R&B music‘s development can be traced to several distinct sources. It began as a means for post-World War II black communities to express their social concerns and cultural pride through song.
R&B music quickly found its audience among young audiences across racial lines. Over time, R&B gave rise to subgenres such as funk and soul.
The Great Migration
After World War II, large numbers of African Americans moved from rural areas into cities and towns, bringing with them an musical tradition that reflected urban life through amplified sounds, social concerns, cultural pride expressed through song, and rhythm and blues as an appealing musical style that could appeal to listeners across racial lines.
Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff established Philadelphia International Records (PIR), marketing music with the slogan, “there’s a message in the music.” Songs like “Only the Strong Survive” and “Wake Up Everybody” played an integral part in Black identity and consciousness formation, encouraging support for local and national movements for institutional change and civil rights.
R&B continued its progression during the 1970s, giving rise to subgenres like funk and disco through popularization from artists such as James Brown and Earth, Wind, and Fire. These subgenres created momentum for further developments within R&B; these styles being popularized further with artists like Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo popularizing these forms. This progression continued into the 90s and 2000s as Contemporary R&B took influence from various influences such as hip-hop music, rock, soul, rap influences that create momentum within songs as well as emotional involvement from singers themselves.
The 1940s
In the 1940s, rhythm and blues emerged as an alternative term to race music as the popular marketing name for African American music. Influenced heavily by jump blues, jazz, and Black gospel music; its distinctive characteristic musical styles included shuffle rhythms, boogie-woogie bass lines, short horn patterns or riffs as hallmarks.
R&B developed simultaneously with the second major migration of African Americans from rural and Southern areas into Western cities. Motown Records in Detroit produced commercially polished sounds centered on glamorous singers and propulsive rhythm sections; Stax Records of Memphis blended southern blues with soulful vocalists like Otis Redding for its soulful sound.
Professor Longhair of New Orleans was one of the pioneers of R&B during the 1940s, employing elements of jump blues, jazz with Latin overtones, and his 1949 composition “Misery” is one of his earliest uses of the tresillo technique that he termed mambo.
By the 1970s, rhythm and blues had expanded to incorporate subgenres like funk and disco; among the most successful musicians to use these styles were James Brown and Earth Wind & Fire. Also during this era, R&B began branching out into other musical genres with artists like Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo offering innovative variations on its original form – variations which remain part of modern day R&B as a more diverse and eclectic form.
The 1950s
From the 1940s through 1960s, R&B became an influential music genre that resonated with both white and black audiences alike. Motown Records helped promote R&B music during this era; artists like Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and the Staple Singers combined elements of gospel with R&B into their music to form its distinct sound that became characteristic of this time period.
Civil Rights Movement was another factor in the genre’s development into mainstream sound, as artists expressed political and social messages through music. Funk and disco music also flourished during this era due to influence from African American musicians like James Brown and Earth Wind and Fire.
Louis Jordan pioneered jump blues during the 1950s. His band included instruments such as bass guitar and drums; his music combined elements of swing and blues into its compositions such as shuffle rhythms, boogie-woogie bass lines and short horn patterns or riffs – elements which defined modern pop.
Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder contributed greatly to R&B’s development with their popular artistry; each artist combined elements of R&B, soul, and pop music into their unique sound which appealed to an array of audiences.
The 1960s
R&B can be traced back to three historical processes: African Americans migrating from rural areas during World War I and II into urban centers during these wars; their introduction of jazz, blues and boogie-woogie music into these new communities; as well as civil rights activism. All three processes intersected with rock ‘n’ roll’s development from R&B styles that became influential among both black and white American youth.
At its height during this era, classic R&B featured piano trios with vocal harmonies that mimicked doo-wop styles as well as ensembles ranging from tight piano-guitar duos to groups with full rhythm and horn sections. Rooted in blues and gospel traditions, its music often contained religious themes; some artists even found inspiration from church music while including African rhythms into their compositions.
By the 1960s, R&B began to exhibit strong overlap with rock ‘n’ roll; many of its leading acts could even be classified as rock bands. Guitar and drums quickly became central elements in R&B sound while saxophone became an increasingly popular instrument during this era.
By the 1970s, R&B had transitioned into what is commonly referred to as soul and funk music, which combined classic R&B elements with jazz, disco, funk and other influences to form what later became contemporary R&B; which today features various genres for an all-inclusive pop-inspired sound.
The 1970s
R&B music emerged out of African American community life as a result of three historical processes: the Great Migration from rural areas to cities, jazz’s rise and the civil rights movement. Lyrical themes of struggle, social concern and cultural pride found expression through amplified sounds and rhythms that in turn inspired other forms of popular music including rock ‘n roll.
Jump blues was a new style introduced during the 1940s that quickly gained favor among young African American audiences and helped lay the groundwork for modern R&B music. Although labeled Black music, its uptempo rhythms and catchy melodies quickly crossed over into being accepted by white audiences as well. Artists such as Louis Jordan and Big Joe Turner became early icons of jumping blues music.
The 1940s also witnessed the development of a musical subgenre known as boogie-woogie, which combined elements from blues, jazz, gospel and dance music into fast-paced dance music with highly energetic guitar work that appealed to audiences of different races. This style would eventually pave the way for Motown and Stax record labels in the 1960s to establish modern R&B recordings with similar sounds.
At this point, R&B began to converge more strongly with rock music; many R&B artists began being co-categorized as rock ‘n’ roll performers. Furthermore, in southern cities like New Orleans where pianist Professor Longhair developed his tresillo piano technique which in turn inspired Texas guitarist Charles Brown and later Fats Domino, it emerged a style bridging blues and R&B styles.
The 1980s
The 1980s brought new styles and influences to R&B music. From Luther Vandross’ and Anita Baker’s softly emotive ballads to Michael Jackson and Prince’s high-energy dance tracks, R&B flourished further during this decade.
Over time, numerous R&B artists have employed social and political activism through their lyrics. Artists such as Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye used music as a forum to address topics like AIDS, police brutality, racial inequality and ethnic pride – helping shape cultural awareness around these subjects.
At the same time, R&B fusion with other genres yielded new subgenres such as neo-soul and hip hop soul, creating fresher sounds commonly known as contemporary R&B. Artists such as Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo popularized these new sounds and helped popularize them among audiences worldwide.
Classic R&B may have seemingly faded during disco’s popularity in the 1970s and the rise of rap and hip hop in the mid-1980s, yet it continues to flourish today. Modern R&B music can be identified by soulful singing with strong backbeat. Many elements from its traditional repertoire have also found their way into newer genres such as pop, funk and even hip hop music – thanks to these popular scenes, contemporary R&B has become one of the world’s most widely appreciated forms of music.