Editing Music of the United States (section)

===Soul, R&B and funk===
{{Main|Rhythm and blues|soul music|funk}}
{{Listen|R&B and soul
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|title        = "A Change Is Gonna Come"
|description  = The classic soul song by [[Sam Cooke]] became a civil rights anthem.
|filename2    = Papa'sGotaBrandNewBag.ogg
|title2       = "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"
|description2 = The groundbreaking hit by [[James Brown]] marked the beginning of the development of funk.
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R&B, an abbreviation for ''rhythm and blues'', is a style that arose in the 1930s and 1940s. Early R&B consisted of large rhythm units "smashing away behind screaming blues singers (who) had to shout to be heard above the clanging and strumming of the various electrified instruments and the churning rhythm sections".<ref>Baraka, p. 168, cited in Garofalo, p. 76.</ref> R&B was not extensively recorded and promoted because record companies felt that it was not suited for most audiences, especially middle-class whites, because of the suggestive lyrics and driving rhythms.<ref>Garofalo, p. 76, 78.</ref> Bandleaders like [[Louis Jordan]] innovated the sound of early R&B, using a band with a small horn section and prominent rhythm instrumentation. 

[[File:James Brown Live Hamburg 1973 1702730029.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Singer [[James Brown]] was critical in the transition of rhythm and blues to soul music and pioneering funk music.<ref name="UnterbergerJB"/>]]

By the end of the 1940s, he had had several hits, and helped pave the way for contemporaries like [[Wynonie Harris]] and [[John Lee Hooker]]. Many of the most popular R&B songs were not performed in the rollicking style of Jordan and his contemporaries; instead they were performed by white musicians like [[Pat Boone]] in a more palatable mainstream style, which turned into pop hits.<ref>''Rolling Stone'', p. 99–100.</ref> By the end of the 1950s, however, there was a wave of popular black blues rock and country-influenced R&B performers like [[Chuck Berry]] gaining unprecedented fame among white listeners.<ref>''Rolling Stone'', p. 101–102.</ref>{{sfn|Gilliland|1969|loc=shows 5, 55}}
[[Motown Records]] became highly successful during the early and mid-1960s for producing music of black American roots that defied racial segregation in the music industry and consumer market. Music journalist [[Jerry Wexler]] (who coined the phrase "rhythm and blues") once said of Motown: "[They] did something that you would have to say on paper is impossible. They took black music and beamed it directly to the white American teenager." [[Berry Gordy]] founded Motown in 1959 in [[Detroit|Detroit, Michigan]]. It was one of few R&B record labels that sought to transcend the R&B market (which was definitively black in the American mindset) and specialize in [[crossover music]]. The company emerged as the leading producer (or "assembly line," a reference to its motor-town origins) of black popular music by the early 1960s and marketed its products as "The Motown Sound" or "The Sound of Young America"—which combined elements of soul, funk, disco and R&B.<ref>Flory, p. 1-6.</ref> Notable Motown acts include the [[Four Tops]], [[the Temptations]], [[the Supremes]], [[Smokey Robinson]], [[Stevie Wonder]], and [[the Jackson 5]]. Visual representation was central to Motown's rise; they placed greater emphasis on visual media than other record labels. Many people's first exposure to Motown was by television and film. Motown artists' image of successful black Americans who held themselves with grace and aplomb broadcast a distinct form of middle-class blackness to audiences, which was particularly appealing to whites.<ref>Flory, p. 135-137.</ref>

