Wikipedia's Rhythm and Blues Portal

Introduction

Ruth Brown was known as the "Queen of R&B".[1]

Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within the Black American community in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to African Americans, at a time when "rocking, jazz based music ... [with a] heavy, insistent beat" was starting to become more popular. In the commercial rhythm and blues music typical of the 1950s through the 1970s, the bands usually consisted of a piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums, one or more saxophones, and sometimes background vocalists. R&B lyrical themes often encapsulate the African-American history and experience of pain and the quest for freedom and joy, as well as triumphs and failures in terms of societal racism, oppression, relationships, economics, and aspirations.

The term "rhythm and blues" has undergone a number of shifts in meaning. In the early 1950s, it was frequently applied to blues records. Starting in the mid-1950s, after this style of music had contributed to the development of rock and roll, the term "R&B" became used in a wider context. It referred to music styles that developed from and incorporated electric blues, as well as gospel and soul music. By the 1970s, the term "rhythm and blues" had changed once again and was used as a blanket term for soul and funk. (Full article...)

Selected article

Let's Get It On is a studio album by American soul musician Marvin Gaye, released August 28, 1973 on Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records. Recording sessions for the album took place from June 1970 to April 1972 at Hitsville U.S.A. and Golden World Studio in Detroit and from February to July 1973 at Hitsville West in Los Angeles. Let's Get It On served as Gaye's first venture into the funk genre and romance-themed music. The album has been noted by several music writers for its sexually-explicit lyrical content, being described as "one of the most sexually charged albums ever recorded."[2]

Following the breakthrough success of his socially-conscious album What's Going On, the initial acclaim of Let's Get It On helped establish Marvin Gaye as a sex icon, while furthering his mainstream appeal. With the help of the hit single title track, the album became the most commercially successful album of Gaye's recording career, as it further expanded his creative control during his tenure with Motown. The recording sessions for Let's Get It On contributed in emphasizing Gaye's multi-tracked vocals to the forefront of his music and influenced later R&B and soul production. The sexual balladry and seductive, funky sound featured on the album had a profound effect on the music industry and soul musicians at the time, and helped pioneer slow jam music and quiet storm, while influencing many contemporary R&B artists.

Following its initial reception of general praise from critics, the album has been regarded by many music writers and critics as a landmark recording in R&B and soul music, as Gaye's smooth soul sound on the album marked a change for his record label's previously success with the "Motown Sound" formula, while also helping further funk music's popularity during the 1970s. Let's Get It On has also been ranked at or near the top of many publications' "best album" lists in disparate genres. On September 18, 2001, Let's Get It On was reissued by Motown Records as a two-disc deluxe edition release featuring extensive liner notes and digital remastering, as well as material from the initial recording sessions. In 2003, the album was ranked number 165 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[3]

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Selected biography - show another

Jackson in 1988

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his world record music achievements broke racial barriers in America and made him a global figure. Through songs, stages, and fashion, he proliferated visual performance for artists in popular music; popularizing street dance moves including the moonwalk (which he named), the robot, and the anti-gravity lean. Jackson is often deemed the greatest entertainer of all time based on his acclaim and records.

The eighth child of the Jackson family, Michael made his public debut in 1964 at age six, as a member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons). After signing with Motown in 1968, the band achieved worldwide success with him as its lead singer. Jackson achieved solo stardom with the release of his fifth album Off the Wall (1979). He followed it up with Thriller (1982), the best-selling album of all time, which propelled him to the forefront of pop culture and revolutionized the music video medium with the videos for its title track along with "Beat It" and "Billie Jean". Jackson furthered his position as a global superstar with Bad (1987), the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana". Dangerous (1991) marked a new era for Jackson, lauded as his most artistic and socially conscious album. HIStory (1995) produced "You Are Not Alone", the first song to debut at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as the protest songs "Earth Song" and "They Don't Care About Us". His final album, Invincible, was released in 2001. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various rhythm and blues-related articles on Wikipedia.

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Sources

  1. ^ "Ruth Brown, the Queen of R&B, was born 93 years ago today". Frank Beacham's Journal. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  2. ^ allmusic Marvin Gaye - Biography . All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-08-17.
  3. ^ RS500: 165) Let's Get It On. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2008-08-17.
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