Soul music evolved out of rhythm and blues music as well as gospel idioms such as call-and-response between singers or hand claps from gospel music, both elements influenced by Sam Cooke who became known as The King of Soul through his songs that bridged both genres.
Soul music began its journey as a result of Southern styles cultivated at Stax Records and Hi Records in Memphis. These included both deep soul with driving R&B rhythms as well as smoother styles favored by Aretha Franklin and Percy Sledge singers.
Influenced by gospel music
The 1960s witnessed significant advances in soul music, with its subgenres evolving through an explosion of funk-influenced genres. Additionally, this decade saw its influence from psychedelic rock spreading into soul music genres as well as creating newer genres like Neo-soul.
Motown Soul was the dominant form of soul music during the early to mid ’60s, known for its catchy pop melodies and smooth production. Hand clapping and tambourine rhythm were used prominently, and songs often included powerful bass lines and violins for added power and vibrato. Songwriters and producers utilized musical sensitivity in order to bring out key aspects of each song’s melody through dense music textures; among their vocal talents were Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Martha and the Vandellas, Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier were producers who also created hits that blended R&B doo-wop with blues music styles.
Chicago and Memphis emerged as leaders in soul music development, drawing influence from gospel music for their unique styles of soul music. Curtis Mayfield from Chicago label Curtis Mayfield led in creating northern soul with The Impressions’ call-and-response style of singing inspired by gospel, helping him become known as the Godfather of northern soul.
Stax Records of Memphis was also at the forefront of deep soul’s rise, producing hits by artists like Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and Al Green who recorded for them.
Soul music’s success can be traced to its messages of hope and uplift for African-American communities, with singers like Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and the Temptations offering uplift and encouragement to African Americans through their lyrics. Artists such as Bob Dylan and CSNY would also put out politically charged anthems from time to time, leading the genre forward as it went.
Soul music’s rise in the 1970s and ’80s paved the way for other forms of popular music genres; particularly funk and disco music which combined Gospel vocal style with funk rhythms to produce powerful rhythmic grooves with heavy emphasis on horn section horn players; it featured vocalists ranging from raspy to smooth voiced singing that allowed them to express variety of emotions through song lyrics.
Influenced by R&B
Soul music evolved out of traditional African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues through both lyrics and instrumentation, popularized by artists like Clyde McPhatter, Hank Ballard and Etta James who fused religious with secular music into their recordings in the 1950s. Major labels like Motown, Stax and Atlantic actively recruited Black artists into soul genre recordings. Its rise as a pop music genre further expanded during this era – especially during civil rights activism where many artists used songs as vehicles to address social issues through lyrics in their recordings. Ultimately this genre became part of mainstream popular culture during its prime.
Soul music evolved into various subgenres over time, particularly funk and disco music which were heavily influenced by it, such as those created by James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, Marvin Gaye & Al Green as examples. Other artists like these used their recordings to voice out against injustice such as racism in America; while classic soul helped form modern styles like hip-hop & contemporary R&B that continue to develop today.
R&B artists used music as an outlet to express their desires for love, freedom and success while drawing upon experiences within their families, communities and nations. Popular lyrical themes included courtship, social injustices and economic strain. Making records during soul music’s peak years (the 1960s) was often a highly collaborative affair where multiple musicians could play multiple instruments simultaneously.
Southern United States was an incubator of soul music development. Memphis label Stax produced its signature sound with vocals further back in the mix and vibrant horn parts; Stax artists included Otis Redding, Booker T & the MGs and Wilson Pickett while Hi Records in Birmingham nurtured Al Green; while Muscle Shoals-based FAME studios recorded these distinctive sounds further for further expansion – leading to what became known as deep or southern soul.
Influenced by funk
Many of the most acclaimed soul artists of that era incorporated funk into their musical styles. Funk music in the 70s was defined by bands like Parliament-Funkadelic and The Meters; James Brown and Marvin Gaye also recorded songs featuring this style of funk music. Due to social and political unrest during that period, many musicians wrote album-length statements with hard-hitting social commentary.
Curtis Mayfield of Chicago was one of the foremost pioneers of soul music. His sublime falsetto voice first caught audiences’ ears as part of The Impressions; later he established Curtom Records and wrote powerful songs about poverty and racism that resonated with audiences worldwide. Mayfield’s music had a lighter and more orchestrated feel compared to Memphis-based Stax Records but still contained an urban edge.
Soul music combines romantic, soulful elements with upbeat rhythmic sounds and its signature vocal style has had an enormous influence on other genres, like pop and rock music. Singers such as D’Angelo, Me’Shell NdegeOcello and Roberta Flack pioneered neo soul in the 1990s by mixing elements of soul, funk and R&B music with hip hop beats and modern instrumentation to form this distinct form of musical art.
Motown soul, popularized in Detroit by producers like Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, led to hits for groups like the Supremes and Four Tops. Producing their three-minute tunes using an industrial approach while adding artistic sensitivity from their writers and producers allowed key components of each tune to shine through dense musical textures using handclaps or tambourine accents.
Deep soul and southern soul were exciting forms of R&B music that combined R&B’s energy with southern gospel sounds. Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee popularized this style, placing vocals further back in the mix while using vibrant horn parts to support its beat. FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound in Alabama both also employed similar approaches; creating propulsive tapestries with Hammond organ and an intense rhythm section for their sound.
Influenced by Chicago
Soul music became immensely popular throughout America during the 1970s. Influenced by African American gospel and rhythm and blues music, soul was an influential genre that captured popular taste throughout much of its territory. Although gospel songs generally center on Christianity, soul music features strong beats characterized by guitar, bass drums, drums, piano organs and horns along with emotive vocalists who express longing for love or asking God for forgiveness through song.
In the 1960s, black artists used music to protest social injustice and political oppression, and promote self-empowerment – an integral component of civil rights activism. Artists such as Aretha Franklin and James Brown set an example for future black entertainers to follow suit.
Soul music also had an enormous influence on white artists such as the Beatles and Rolling Stones, breaking through barriers of race and racism with catchy melodies that captured audiences’ ears and energetic performances. Their musical styles were heavily influenced by black soul musicians at that time such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Muddy Waters.
Over time, soul music began to diversify into distinct subgenres. Some artists created funk music while others experimented with sleeker and more refined varieties of the genre. Many also included elements from other genres, including psychedelic rock and country.
By the 1980s, soul music’s popularity had begun to decline due to numerous factors, including disco’s rise and the closure of recording studios like FAME and Stax. Furthermore, music businesses were experiencing dramatic transformation with the arrival of synthesizers and drum machines into their operations.
Although many aspects of classic soul have changed over time, its spirit lives on in modern music. Current bands still create soul music for an extensive market; Penrose Records, Colemine and Daptone have released some great vintage-sounding soul recordings; while Erykah Badu and D’Angelo continue their own neo-soul movements as well.