The Timeline of African American Music explores the evolution of African American musical genres spanning the past 400 years.

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Learn more about the influential female artists considered trailblazers in their genres.

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Learn more about the diverse musical expressions tied to Neo Soul.

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Soul is a gospel-influenced African American popular music style that evolved out of rhythm and blues in urban areas beginning in the late 1950s. Its passionate vocalizing, powerful rhythms, and honest lyrics spoke directly to a generation of young African Americans, and soul music became synonymous with the social and political developments affecting them. Soul became popular as a distinctive style during the 1960s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1970s. Its rise paralleled that of <a href="/stories/revolutionary-concepts-in-african-american-music" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Civil Rights and the Black Power movements</a>, acting as the “soundtrack” for the ascension of Black pride during these years—the music can’t be separated from the prevailing mood at the time, and vice versa.

As the momentum of the 1950s Civil Rights movement continued to build in the 1960s, Black college students rejected the nonviolent and integrationist approach advocated by civil rights leaders. In 1966 as an alternative, they embraced the Black nationalist ideology of Malcolm X. Under the rubric of Black Power and led by Kwame Ture (A.K.A. Stokley Carmichael) proponents of this ideology promoted national Black unity, Black pride, and self-determination. Their activism grew into a political movement to which Black people assigned social and cultural meanings described as “soul.” The term became associated with a range of Black cultural productions such as music, dance, visual art, foodways, fashion, natural hairstyles, a nonverbal communication style, and a unique language style of inner-city street talk and slang. With its roots in gospel music and the broader Black church culture, soul music captured the spirit, emotions, and chaos of the 1960s civil unrest that continued into the early 1970s.The soul sound began to take shape during the 1950s, the beginning of the modern Civil Rights movement. Pioneers Ray Charles and James Brown, followed by Brown, Sam Cooke, and Curtis Mayfield in the 1960s, tapped into the gospel music tradition to give a new voice to a people struggling for their rights as first-class citizens. They borrowed the rhythms, musical structures, vocal and instrumental style, and emotional delivery of gospel music and transformed rhythm and blues into soul. Ray Charles took this a step further by turning the spiritual song “This Little Light of Mine” into a soul song “This Little Girl of Mine” (1955). His reinterpretation of the 1952 rhythm and blues hit “Drown in My Own Tears”(1956), written as “I’ll Drown in My Tears” by Sonny Thompson and Lula Reed, introduced the gospel rhythms of the 12/8 meter, call-and-response structures, gospel harmonic progression, vocal phrasings, and improvisatory style.James Brown favored an intense, percussive, and gospel-inflected vocal sound similar to that of Black preachers he had observed in his youth. Brown’s dynamic persona lent a tension and excitement to his music, evident in the midtempo ballad “Please, Please, Please” (1956) with its repetitive, drawn-out choruses.

In the mid-1960s, Sam Cooke introduced the silky smooth, laid-back, melismatic vocal style associated with the gospel quartet the Soul Stirrers. Cooke was featured as lead singer and grafted that style onto rhythm and blues when he left the group for a secular solo career. His early recording of “You Send Me” (1957) was a precursor of the soul sound. By the mid-1960s, Brown evolved a distinctive soul sound that earned him the title “The Godfather of Soul.” He increased the intensity of his performance by adding a polyrhythmic foundation and incorporating vocal screams and hollers into his singing. His album Live at the Apollo, recorded in 1962, gave listeners a taste of the frenetic excitement Brown could generate and his fans’ dramatic reactions; some consider it the greatest live album ever recorded by any artist. Brown’s hit single “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965) is also one of the most thrilling classic soul recordings. Brown’s impassioned musical sound paralleled the emergence of the Black Power movement that promoted self-sufficiency, community control, and economic and political empowerment. Its leaders inspired unity, racial pride, and identification with the motherland of Africa among African Americans. Soul embodied this spirit as well as its sense of urgency to achieve these goals. The combination of soul’s social and political messages with its sheer musical power encouraged various levels of activism among African Americans and the nation as a whole.

The soul sound encompasses many different vocal styles and timbres. It ranged from the more lyrical and tempered style of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, and Al Green, to the gospel-folk style of the Staple Singers to the percussive and shouting approach of James Brown, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and Sam and Dave. Performances of soul music were similar to the preaching style and gospel singing heard in African American folk-styled churches. The singing was improvisatory and intensified the performance by repeating words and phrases, and punctuating with grunts, shouts, and moans. Timbres alternated between lyrical and percussive, shifted from high to low pitches, and incorporated bends, slides, melisma, and passing tones in the melody. Instrumentalists imitated these vocal sounds, using the technological devices of the day such as guitar wah-wah pedals and keyboard synthesizers to make their instruments “talk.”