Soul music is a combination of rhythm and blues and gospel which began in the late 1950s in the United States. It is characterized by its use of gospel-music devices, with a greater emphasis on vocalists and the use of secular themes. The 1950s recordings of [[Ray Charles]], [[Sam Cooke]],{{sfn|Gilliland|1969|loc=shows 15–17}} and [[James Brown (musician)|James Brown]] are commonly considered the beginnings of soul. Charles' ''[[Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music|Modern Sounds]]'' (1962) records featured a fusion of soul and country music, [[country soul]], and crossed racial barriers in music at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fontenot |first=Robert |date=November 4, 2019 |title=The Story Behind Musicman Ray Charles |url=https://www.liveabout.com/facts-about-ray-charles-2523174 |access-date=June 26, 2023 |website=liveabout.com |language=en}}</ref> One of Cooke's most well-known songs "[[A Change Is Gonna Come (song)|A Change Is Gonna Come]]" (1964) became accepted as a classic and an anthem of the [[American Civil Rights Movement]] during the 1960s.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=song|id=t5489815|pure_url=yes}} allmusic: A Change Is Gonna Come]. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2009-02-08.</ref> According to [[AllMusic]], James Brown was critical, through "the gospel-impassioned fury of his vocals and the complex polyrhythms of his beats", in "two revolutions in black American music. He was one of the figures most responsible for turning R&B into soul and he was, most would agree, the figure most responsible for turning soul music into the funk of the late '60s and early '70s."<ref name="UnterbergerJB">{{cite web |last=Unterberger|first=Richie|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/james-brown-p3779/biography|title=James Brown|publisher=[[AllMusic]]. [[Rovi Corporation]]|at=Biography|access-date=2012-01-28}}</ref>

[[File:Whitney Houston Welcome Heroes 8 (cropped).JPEG|left|thumb|upright|Singer [[Whitney Houston]], nicknamed "The Voice", was certified as the best-selling female R&B artist of the 20th century by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]].<ref name="riaacentury">{{cite web|date=November 10, 1999|title=The American Recording Industry Announces its Artists of the Century|url=http://www.riaa.net/newsitem.php?news_month_filter=11&news_year_filter=1999&resultpage=&id=3ABF3EC8-EF5B-58F9-E949-3B57F5E313DF|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724032619/http://www.riaa.net/newsitem.php?news_month_filter=11&news_year_filter=1999&resultpage=&id=3ABF3EC8-EF5B-58F9-E949-3B57F5E313DF|archive-date=July 24, 2011|access-date=July 23, 2010|publisher=Recording Industry Association of America}}</ref> She is also among the world's biggest selling music artists of all time, with over 220 million records sold. ]]

Pure soul was popularized by [[Otis Redding]] and the other artists of [[Stax Records]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee]]. By the late 1960s, [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]] recording artist [[Aretha Franklin]] had emerged as the most popular female soul star in the country.<ref>Unterberger, Richie. "Aretha Franklin". ''Allmusic''. Retrieved from {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4305|pure_url=yes}} on August 5, 2006.</ref>{{sfn|Gilliland|1969|loc=shows 51–52}} Known for singing in a wide variety of genres, Franklin is considered one of the all-time greatest American singers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Why Aretha was the greatest singer in US history |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180816-aretha-greatest-singer-in-us-history |website=BBC |access-date=April 14, 2023}}</ref> Also by this time, soul had splintered into several genres,<ref>Guralnick.</ref> influenced by psychedelic rock and other styles. The social and political ferment of the 1960s inspired artists like [[Marvin Gaye]] and [[Curtis Mayfield]] to release albums with hard-hitting social commentary, while another variety became more dance-oriented music, evolving into [[funk]]. Despite his previous affinity with politically and socially-charged lyrical themes, Gaye helped popularize sexual and romance-themed music and funk,<ref name="edm15">Edmonds (2001), pp. 15–18.</ref> while his 70s recordings, including ''[[Let's Get It On]]'' (1973) and ''[[I Want You (Marvin Gaye album)|I Want You]]'' (1976) helped develop the [[quiet storm]] sound and format.<ref>Weisbard (1995), pp. 202–205.</ref> One of the most influential albums ever recorded, [[Sly & the Family Stone]]'s ''[[There's a Riot Goin' On]]'' (1971) has been considered among the first and best examples of the matured version of funk music, after prototypical instances of the sound in the group's earlier work.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p5460/biography|pure_url=yes}} allmusic (((Sly & the Family Stone > Biography)))]. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-10-01.</ref> Artists such as [[Gil Scott-Heron]] and [[The Last Poets]] practiced an eclectic blend of poetry, jazz-funk, and soul, featuring critical political and social commentary with [[Afrocentrism|afrocentric]] sentiment. Scott-Heron's [[Proto-rap]] work, including "[[The Revolution Will Not Be Televised]]" (1971) and ''[[Winter in America]]'' (1974), has had a considerable impact on later hip hop artists,<ref name="houstonpress">[http://www.houstonpress.com/1998-09-03/music/catching-up-with-gil/print Catching Up with Gil – Music – Houston Press]. Village Voice Media. Retrieved on 2008-07-10.</ref> while his unique sound with [[Brian Jackson (musician)|Brian Jackson]] influenced neo soul artists.<ref name="americanvisions">{{cite journal|title= Gil Scott-Heron|journal= American Visions|date= June 1998|last= Bordowitz|first= Hank|issue= 3|volume= 13|page= 40|url= https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-20789554|access-date= |via= |url-access= |archive-date= May 7, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200507170143/https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-20789554|url-status= dead}}</ref>

