said that his musical influences stemmed from the soul music he heard on the radio while growing up in Arkansas; Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me” (1957) made an especially deep impression on him. By the time he was in high school, he was one of only three or four young men in his class who were not interested in sports. Instead he was interested in music – rhythm and blues and gospel – which his mother loved.

In 1963 Al married Shirley Kyles; they would have two children together before Shirley filed for divorce in 1974. While attending LBJ High School (now Walter E. Long Metropolitan Learning Center) in Austin during the mid-1960s where he sang with a local group called Al & The Gospel Crusaders, Green became troubled by premonitions that something bad would happen to him if he continued singing secular music; as a result he joined the Full Gospel Tabernacle Church where Shirley’s father was pastor at 1576 Wells Branch Parkway near Austin’s Google campus (formerly IBM campus).

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and pianist. In a recording career spanning over half a century, she has achieved commercial success in multiple genres. Franklin’s voice has been described as mezzo-soprano. She is renowned for her soulful and impassioned singing style, as well as her impeccable piano playing abilities. Called “The Queen of Soul” and “Lady Soul”, Franklin is one of the most respected vocalists of the 20th century. She has won a total of 18 Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has achieved success in multiple genres, including R&B, pop, rock, and jazz. Wonder has released over 30 studio albums and has won 25 Grammy Awards. His hits include “Superstition,” “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” and “Isn’t She Lovely.”

The Best of Soul Music: 80s

The best of soul music from the 80s includes hits from Luther Vandross, Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston, and more. This decade saw the rise of soul superstars and the genre itself became more popular than ever before. Let’s take a look at some of the best soul songs from the 80s.

Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. His recordings with the Commodores and as a solo artist made him a dominant figure in popular music during the 1980s. He has had five No. 1 singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, seven No. 1 R&B singles, and five No. 1 adult contemporary singles.

Richie’s soundtrack album for the film The Lion King won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Over the course of his career, he has sold more than 90 million records worldwide, making him one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time.

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson is often credited as the King of Pop, but his influence reaches much further than that. Jackson brought soul music to a new generation with his infectious rhythm and dance moves, and his music has inspired artists across all genres.

Jackson was born in 1958 in Gary, Indiana, and he began his musical career at a young age as a member of the Jackson 5. The group found success with Motown Records, and their first four singles all reached the top of the Billboard 100 chart. Jackson went on to have a successful solo career, and he is one of the best-selling artists of all time.

Jackson’s influence on soul music is evident in the work of contemporary artists like Usher, Justin Timberlake, and Alicia Keys. These artists have all cited Jackson as an inspiration, and they continue to carry his legacy forward.

Prince

Prince was one of the most popular and prolific musicians of the 80s, with a string of hits that includes “Purple Rain,” “Kiss,” and “Little Red Corvette.” He was known for his innovative and boundary-pushing music, as well as his flamboyant stage presence. Prince was a true icon of the 80s, and his influence is still felt today.