Soul music performers promoted the ideology of Black Power through their lyrics, which advocated national Black unity, activism, and self-pride. Curtis Mayfield, songwriter and lead singer of the Impressions, set the stage with <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:298,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Keep on Pushing&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1442919644&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Keep On Pushing&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;The Impressions&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Keep On Pushing&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1963-10-01&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is5-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music124\/v4\/1d\/1b\/f7\/1d1bf72a-f081-d768-8390-a3731302a32c\/00602557467956.rgb.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:3000,&quot;height&quot;:3000,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;341814&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;fbe829&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;d2a975&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;d3be25&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;b28c62&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview115\/v4\/18\/d4\/ba\/18d4ba91-d765-e363-a23e-0ba2538cfa86\/mzaf_5421898072126070615.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Keep on Pushing”</a> (1964), “People Get Ready” (1964), “We’re a Winner” (1967), and “This is My Country” (1968). These themes also resonate in the recordings of Sam &amp; Dave’s “Soul Man” (1967) and the Staple Singers’ “You’ve Got to Earn It” and “Respect Yourself” (1971). James Brown stressed the need for racial pride in “Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud, Pt. 1” (1968) and he addressed social and political issues in “I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door, I’ll Get It Myself)” (1969) and “Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved” (1970). By the end of the turbulent 1960s, Motown artists began to address a range of social issues as heard in the Temptations’ “Cloud Nine” (1968) and “Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)” (1970), Gladys Knight &amp; The Pips’ “Friendship Train” (1969), Edwin Starr’s “War” (1970), and Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City” (1973) and <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:299,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Higher Ground&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1440807404&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Higher Ground&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Stevie Wonder&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Innervisions&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1973-08-03&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is1-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music115\/v4\/ff\/c2\/5f\/ffc25f04-cb3b-b56e-dd28-8b77ae63e613\/00602537070824.rgb.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1431,&quot;height&quot;:1431,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;cb933e&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;050403&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;050504&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;2c210f&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;2d2110&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview115\/v4\/3d\/a2\/b8\/3da2b8f9-e389-563b-e349-cf43f43ec750\/mzaf_13481458924750549834.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Higher Ground”</a> (1973).Other prevalent themes in the lyrics of soul focused on unity and respect, not only among African Americans as a community but in personal relationships as well. Otis Redding spoke of committed personal relationships in “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” (1965), “Respect” (1965), and <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:300,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Try a Little Tenderness&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;997088842&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Try a Little Tenderness&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Otis Redding&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;The Very Best of Otis Redding&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1966-10-15&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is1-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music125\/v4\/92\/3e\/f6\/923ef641-d13b-c0ac-1271-332f74b17956\/603497887217.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:2400,&quot;height&quot;:2400,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;000000&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;4fb2f4&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;3e9de9&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;3f8ec3&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;317eba&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview122\/v4\/d0\/93\/2e\/d0932e89-ed44-171c-19af-165162543c12\/mzaf_17667679326630100305.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Try a Little Tenderness”</a> (1966), as did Sam and Dave in “You Don’t Know Like I Know” (1965) and “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby” (1966), and Al Green in “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) and “I’m Still In Love With You” (1972). Joe Tex’s “A Sweet Woman Like You” (1965), Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Women” (1966), and Wilson Pickett’s “I Found a Love” (1967) acknowledged the importance of women in their lives. Aretha Franklin (known as the “Queen of Soul”) echoed related themes from the opposite perspective in “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” (1967), “Do Right Woman—Do Right Man” (1967), and “I Can’t See Myself Leaving You” (1968), and Gladys Knight &amp; The Pips in “If I Were Your Woman” (1970).

Soul music remained a major form of Black popular expression through the mid-1970s. The changes envisioned by African Americans, especially those living in the inner city, came at a much slower rate than anticipated. Musicians continued to speak on behalf of the community: The Isley Brothers expounded on the need for <a href="https://admin.cms.timeline.carnegiehall.org/more/genres/24/" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:301,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Freedom&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;198021832&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Freedom&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;The Isley Brothers&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;The Essential Isley Brothers&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1970-01-01&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is5-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music125\/v4\/1e\/34\/dd\/1e34ddc4-b87d-d9f9-ebbd-aa822a29cc79\/mzi.nqjgihhk.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:600,&quot;height&quot;:600,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;d7d3d0&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;0a0b0a&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;242321&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;333331&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;484644&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview125\/v4\/c1\/5f\/66\/c15f6645-e97f-87ca-5ce1-74bce7ce4d8b\/mzaf_2794225123669043066.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“Freedom”</a> (1970) and the Chi-Lites reminded society that the critical mass of African Americans had not yet been empowered in “(For God’s Sake) Give More Power to the People” (1971). The O’Jays cautioned about “Backstabbers” (1972) and Marvin Gaye spoke of inner-city social problems in “What’s Going On” (1971) and “Inner City Blues” (1971), as did the O’Jays’ “Give the People What They Want” (1975). By the mid-1970s, the defining sound of soul had largely disappeared from the popular music landscape, replaced by funk and disco, and later, rap/hip-hop.