[[File:MariahRAH270519-51_(49620845103)_(cropped).jpg|thumb|right|160px|[[Mariah Carey]] blends elements of pop, rhythm and blues (R&B), soul, and hip-hop]]

During the mid-1970s, highly slick and commercial bands such as [[Philly soul]] group [[The O'Jays]] and [[blue-eyed soul]] group [[Hall & Oates]] achieved mainstream success. By the end of the 1970s, most music genres, including soul, had been [[disco]]-influenced. With the introduction of influences from [[electro music]] and funk in the late 1970s and early 1980s, soul music became less raw and more slickly produced, resulting in a genre of music that was once again called ''R&B'', usually distinguished from the earlier rhythm and blues by identifying it as ''[[contemporary R&B]]''.

The first contemporary R&B stars arose in the 1980s, with the dance-pop star [[Michael Jackson]], funk-influenced singer [[Prince (artist)|Prince]], and a wave of female vocalists like [[Tina Turner]] and [[Whitney Houston]].<ref name="Garofalo_2" /> Michael Jackson and Prince have been described as the most influential figures in contemporary R&B and popular music because of their eclectic use of elements from a variety of genres.<ref name="The New Blue Music">{{cite book |last= Ripani |first= Richard J. |title= The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950–1999 |publisher= Univ. Press of Mississippi |year= 2006 |pages= 128, 131–132, 152–153 |isbn= 978-1-57806-862-3}}</ref> Prince was largely responsible for creating the [[Minneapolis sound]]: "a blend of horns, guitars, and electronic synthesizers supported by a steady, bouncing rhythm."<ref>{{cite book |author1=Tom Pendergast |author2=Sara Pendergast |title=St. James encyclopedia of popular culture, Volume 4|publisher=St. James Press|year=2000|page=112|isbn= 978-1-55862-404-7}}</ref> Jackson's work focused on smooth balladry or [[disco]]-influenced dance music; as an artist, he "pulled dance music out of the disco doldrums with his 1979 adult solo debut, ''[[Off the Wall (album)|Off the Wall]]'', merged R&B with rock on ''[[Thriller (Michael Jackson album)|Thriller]]'', and introduced stylized steps such as the robot and [[moonwalk (dance)|moonwalk]] over the course of his career."<ref>{{cite news|author=Dave Larson|title=The Jackson one eclipse the waning moon of Michael's career to become the reigning royalty in the pop superstar universe?|newspaper=[[Dayton Daily News]]|date=1994-02-04|page=14}}</ref> Jackson is often recognized as the "King of Pop" for his achievements.

[[File:Beyoncé at The Lion King European Premiere 2019.png|thumb|upright|left|[[Beyoncé]] was one of the most popular American R&B singers in the 2000s.]]

