The Soul Music of the 70’s

The 1970s was a decade of incredible soul music. From Marvin Gaye to Stevie Wonder, the decade produced some of the genre’s most iconic artists and songs. In this blog, we’ll explore the soul music of the 1970s and its lasting impact on popular music.

Introduction

The 1970s was a decade of change for soul music. The mellow, smooth sound of early soul gave way to a more hard-edged style, influenced by Funk and
Rock. At the same time, the explosion of Disco music saw soul artists move in that direction too. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest names in 70s soul music and see how they helped to shape the sound of the decade.

The Birth of Soul

The 70s was a decade of change, and that was reflected in the music of the time. One of the most important genres to emerge during this time was soul music. Soul music was a new sound that combined elements of gospel, R&B, and blues. It was a sound that spoke to the experiences of black Americans, and it quickly became popular.

Gospel music

The origins of soul music can be traced back to the late 1950s and early 1960s, when a combination of gospel, rhythm and blues, and jazz created a new style of music. The term “soul” was first used in the late 1950s by record companies and music critics to describe this new style of music.

The birth of soul music is often credited to Sam Cooke, who began his career as a gospel singer but went on to become one of the most successful pop singers of the 1960s. His hits “You Send Me” (1957), “A Change Is Gonna Come” (1964), and “Another Saturday Night” (1964) helped to define the sound of soul music.

Other early soul performers included Ray Charles, James Brown, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Ike & Tina Turner, and Gladys Knight & the Pips. These artists were able to cross over into the pop charts with their soulful recordings, which helped to widen the appeal of this new genre of music.

In the 1970s, soul music continued to evolve with the addition of elements from Funk and disco. This resulted in a new subgenre known as “Philly Soul”, which was exemplified by artists such as The O’Jays, Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, and The Stylistics. Another popular subgenre was “Southern Soul”, which was spearheaded by artists such as Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, and Archie Bell & The Drells.

The 1970s also saw the rise of two new icons of soul music: Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Gaye’s hits “What’s Going On” (1971) and “Let’s Get It On” (1973) helped to redefine the sound of soul music for a new generation, while Wonder’s classics “Superstition” (1972), “Living for the City” (1973), and “Isn’t She Lovely” (1976) cemented his status as one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

Rhythm and blues

Rhythm and blues, commonly abbreviated as R&B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed towards African Americans, at a time when “black music” was considered to be separate from “white music.” In the commercial rhythm and blues music typical of the 1950s through the 1970s, the bands usually consisted of piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums, and saxophone. Horn sections were occasionally used, as were strings.

The Golden Age of Soul

The 1970’s were a time of change. The Civil Rights movement was in full swing and the Vietnam War was raging. In the midst of all this, the music scene was also evolving. Soul music was one of the genres that was taking the world by storm. The golden age of soul saw the likes of Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Wonder dominate the airwaves. These artists created timeless classics that are still being played today.

The Motown Sound

The Motown sound was a style of soul music created by Berry Gordy Jr.’s Motown record label, which was founded in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959. The sound was characterized by a heavy bass, often played on electric piano or guitar, Propulsive hand claps or tambourine, Call-and-response vocals between a lead singer and backup singers, and often a horn section.

The first band to have the Motown sound was the Miracles, which Gordy formed in 1955. However, it wasn’t until the release of the Supremes’ “Where Did Our Love Go” in 1964 that the Motown sound became mainstream. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks and established the Supremes as one of the most successful acts of the 1960s.

In subsequent years, other Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, the Temptations, and Stevie Wonder achieved similar levels of success with a string of hits that defined soul music for a generation.

The Stax Sound

The Stax sound was a style of soul music that originated at Memphis, Tennessee’s famed Stax Records. The Stax sound enjoyed its creative and commercial peak during the mid-1960s and early 1970s. It was characterized by a marriage of deep soul singing with funky, up-tempo rhythms, often created by thumping bass lines, wah-wah guitars, and blazing horns; in contrast to the sophisticated approach of Motown Records in Detroit. Stax’s greatest asset was its house band Booker T. & the MGs, whose rhythm section—bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn, drummer Al Jackson Jr., and guitarist Steve Cropper—provided the bedrock for dozens of hit recordings.

During the heyday of the Stax sound, the label launched the careers of singers Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, and Barbara Mandrell; while also releasing hit records by Rufus Thomas, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, and The Dramatics. Despite its regional origins, the Stax sound became popular across America and had a profound influence on both pop and soul music during the 1970s.

The End of an Era

It was the end of an era. The era of the great soul musicians who had defined a generation and a musical genre. These artists were some of the most popular and successful musicians of their time, and their influence can still be felt today. But by the early 1970s, many of them had retired or passed away. And the ones who were still active were struggling to keep up with the changing times.

The death of disco

The late 1970s saw the beginning of the end for disco. Glam rock bands such as Queen and The Rolling Stones began to release songs that poked fun at the genre. In 1977, The Rolling Stones released their album “Some Girls”, which included the song “Miss You”, a disco tune that was quickly banned by many radio stations. At the same time, a new form of music was beginning to take hold. This form of music would come to be known as punk rock. Punk rock was a reaction against disco and other forms of popular music. Punk rock bands such as The Ramones and The Sex Pistols began to gain popularity in the late 1970s.

As disco’s popularity began to wane, so did the popularity of soul music. Many soul artists found it difficult to adjust to the changing times. Some, like Marvin Gaye, were able to successfully evolve with the times and continue to enjoy success. Others, like Stevie Wonder, took a break from music altogether. Still others, like Curtis Mayfield, continued to write and perform soul music, but found it harder and harder to get radio airplay. By the early 1980s, soul music’s popularity had declined sharply.

The rise of hip hop

The rise of hip hop in the late 1970s marked the end of an era for soul music. Disco had already begun to supersede soul as the genre of choice for African American dances, and the popularity of George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic collective and its imitators signaled a shift in black music away from the personal and intimate themes of soul towards a more confrontational and political style. Hip hop would come to dominate the black music charts in the 1980s, but soul still remained an important force in American popular music.

Conclusion

The 1970s saw the rise of soul music, which combined elements of gospel, R&B, and pop to create a sound that was both unique and catchy. The decade also saw the rise of disco, which would eventually come to dominate the charts. But soul music remained popular throughout the decade, thanks to such artists as Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Wonder.