YouTube 70’s Soul Music: The Best of the Best

A list of the best 70’s soul songs wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the late, great Al Green. Here’s a look at his best work.

Introduction

Welcome to our YouTube 70’s Soul Music: The Best of the Best guide. This guide was put together in order to help you find the best of the best when it comes to 70’s soul music on YouTube. There are so many great songs and performers from this decade, and we’ve tried to make it easy for you to find them all in one place.

We’ve divided the guide into sections based on genre, so you can easily find what you’re looking for. We’ve also included a section on the best live performances, so you can experience the music in its fullest form.

We hope you enjoy this guide and that it helps you find some great 70’s soul music on YouTube!

The Best of the Best

There are so many great soul songs from the 70’s. It was a golden era for the genre. Many of the greatest soul artists of all time released their best work during this decade. In this article, we will countdown the best 70’s soul songs.

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye (/ˈɡeɪ/; 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 songs such as “Sexual Healing” and “What’s Going On” that were noted for their social commentary. Gaye was dubbed the “Prince of Soul” and is cited as an influence by recording artists such as Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.

Gaye’s later recordings influenced contemporary R&B subgenres, such as quiet storm and neo soul. Following a period in Europe as a tax exile in the early 1980s, he returned to the United States and recorded the album Midnight Love (1982), becoming one of the first artists to bring disco music to a wider rock audience with hits such as “Sexual Healing”. On April 1, 1984, Gaye’s father shot him at their home in Los Angeles.

Aretha Franklin

There is no denying that Aretha Franklin is one of the most renowned and respected singers of our time. With hits like “Respect”, “A Natural Woman”, and “I Say a Little Prayer”, she has inspired generations of musicians and fans alike. Her powerful voice and undeniable talent have earned her the title “Queen of Soul”, and she shows no signs of slowing down even at the age of 76. If you’re looking for some soulful tunes to add to your playlist, look no further than Aretha Franklin.

Stevie Wonder

Considered one of the most creative and innovative multi-talented artists of our time, Stevie Wonder has made an indelible impact on both the music and entertainment industry. With a long list of hits that have spanned four decades, he has earned himself the well-deserved title of “The Genius.”

A native of Michigan, Wonder began his career as a child prodigy, signed to Motown Records at the tender age of eleven. It wasn’t long before he was making waves with his first album, “The 12 Year Old Genius.” He went on to release a series of ground-breaking albums that would change the face of popular music forever.

Among his many hits are “Superstition,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” “Living for the City,” “I Wish,” and “Isn’t She Lovely?” In addition to his work as a solo artist, Wonder has also written and produced songs for other renowned artists such as Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, and Paul McCartney.

Wonder has been awarded twenty-five Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. In 2014, he was presented with The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

Gladys Knight & the Pips

Gladys Knight & the Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for three decades. Starting out as simply The Pips in 1952, derived from a previous incarnation of the group that the founding members belonged to called The Local Greys, the group signed with Brunswick Records in 1957 and had two hit singles with “Every Beat of My Heart” and “Letter Full of Tears”, before going on a lengthy hiatus due weight to financial reasons.

They returned to recording in 1961, this time as Gladys Knight & the Pips, with former member Langston George leaving the group and new members Stanley Bryan O’Neil (a cousin of Gladys’) and Edward Patten joining. After another two years had passed, they landed a major hit single with “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” in 1967. It would go on to become one of their signature tunes. The group went on to have a string of hits throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, earning them the nicknames “The Fonzie of Soul Music” and “The Royal Family of Soul Music”.

Gladys Knight & the Pips were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.

Barry White

Barry White (born Barry Eugene Carter; September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) was an American record producer, singer and composer. A five-time Grammy Award–winner known for his distinctive bass-baritone voice and romantic image, his greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with The Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring soul songs such as his signature hit “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” as well as worldwide hits “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything”, “What Am I Gonna Do with You”, “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love” and “Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up”.

During the course of his career in the music business, White achieved 106 gold records,[1] 41 platinum records,[2] and 20 multi-platinum records,[3] making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In 2005, Barry White was voted by British television viewers as the greatest voice in music history.[4][5] He was ranked number 20 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to watch our YouTube 70’s Soul Music: The Best of the Best compilation video. We hope that you have enjoyed watching it as much as we have enjoyed making it.

We would like to give a special thanks to all of the Soul music artists who have created such great music over the years, as well as to all of the YouTube channels who have uploaded videos of their performances.

We hope that you will continue to enjoy Soul music for many years to come.