By 1983, the concept of popular music crossover became inextricably associated with Michael Jackson. ''Thriller'' saw unprecedented success, selling over 10&nbsp;million copies in the United States alone. By 1984, the album captured over 140 gold and platinum awards and was recognized by the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' as the [[List of best-selling albums|best-selling record of all-time]], a title it still holds today.<ref name="Harper 111">{{Cite journal|last=Harper|first=Phillip Brian|date=1989|title=Synesthesia, "Crossover," and Blacks in Popular Music|jstor=466423|journal=Social Text|issue=23|pages=110–111|doi=10.2307/466423}}</ref> [[MTV|MTV's]] broadcast of "[[Billie Jean]]" was the first for any black artist, thereby breaking the "color barrier" of pop music on the small screen.<ref name="Harper 111"/> ''Thriller'' remains the only music video recognized by the [[National Film Registry]].
[[Janet Jackson]] collaborated with former Prince associates [[Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis]] on her third studio album ''[[Control (Janet Jackson album)|Control]]'' (1986); the album's second single "[[Nasty (Janet Jackson song)|Nasty]]" has been described as the origin of the [[new jack swing]] sound, a genre innovated by [[Teddy Riley (producer)|Teddy Riley]].<ref name="The New Blue Music"/> Riley's work on [[Keith Sweat]]'s ''[[Make It Last Forever (album)|Make It Last Forever]]'' (1987), [[Guy (band)|Guy]]'s ''[[Guy (Guy album)|Guy]]'' (1988), and [[Bobby Brown]]'s ''[[Don't Be Cruel]]'' (1998) made new jack swing a staple of contemporary R&B into the mid-1990s.<ref name="The New Blue Music"/> New jack swing was a style and trend of vocal music, often featuring rapped verses and [[drum machine]]s.<ref name="Werner"/> The crossover appeal of early contemporary R&B artists in mainstream popular music, including works by Prince, Michael and Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, [[Anita Baker]], and [[The Pointer Sisters]] became a turning point for black artists in the industry, as their success "was perhaps the first hint that the greater cosmopolitanism of a world market might produce some changes in the complexion of popular music."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Garofalo|first=Reebee|title=From Music Publishing to MP3: Music and Industry in the Twentieth Century|journal=American Music|volume=17|issue=3|year=1999|page=343|doi=10.2307/3052666|jstor=3052666}}</ref>

[[File:H.E.R performing with Coldplay at MOTS World Tour Press Release Photo 2 (cropped).png|thumb|222x222px|[[H.E.R]] known for her signature style, which often includes wearing sunglasses.]]

The use of [[melisma]], a gospel tradition adapted by vocalists [[Whitney Houston]] and [[Mariah Carey]] would become a cornerstone of contemporary R&B singers beginning in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s.<ref name="The New Blue Music"/> Whitney Houston's R&B hits included "[[All the Man That I Need]]" (1990) and "[[I Will Always Love You]]" (1992), later became the best-selling physical single by a female act of all time, with sales of over 20 million copies worldwide. Her 1992 hit soundtrack [[The Bodyguard (1992 film)|''The Bodyguard'']], spent 20 weeks on top of the [[Billboard Hot 200|''Billboard'' Hot 200]], sold over 45 million copies worldwide and remains the best-selling soundtrack album of all time.

Hip hop came to influence contemporary R&B later in the 1980s, first through new jack swing and then in a related series of subgenres called [[hip hop soul]] and [[neo soul]]. Hip hop soul and neo soul developed later, in the 1990s. Typified by the work of [[Mary J. Blige]], [[R. Kelly]] and [[Bobby Brown]], the former is a mixture of contemporary R&B with hip hop beats, while the images and themes of [[gangsta rap]] may be present. The latter is a more experimental, edgier, and generally less mainstream combination of 1960s and 1970s-style soul vocals with some hip hop influence, and has earned some mainstream recognition through the work of [[D'Angelo]], [[Erykah Badu]], [[Alicia Keys]], and [[Lauryn Hill]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nero |first=Mark Edward |date=March 5, 2019 |title=What Is Neo-Soul? |url=https://www.liveabout.com/what-is-neo-soul-2851222 |access-date=June 26, 2023 |website=liveabout.com |language=en}}</ref> D'Angelo's critically acclaimed album ''[[Voodoo (D'Angelo album)|Voodoo]]'' (2000) has been recognized by music writers as a masterpiece and the cornerstone of the neo soul genre.<ref>{{cite web |last=Davis |first=Chris |url=http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/Content?oid=oid%3A40989 |title=Leader of the Pack |publisher=The Memphis Flyer |access-date=2014-08-24}}</ref><ref>[http://beta.reveillemag.com/columns/warp-weft-dangelo-voodoo Warp + Weft: D'Angelo:: Voodoo: Reveille Magazine] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090413080924/http://beta.reveillemag.com/columns/warp-weft-dangelo-voodoo |date=April 13, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Lonnae O'Neal Parker; 700+ words |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-504627.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511205126/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-504627.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-05-11 |title=Neo-Soul's Familiar Face; With 'Voodoo,' D'Angelo Aims to Reclaim His Place in a Movement He Got Rolling |publisher= |access-date=}}</ref>