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Funk is an instrumental and vocal genre of dance music popularized in the 1970s that embraces many styles from the jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, soul jazz, gospel, and rock traditions. Rhythm takes precedence over melody and harmony, and repetitive “grooves” keep the dancers moving. Funk came on the scene during a period of social activism in the late 1960s and crystallized during the 1970s.

Funk music, labeled “happy music” by drummer Hamilton Bohannon, reunited African Americans “one nation under a groove.” Its emergence parallels the transition from a segregated to a “desegregated” post–civil rights society in the late 1960s and early-1970s. Despite promises for new opportunities and advancement, the Black working class and the poor experienced little change in their lives in an era of deindustrialization and during two recessions 1973–1975 and 1980–1982. At the same time, members of the Black middle class encountered exclusionary practices in integrated workplaces, housing, and social settings. The prospect for advancement in corporate America, and predominantly white institutions of higher education, became illusive for many. The term “funk” as well as the diversity of funk music’s styles captures both the complex, and often contradictory, feelings of optimism, ambivalence, disillusionment, and despair that accompanied the transition from a segregated to a post–civil rights society.Among the pioneers of funk are James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone, whose revolutionary sounds became popular at the height of the Black Power, anti–Vietnam War and hippie movements of the late 1960s. Soul singer James Brown gave funk its polyrhythmic foundation, onto which Larry Graham, Sly Stone’s bass player, added a percussive bass guitar style as heard in “I Want to Take You Higher” (1968). Sly Stone introduced rock technology (wah-wah pedal, fuzz box, echo chambers, vocal distortion, etc.) and a blues-rock-flavored guitar in his music (“Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey” 1969) (explicit).

Although a core set of features define the funk tradition, it is stylistically diverse, influenced by various factors: regional preferences, musical background of performers, and new technologies. The J.B.s (James Brown’s backup band) (“Maceo” 1970), Kool and the Gang (“Love the Life You Live, Pts. 1 &amp; 2” 1971), the Ohio Players <a href="https://admin.cms.timeline.carnegiehall.org/more/genres/27/" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:317,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Pain&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1595684023&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Pain&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Ohio Players&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Pain&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1971-12-27&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is3-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music116\/v4\/ca\/4e\/c8\/ca4ec8db-ec12-0173-bff5-8a8d2f3df0e0\/artwork.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:3000,&quot;height&quot;:3000,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;181810&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;b0c5d6&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;bcb3c8&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;92a2ae&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;9b94a3&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview126\/v4\/57\/cb\/21\/57cb21d3-7f1d-b26d-50de-984cc1b8b459\/mzaf_15006425113870268038.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“Pain”</a> (1972), and Earth, Wind &amp; Fire (“Shining Star” 1975) represent a jazz-derived funk style that incorporates solos, horn riffs, and melodic phrasings from the bebop and swing band tradition. The sound of funk groups from Dayton, Ohio (Slave <a href="https://admin.cms.timeline.carnegiehall.org/more/genres/27/" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:318,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Slide&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1420403726&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Slide&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Slave&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Slide&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1977-04-04&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is4-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music115\/v4\/a2\/55\/e3\/a255e37a-7e9c-0994-6ff4-0149b0b558eb\/842474184448.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1400,&quot;height&quot;:1400,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;06000c&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;fcfcfa&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;e0e1db&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;cbcaca&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;b4b4b1&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview125\/v4\/df\/6b\/0a\/df6b0a56-ec42-1f77-8e9b-16863f7b1472\/mzaf_3244462973413857657.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“Slide”</a> 1977 and Lakeside “Fantastic Voyage” 1980), California (Con Fun Shun “Ffun” 1977), and the South, especially Memphis (Bar-Kays), reflect their roots in rhythm and blues, whose rhythmic patterns and horn arrangements are best illustrated by the Bar-Kays’ “Shake Your Rump to the Funk” (1976). Funk musicians who “apprenticed” in the Black church often reveal a gospel influence in their sound, such as the Isley Brothers, a former gospel quartet (“Freedom” 1970). Larry Graham, Sly Stone’s former bass player and leader of Graham Central Station, incorporates the vocal stylings, percussive timbres, and “shout” rhythms of the Black Pentecostal and Sanctified churches, as heard in <a href="https://admin.cms.timeline.carnegiehall.org/more/genres/27/" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:319,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Release Yourself&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;365048708&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Release Yourself&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Graham Central Station&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Release Yourself&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;2010-03-30&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is3-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music125\/v4\/67\/c1\/c2\/67c1c209-e718-8883-1a65-e648c564e1c9\/mzi.vimtzaxe.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1425,&quot;height&quot;:1425,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;494585&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;fefef4&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;efe3c5&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;dad9de&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;cec4b8&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview115\/v4\/d7\/6c\/a7\/d76ca7b8-a94b-fc83-5277-d2c26f601760\/mzaf_3782908515418257678.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“Release Yourself”</a> (1974).

