Song to Soul (Soul to Gospel) combines gospel music with rhythm and blues. The genre gained prominence during the 50s and was an influencer on other black expressive arts like jazz and funk music.
Soul songs often address love-related themes; however, many also touch upon issues like social injustice or religious salvation.
1. The Story
Song to Soul is an exploration of songs that speak directly to our innermost selves. Each episode showcases one song, while a small team behind the show scour forums, message boards, and blogs for amazing stories of how the songs impacted listeners’ lives – later working closely with featured artists to discover deep personal meanings behind each of their lyrics – producing an intimate portrait of a song that transcends time, genre, and generational divides.
Labelle was one of the boldest girl groups of its era, beginning as three teenagers before emerging as one of rock music’s most daring groups in the 1970s with music that fused rock, funk and soul to form glam music. Labelle’s 1975 hit song ‘California Soul’ explored losing oneself due to temptations arising in Los Angeles.
Aretha Franklin’s “A Natural Woman” is an iconic track that tells the tale of an up-and-coming Motown singer’s journey from self-doubt and disappointment in herself through Motown to finding fulfillment and pride through singing. Influenced by African-American gospel music, its repetition, female backing vocals, call-and-response verses, call-back verses and steady rhythm make for an engaging listen that makes listening an impossibility.
Bill Withers’ 1972 hit “Lean on Me” took soul music in an unexpected direction by featuring an acoustic track to offset the often complex instrumentals prevalent at that time in R&B and soul music. Withers’ captivating melodic hook and emotive singing made “Lean on Me” one of the most beloved soul tracks ever written.
Soul music’s emotive power ranges from heartbreaking yearning in Otis Redding’s “Leave You Alone” to Whitney Houston’s rage and desperation in “I Have Nothing,” touching all corners of human emotion. Soul has long been adopted into other styles – such as disco and funk which evolved out of it and continue its legacy today.
2. The Lyrics
Many people understand soul music to be an African American genre that evolved from gospel and R&B. While gospel often deals with religious-themed lyricism, soul takes an approach focusing more on personal experiences like heartbreak and romance; eventually becoming part of pop culture through genres like funk and dance music.
Soul songs have the power to transport us to places both joyous and saddening – like Isaac Hayes’ 1969 hit Walk On By by showing every emotion in-between. From vocals filled with emotion to extended instrumental solos and orchestra backing tracks – no wonder it remains so popular even today!
Aretha Franklin’s 1967 single, Natural Woman, is another brilliant example of how soul music can tap into various feelings and convey them powerfully. The song chronicles a singer balancing career success with love. The lyrics of Natural Woman remain both emotional and relatable decades later and remain popular today.
Soul songs can also be an outlet to express anger and frustration, such as Gladys Knight and the Pips’ Midnight Train to Georgia as an example. Originally composed as a country tune, its melodies were altered over time into something much deeper – something people around the world can relate to today. Its iconic status makes its lyrics universally acclaimed among listeners everywhere.
Recently, Lee Brice has taken country music by storm with his hit album Hey World and its first single, Soul. This heartfelt track celebrates what it feels like to fall in love and cherish every detail about someone special, featuring catchy melody and hook. Additionally, its upbeat video completes the experience!
3. The Music
Soul music is an eclectic genre that blends many different musical traditions to produce its distinctive sound. Soul draws upon gospel, R&B, and funk influences for its distinct sound that draws its roots from African-American culture. Gospel usually utilizes layers of vocals and handclap rhythms while funk has jazzy rock-and-roll instrumentation incorporated within its framework – these features come together seamlessly within soul music to convey many different emotions while making an indelible mark on listeners.
Soul songs can express various feelings through song, including heartbreak, rage, yearning, loneliness and joy. One iconic example of an upbeat soul song is Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” which perfectly captures the joyous feeling of true love with its catchy beat and makes you want to get up and dance!
Sam Cooke’s 1964 hit A Change Is Gonna Come was another notable soul song of hope and change; its mesmerizing and uplifting music represented people’s desire for change despite racism that has held them down; tragically though, Cooke died shortly afterwards in a brutal attack and so the change he longed for never materialized.
Aretha Franklin’s 1967 single, A Natural Woman, is an emotive soul song of love and self-confidence that remains relevant even today. With its high-energy tempo and jazzy instrumentation, this timeless classic continues to resonate across music genres and generations alike.
Mable John’s Don’t Hit Me No More is another powerful soulful tune, telling of domestic abuse. Soul music has long spoken out against such issues, and this tune serves as an emotive tribute to victim courage.
Soul music began taking on more political and social aspects during the 70s. One such track by Marvin Gaye called Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) was a protest song against government spending on space travel while neglecting inner-city residents, leading many people to call for its cancellation. This tune foreshadowed what would later become a more upbeat style associated with soul.
4. The Visuals
There’s something magical about how soul music makes us feel; it can impact us on an emotional level and leave lasting impressions that last years later. Soul songs tell a musical tale about America’s cultural history, interpreted through sound. At its best, soul music transcends generations allowing everyone from children to senior citizens alike to enjoy its timeless sounds.
Soul music is an amalgamation of gospel, blues, and jazz melded together with energetic rhythms and dance beats for an immersive listening experience that captures the diversity of black experience – it can be understood as a musical chronicle that speaks about equality, peace, desire, and reconciliation. Here are our favorites songs to take you on an immersive soul music experience.
In the 1970s, soul music began evolving and integrating elements from other genres such as funk and progressive. At this time, artists such as Ben E. King and Solomon Burke began pushing the limits on what soul was. Their efforts inspired record companies like Stax to hire different artists who formed a diverse lineup.
Teddy Pendergrass’ 1978 ballad “Quiet Storm” will take you on an emotional journey through heartbreak and love. This soulful ballad explores a relationship that breaks apart but leaves one feeling good at the end; its beautiful melodies embody all the emotions that define soul music, leaving you longing for someone special in your own life.
Soul songs should make you feel alive, inspire change in your life and can make you dance or sing along to them. Listening to them again and again never gets old; their timeless appeal will remain popular for decades to come.
Neo-soul is making a comeback and shaping contemporary music trends, drawing influence from traditional soul and modern hip hop/R&B influences such as hip hop/R&B crossover. This genre marries elements of traditional soul with hip hop/R&B influences for a more modern sound while still remaining recognizably soul music; you can find examples such as John Legend, Lauryn Hill and Anderson.Paak.