My favorite genre of music is Funk. But, I grew up listening to R&B, Jazz, and a dash of Blues. Rock was always on the radio, but I didn't get into it until I started school. Occasionally, some Country music might find it's way onto my palette. Lets just say that my taste in music is very "eclectic." What I really like is anything that's well written. And, I'm not usually bothered if the singer isn't very good, as long as what they're singing moves me in some way.
Rock, Jazz, and Funk all owe a debt to the Blues, which is a form of music that is melancholic in mature. It was music that expressed suffering or lament and was created by blacks in the rural south. The first recordings of the Blues are said to have taken place in the mid 1920s. By the end of the 1940s, artists such as B.B. King and Muddy Waters had made the music popular. In the 1940s, Rhythm and Blues was created by combining Blues with Jazz and Gospel, while adding a strong back beat and syncopated instruments. Though the Blues had come into its own, it was Rhythm and Blues or R&B that broke through to reach a wider audience in the 1950s.
Early R&B of the 50s was characterized by a strong lead vocal with lots of background singing in harmony. Some of the most notable groups were the Platters, The Coasters, and the Penguins. Solo artists included, Sam Cooke, Lloyd Price, and Jackie Wilson. The R&B of the 50s was also known as Doo Wop, which was harmony vocalizing, based on phonetic syllables for rhythmic structure. Here is where it is my understanding that R&B as a musical form could be both uptempo and slow ballads.
In the the 60s, the vocal group was still a very important part of the R&B scene. However, the music took on a slightly more Gospel quality. The strong backseat was still a prominent feature but the rhythm became more African. James Brown who has been, attributed for introducing the "Southern Soul," sound into R&B, took the emphasis from the 2 and 4 beat and placed it squarely on the 1. The new sound was called Funk.
As the 60s progressed, more and more of its R&B artists began to incorporate the new sound into their music. Artists such as Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Miracles, Supremes, and Four Tops were among the most notable of that period. The music, once again could be uptempo or slow ballad, and what seemed to be most important by this time, was the growth of the artists and the growth and development of the R&B sound.
The 70s R&B sound drew upon first, the end of the turbulent times of the 60s, and the arrival of creative freedom. One of the first R&B artists to get such freedom was Stevie Wonder. Stevie was fascinated by technology, especially synthesizers. He took those early instruments and made virtual one man masterpieces. His first hit using these instruments was "Superstition." Drawing from Blues, Jazz, Soul, and Funk, Stevie reinvented himself with a sound that was uniquely of his own making. And, other artist would quickly follow. The vocal group remained a staple of the genre while the rhythm and syncopation became increasingly funky. At times the rhythm would shift from African to Afro-Cuban in texture as artists began to experiment with just about every aspect of songwriting, arranging, and production. The Isley Brothers, Commodores, Earth Wind & fire, Ohio Players, Parliament/Funkadelic and Average White Band are some of the most notable. Once again, the music could be uptempo or slow ballad.
Heavy manipulation of the dance music scene of the late 70s created a short period of what seemed like uncertainty at the beginning of the 80s. Many successful R&B artists began to either record less and less or left the music business altogether. Those who were just getting started were left groping for a sound as creative freedom was traded away to the labels as a way for artists to secure record deals. The vocal group was still a main stay and because of a continuing dance influence, uptempo sounds were emphasized heavily, while the music could also be slow ballads. Rick James, Cameo, and The Gap Band were some of the most notable artists.
The 90s saw Billboard Magazine change its R&B chart to reflect the rising popularity of Rap and Hip Hop. The chart was called the top Hip Hop and R&B singles chart. At this point, around 1994, the first Hip Hop radio station format appeared. It was WQHT or Hot 97 FM in New York, New York. Some of the most notable artists are Babyface, Boys II Men, Janet Jackson, and Mariah Carey.
It's my opinion, that until these two events took place, R&B was a versatile and progressive genre that featured many influences, but after these two events, it became a mostly slow ballad genre with heavy Hip Hop and Rap attributes. And, I believe that Hip Hop and Rap became R&Bs uptempo counterpart, when in reality, the genre as we knew it, no longer exists. While the above artists all have influences that come from decades of R&B tradition, many who have followed in their footsteps appear, in my opinion, to be unaware or possibly do not care about such tradition. The beats and rhymes formula of success rages on as musical growth has given way to winning the "music game."
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