One of the most innovative funk styles that became associated with Parliament-Funkadelic, the Parlets and the Brides of Funkenstein was the brainchild of George Clinton. Known as P-funk and described as pure funk, it builds on the musical foundation established by James Brown and Sly Stone and is rooted in the ideology of Black Power. Clinton observed that the movement towards a desegregated society resulted in the erosion of Black cultural values and the fragmentation of Black communities. He believed that Black people should liberate themselves from the social and cultural restrictions of society, a philosophy. Towards this end, he encouraged them to culturally redefine themselves in the land of funk evident in Parliament’s <a href="https://admin.cms.timeline.carnegiehall.org/more/genres/27/" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:320,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Mothership Connection (Star Child)&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1440837690&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Mothership Connection (Star Child)&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Parliament&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Mothership Connection&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1975-12-15&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is3-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music118\/v4\/b3\/dc\/3a\/b3dc3af0-b044-6914-1cdf-2ba2c8b36169\/00602547748492.rgb.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:3000,&quot;height&quot;:3000,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;1c2f2b&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;bbd9de&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;fa9827&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;9bb7ba&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;cd8328&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview125\/v4\/e0\/8d\/df\/e08ddf79-36be-0b30-00fe-0a08fc6f7646\/mzaf_2684682876647683579.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“Mothership Connection (Star Child)”</a> (1975) and <a href="https://admin.cms.timeline.carnegiehall.org/more/genres/27/" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:321,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Flashlight&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1440925757&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Flashlight&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Parliament&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;The Best of Parliament - Give Up the Funk&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1977-11-28&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is1-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music124\/v4\/6f\/ca\/06\/6fca065f-7551-561c-661a-827502dacf8c\/06UMGIM21392.rgb.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1500,&quot;height&quot;:1500,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;00000d&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;faea5e&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;fce874&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;c8bb4d&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;caba5f&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview125\/v4\/3e\/18\/6f\/3e186fb5-489c-063e-2998-2162a9afc89d\/mzaf_11811475058789457647.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“Flashlight”</a> (1977). P-funk has its own language, fashion, dances, and mythical heroes and villains who Clinton presents as science-fiction characters.Although most traditional funk bands had begun to disappear from the popular soundscape by the early 1980s, Cameo was one of the few 1970s bands that successfully transitioned to the synthesized-funk aesthetic (labeled techo-funk) and preserved the 1970s funk sensibility heard in “Word Up” (1986) and “Skin, I’m In” (1988). The traditional funk aesthetic, however, has been preserved in the samples of countless hip-hop tracks and in many R&amp;B tracks.

Funk musicians primarily use electronic instrumentation such as electric guitars and basses, synthesizers and organs; horns and additional percussion instruments might also be present. Bass guitar functions as a melodic instrument played in a percussive style. Funk’s musical core relies on a steady drumbeat. This repetitive, syncopated, and polyrhythmic “groove,” established by the bass guitarist and drummer, serves as the foundation for layers of different rhythmic patterns generated by the horn and rhythm sections. The rock aesthetic introduced by Sly Stone became a distinguishing component of P-funk. Clinton exploited the use of synthesizers and other technologies in “Flashlight” (Parliament, 1978).In the mid-1970s, disco rhythms infiltrated the funk groove and group-oriented singing gave way to lead vocals by the end of the decade. Synthesizers and computers had begun replacing or were used in conjunction with horn and bass players and, in some cases, drummers. This hybrid disco-funk style is heard in Con Funk Shun’s <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:507,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Chase Me&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1626386401&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Chase Me&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Con Funk Shun&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Candy&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1979-01-01&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is2-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music122\/v4\/43\/02\/f4\/4302f419-4e46-6b45-90d4-557f99731a28\/22UMGIM23185.rgb.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:3000,&quot;height&quot;:3000,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;261e1b&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;f9f0eb&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;deaf69&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;cfc6c1&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;b9925a&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview112\/v4\/89\/55\/16\/895516af-edac-9433-4c96-1d19fa4bf5b1\/mzaf_14935877258658191660.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Chase Me”</a> (1978), Heatwave’s “The Groove Line” (1978), and Dayton’s “Hot Fun in the Summertime” (1982), originally recorded by Sly and the Family Stone. Zapp and Roger borrowed from the high-tech P-Funk aesthetic to produce strong dance rhythms and varied vocal and instrumental timbres. Roger Troutman also experimented with the talk box (also known as the voice box) heard in “More Bounce to the Ounce” (1980).

