Music Genre - R & B

Research on R&B

R&B mean Rhythm and Blues originally but has been shortened. It is a popular genre of African American music that originated in the 1940s, the term was initially used by record companies to describe recording marketed mainly to urban African Americans, at the era when Urbane, rocking, jazz based music was becoming very popular. The majority of the R&B music from the 1950s-70s, the bands would usually consist of piano, 1-2 guitars, bass, drums, saxophone and background vocalists. The lyrical themes were generally based on the African-American experience of pain and fight for joy and freedom. The genre of the lyrics are heavily based on successes and failures in relationships, freedom, financial difficulties, aspirations and sex. 

At first the term R&B was used in the 50s to describe blues music, mid-50s after this music led to rock and roll the term was used for the music that were incorporated into electric blues, soul and gospel music.

Ruth Brown- Mama He treats Your Daughter Mean 1955

Then to the 60s for several British bands like The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Animals they were referred to as being R&B bands. 

Rolling Stones- Its all over now 1964

The 70s used the the R&B to describe soul and funk but in the 80s where R&B really began to become popular the newer style of soul, funk, pop, hip hop and dance used this term to describe the genre of music they came under. Some of the most Popular vocalists of this era included artists such as: Prince, Micheal Jackson, R.Kelly, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

1970s-

Aretha Franklin - Share you love with me 1971

Stevie wonder- Isn't she lovely 1976

1980s-

Whitney Houston- I wanna dance with somebody 1987

Prince- Purple rain 1984

A lot of the music from the 80s are still popular now but are now also more popular globally as people all over the world know who Whitney Houston, Prince and Stevie Wonder are. Since the 1980s R&b has continued to change and the term R&B is used for other areas of music as well. Now the R&B genre consists of artists such as: Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Kehlani and Nicki Minaj