Funk lyrics cover a broad range of themes. Recurrent chanted phrases like “party,” “dance, dance all night,” “let yourself go,” and “give up the funk” encourage dancers to escape temporarily from the uncertainties and pressures of daily life. Kool and the Gang (“Funky Stuff,” 1973), the Bar-Kays, the Gap Band, and Roger popularized funk as party music. Albums such as Sly and the Family Stone’s <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:322,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Stand!&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;212579598&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Stand!&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Sly &amp; The Family Stone&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Greatest Hits&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1970-11-21&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is3-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music125\/v4\/da\/10\/25\/da102506-5da5-2b7e-c4a2-7d54155c9455\/828767591025.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:3600,&quot;height&quot;:3600,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;eceee9&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;0d0d0d&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;4f1e12&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;393a39&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;6e483d&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview115\/v4\/62\/3a\/e8\/623ae8ac-8b8c-d0c4-c7e6-ffc0607e9f04\/mzaf_11636226534349122792.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stand!</a> (1969), Earth, Wind and Fire’s That’s the Way of the World (“That’s the Way of the World,” 1975) and Kool and the Gang’s Spirit of the Boogie (1975) address issues including society’s need to care for its children, peace on earth, universal understanding, love, and fulfilling relationships. Socio-political commentary, rooted in the ideology of Black Power, forms the core theme of P-funk, whose song lyrics encourage Black people to celebrate their “Blackness” by creating new spaces for social interaction. These spaces, traditionally reserved for whites, include the White House (“Chocolate City,” 1975), outer space (“Mothership Connection,” 1975), and underwater (“Aqua Boogie,” 1978). George Clinton uses humor to address social issues, developing story lines around mythical heroes and villains presented as science-fiction characters, as in the album Clones of Dr. Funkenstein (1976). Humor also inspired the creation of Black slang from which Clinton derives song titles such as “Groovallegiance,” “Funkentelechy,” and “Prosifunkstication.” Funk ballads, as well as uptempo songs, describe the trials and tribulations of romantic encounters: Bar-Kays’ “Too Hot to Trot” (1976) and “Hit and Run” (1981); the Gap Band’s “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” (1982) and Cameo’s “Back and Forth” (1987).

Rap/Hip-Hop

Jazz Fusion

Rock

Hard Bop

Shake Your Rump to the Funk

Go-Go

Electro-Funk

Horn

Organ

Other Electronic Instruments

Other Percussion

Woodwinds

Instrumentals

Blues Form

Electronic Sounds

Polyrhythms

Syncopation

Groove

Riffs

Sly and the Family Stone

Ohio Players

Kool & The Gang

George Clinton

Graham Central Station

Slave

Parliament

Pain

Release Yourself

Mothership Connection (Star Child)

Flashlight

Stand!

Daily Life

Nightlife/Parties

Segregation

Co-founder of Midnight Star

By the late 1970s, advancements in technology and the popularity of disco influenced the musical direction of many funk bands. Computers had begun replacing bass players and synthesizers substituted for horn sections. Electro-funk is a sub-genre that used technology to modernize the traditional funk sound in ways that preserved and accentuated the music’s core aesthetic.

Many of the early electro-funk records came out of Ohio. In Dayton, Ohio, the family group Zapp, featuring Roger, built on the technological concepts popularized in funk by Sly Stone and George Clinton. Zapp and Roger used modern technology (including electronic drum machines) and excluded disco elements to create a unique electro-funk groove that combined synthesized handclaps, bass, keyboards, and computer-generated sounds with live instruments. The most distinctive feature of the group’s music is the use of the “talkbox” for the manipulation of the vocal timbre, a concept introduced by Sly Stone and popularized in the mid-1970s by George Clinton. Roger/Zapp’s hits, including <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:250,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;More Bounce to The Ounce&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;332672898&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;More Bounce to the Ounce&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Zapp &amp; Roger&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Zapp &amp; Roger: All the Greatest Hits&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1980-01-01&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is5-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music125\/v4\/04\/7a\/d9\/047ad9aa-ed28-cf0d-8ea3-4ff8ae3090bd\/mzi.esilaluw.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1425,&quot;height&quot;:1425,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;252525&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;f1fc85&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;e5a649&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;c8d172&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;bf8c42&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview112\/v4\/01\/90\/d5\/0190d582-e35c-a561-d857-a32e035eeafc\/mzaf_3198855821550301460.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“More Bounce to the Ounce”</a> (1980), “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (1981), <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:251,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Dance Floor&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;332673417&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Dance Floor&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Zapp &amp; Roger&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Zapp &amp; Roger: All the Greatest Hits&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1982-01-01&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is5-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music125\/v4\/04\/7a\/d9\/047ad9aa-ed28-cf0d-8ea3-4ff8ae3090bd\/mzi.esilaluw.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1425,&quot;height&quot;:1425,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;252525&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;f1fc85&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;e5a649&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;c8d172&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;bf8c42&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview112\/v4\/3e\/33\/13\/3e33134f-1c1c-4f4b-3f68-f21786eb5665\/mzaf_12430369495861925594.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Dance Floor”</a> (1982), “I Can Make You Dance (Part I)” (1983), and “Computer Love” (1987), are examples of the innovative use of 1980s technology.Midnight Star, a funk band formed at Kentucky State University, established themselves as a bonified electro-funk band with their double-platinum LP No Parking on the Dance Floor (1983) that produced two hit singles (<a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:249,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Freak-A-Zoid&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;282863554&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Freak-A-Zoid&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Midnight Star&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;No Parking On the Dance Floor&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1983-05-15&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is2-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music124\/v4\/bd\/00\/23\/bd002325-ce35-cf09-000e-0299d605ae20\/dj.vxbckjet.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1440,&quot;height&quot;:1440,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;070508&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;bdb3c6&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;db9072&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;9890a0&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;b0745d&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview125\/v4\/bb\/30\/88\/bb308835-c69f-ca45-1be2-f2bdbb982f3e\/mzaf_9306707533327748951.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Freak-A-Zoid”</a> and “Wet My Whistle”). These songs blend electronic sound technologies with funky music and catchy lyric arrangements.

Minneapolis was a hot bed for the production of electro-funk that characterized the eclectic sound of Prince <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:252,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;1999&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1545705403&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;1999 (Edit)&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Prince &amp; The Revolution&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;4Ever&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1982-09-24&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is4-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music124\/v4\/d9\/b7\/ba\/d9b7ba40-aa34-a9ab-a5aa-339e65d8d30f\/886448965374.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:3000,&quot;height&quot;:3000,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;2c2c2c&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;ffffff&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;d2d2d2&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;d4d4d4&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;b1b1b1&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview125\/v4\/57\/0a\/66\/570a6667-2fe4-e3e1-faba-5d722507d297\/mzaf_6834364914656332008.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">1999</a> (1982) and Purple Rain (1984). His style combines elements of rhythm and blues, funk and rock, as did Sly and the Family Stone in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Prince’s electro R&amp;B-rock-funk aesthetic (“1999”) appealed to broad audiences. The Time, a protégé of Prince, evolved a distinctive style of synthesized dance funk by employing gospel-inspired timbres reminiscent of Graham Central Station and high-tech sound effects in the albums What Time Is It? (1982) and Ice Cream Castle (1984). Songwriter-producer team, Jimmy “Jam” Harris and Terry Lewis contributed to the development of the Minneapolis sound they used to produce the electro-funk group S.O.S Band’s <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:451,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Just Be Good to Me&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;317734978&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Just Be Good to Me&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;The United We Funk All Stars&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Tom Joyner Presents\u2026 the United We Funk All Stars Live&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;2000-11-14&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is1-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music\/00\/b5\/80\/mzi.olazejcc.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:600,&quot;height&quot;:600,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;261a29&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;fffeff&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;e9c6af&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;d3d0d4&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;c2a494&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview115\/v4\/a7\/7c\/0d\/a77c0d8b-8865-db28-ded1-820d65cdf842\/mzaf_10070774230900538780.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Just Be Good to Me”</a> (1983) and incorporated it onto their R&amp;B productions of Janet Jackson’s first LP Control (1986), which won the duo a Grammy award.

Funk’s musical foundation centers on a repetitive, syncopated, and polyrhythmic pattern—a “groove”—established by the bass guitarist and drummer. The rhythm section generates different layers on top of this groove. Rhythm takes precedence over the melody; the bass guitar functions as a melodic instrument played in a percussive style. Vocal and instrumental distortion is prevalent.

Electro-funk lyrics cover a broad range of themes, including partying, relationships, and politics. They are commentaries on changing economic conditions in a society shifting from an industrial to a technological and service orientation, particularly as these changes affected African Americans during the post-soul era of desegregation and affirmative action. Party themes provided a temporary escape from the uncertainties and pressures of daily life. The recurrent chanted lyrics of “party,” “dance, dance all night,” “let yourself go,” and “give up the funk” encouraged dancers to have a good time and be happy.

House

Detroit Techno

Freak-A-Zoid

Body Percussion

Prince

Zapp & Roger

Midnight Star

S.O.S. Band

Afrika Bambaataa

More Bounce to the Ounce

More Bounce to The Ounce

Dance Floor

1999 (Edit)

1999

Jungle Love

Just Be Good to Me

Dance

Love/Relationships

﻿The highly charged, gospel vocal stylings of Aretha Franklin, the driving rhythms of James Brown, and the mellow harmonies of the Impressions inspired new expressions in jazz, labeled “soul jazz.” Extending its roots from hard bop, soul jazz digs deeply into the spirit and flavor of gospel through its offspring, soul. Organists Jimmy Smith, with “Respect” and “Funky Broadway,” and Brother Jack McDuff with “A Change Is Gonna Come” and “Wade in the Water,” recorded many such songs that blend aspects of soul, jazz, rhythm and blues, and other African American folk traditions. At the same time, they and other soul jazz musicians remained anchored in the tradition of hard bop, performing that repertoire as well as their own compositions.

The Black Power movement in the 1960s, in concert with the Civil Rights Movement, galvanized African American communities to social and political action. Jazz musicians contributed to this process, developing soul jazz out of hard bop. Songs by jazz musicians such as Ramsey Lewis with <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:359,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;The \u201cIn\u201d Crowd&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1434906251&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;The \&quot;In\&quot; Crowd (Single Version)&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Ramsey Lewis Trio&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Priceless Jazz 18: Ramsey Lewis&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1998-02-10&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is2-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music128\/v4\/91\/21\/cf\/9121cfce-e8a9-c7cb-6c92-7e4c12bbbba8\/00602567824527.rgb.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1500,&quot;height&quot;:1500,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;faf9f7&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;120c0c&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;342e27&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;403b3b&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;5c5751&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview125\/v4\/58\/82\/c1\/5882c164-d338-2b83-49d2-b77826fa1065\/mzaf_6084714404816597867.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“The “In” Crowd”</a> and <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:358,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Wade in the Water&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1437948233&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Wade In the Water&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Ramsey Lewis&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Wade In the Water&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1966-01-01&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is4-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music128\/v4\/2d\/83\/02\/2d830279-cb33-5809-8d6f-90a450348727\/00602577039768.rgb.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:3000,&quot;height&quot;:3000,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;dbe7db&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;070a07&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;482413&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;313631&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;664b3b&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview125\/v4\/73\/a4\/f0\/73a4f082-207f-86eb-78a7-4717f5ad38d4\/mzaf_2234459749865977782.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Wade in the Water,”</a> “Cannonball” Adderley with <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:357,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Mercy, Mercy, Mercy&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;723778431&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Live)&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Cannonball Adderley Quintet&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Live at &#039;the Club&#039;)&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1966-10-20&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is4-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music125\/v4\/f7\/b6\/85\/f7b685e7-9827-ac33-47fd-50a9882f15ca\/00724382991557.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1400,&quot;height&quot;:1400,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;0c070b&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;fed955&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;1fa8ea&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;ceaf46&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;1b88bd&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview125\/v4\/f9\/c8\/f7\/f9c8f767-6678-bce3-78ab-a563d9cfdd52\/mzaf_7350938049173999200.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”</a> and Brother Jack McDuff with “Let My People Go,” could be heard blaring from car radios, stereo and 8-track recorders, and jukeboxes in public venues. The music was danceable and evoked a familiar sound.

Soul jazz, in contrast to hard bop, emphasizes melodic hooks and repetitive rhythmic grooves, including a bass line played in the syncopated tradition of rhythm and blues, as heard in “Cannonball” Adderley’s <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:357,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Mercy, Mercy, Mercy&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;723778431&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Live)&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Cannonball Adderley Quintet&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Live at &#039;the Club&#039;)&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1966-10-20&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is4-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music125\/v4\/f7\/b6\/85\/f7b685e7-9827-ac33-47fd-50a9882f15ca\/00724382991557.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1400,&quot;height&quot;:1400,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;0c070b&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;fed955&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;1fa8ea&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;ceaf46&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;1b88bd&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview125\/v4\/f9\/c8\/f7\/f9c8f767-6678-bce3-78ab-a563d9cfdd52\/mzaf_7350938049173999200.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”</a> (1966). As in hard bop, soloists follow the chord progressions, and the bass line—often played by an organist/pianist—maintains a strict four-to-the-bar walking bass line pattern. The musicians build their accompaniment around the bass line that flows under strong melodies played with a soul-inspired feeling.

Soul jazz is primarily an instrumental style. Although some soul jazz musicians include vocals in their repertoire, they assume a secondary place in the broader tradition.

Midnight Special

Jimmy Smith

Julian “Cannonball” Adderley

Wes Montgomery

Horace Silver

Stanley Turrentine

Freddie Hubbard

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Live)

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

Wade In the Water

Wade in the Water

The "In" Crowd (Single Version)

The “In” Crowd

The Sidewinder (Remastered)

The Sidewinder

Got My Mojo Workin'

Got My Mojo Workin’

The Sermon

Entertainment

Secular Instrumental

The term smooth jazz is best understood as a marketing label that symbolizes the commercialization of jazz as popular music. An outgrowth of soul jazz (1960s) and jazz fusion (1970s), smooth jazz arose and gained prominence in the late 1980s when record labels experimented with new approaches to further expand the audience for jazz. Smooth jazz artists draw inspiration and repertoire from easy listening pop music and R&amp;B ballads. Influenced by the jazz fusion styles of trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, guitarist George Benson, and saxophonists Grover Washington, Jr., and David Sanborn, smooth jazz musicians Gerald Albright, Najee, Kenny G, Boney James, George Howard, Dave Koz, and Norman Brown are among the popularizers of this style.

Profiting from the crossover success of jazz fusion in the 1970s, record labels sought ways to keep jazz relevant, especially given the growing popularity of R&amp;B and hip-hop in the mainstream. Producers began recording jazz artists performing covers of popular R&amp;B songs, such as Norman Brown’s cover of Janet Jackson’s <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:378,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;That\u2019s the Way Love Goes&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1440760856&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;That&#039;s the Way Love Goes&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Norman Brown&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;The Very Best of Norman Brown&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1994-05-16&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is4-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music124\/v4\/82\/26\/01\/8226015d-9b0c-08be-03c7-73876de06c3a\/00602498867617.rgb.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1422,&quot;height&quot;:1414,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;160b1b&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;d2c193&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;cfa865&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;ad9c7b&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;aa8856&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview115\/v4\/e9\/e1\/b5\/e9e1b571-33b9-d7e8-3b2e-8d9260b8df39\/mzaf_6032156739032601605.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“That’s the Way Love Goes”</a> (1994) and George Howard’s cover of Patti Austin and James Ingram’s <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:376,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Baby, Come to Me&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1443553626&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Baby Come to Me&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;George Howard&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;The Very Best of George Howard&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;2002-01-01&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is2-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music124\/v4\/b8\/3d\/6f\/b83d6f64-6b2e-c891-fd67-421a478bb459\/00602498621004.rgb.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1422,&quot;height&quot;:1418,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;dceaf7&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;1e2436&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;1d3147&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;444c5c&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;43566a&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview125\/v4\/cd\/15\/c3\/cd15c3e4-d940-9496-3a30-279491dd7916\/mzaf_16707720812540899939.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Baby, Come to Me”</a> (1992).

These artists also perform original songs modeled on the relaxed beat of easy listening pop songs and R&amp;B ballads, such as Boney James’s <a href="https://admin.cms.timeline.carnegiehall.org/more/genres/49/" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:377,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;It\u2019s All Good&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1576791460&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;It&#039;s All Good&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Boney James&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Sweet Thing&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1997-05-27&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is1-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music115\/v4\/71\/c8\/b0\/71c8b035-6179-20aa-9b94-76bc67206ece\/18CRGIM05991.rgb.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:3000,&quot;height&quot;:3000,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;ffffff&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;030600&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;211614&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;353833&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;4d4543&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview115\/v4\/fb\/fd\/82\/fbfd82e2-3646-864d-fac0-87bf720afb91\/mzaf_14656580612611411407.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“It’s All Good”</a> (1997), as well as songs with an R&amp;B groove, as heard in George Howard’s “Red, Black ‘N’ Blue” (2000) and the Yellowjackets’ <a href="https://admin.cms.timeline.carnegiehall.org/more/genres/49/" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:455,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Anticipation&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1085961305&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Anticipation&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Yellowjackets&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Cohearence&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;2016-04-22&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is5-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music49\/v4\/be\/88\/bd\/be88bd12-8b7b-c796-0ca6-114a1c79a126\/dj.qovfojla.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1500,&quot;height&quot;:1500,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;8c6100&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;fdfef6&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;e7f7ff&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;e6dec4&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;d4d9cb&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview115\/v4\/02\/d4\/15\/02d41541-6957-39fe-eb09-23781539a64b\/mzaf_7877784421859662279.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shades</a> (1986). Smooth jazz musicians collaborated with R&amp;B vocalists, as Kenny G did with Lenny Williams on <a href="https://admin.cms.timeline.carnegiehall.org/more/genres/49/" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:379,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Don\u2019t Make Me Wait for Love&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;391710648&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Don&#039;t Make Me Wait for Love&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Kenny G&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;The Essential Kenny G&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1986-01-01&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is2-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music\/39\/ab\/f4\/mzi.nvxsqycg.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:600,&quot;height&quot;:600,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;000201&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;dbdbdb&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;c6bdbd&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;afafaf&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;9e9897&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview115\/v4\/f6\/12\/05\/f6120511-b73b-578d-8d5c-2359a0cad078\/mzaf_3298408283126262770.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“Don’t Make Me Wait for Love”</a> (1986). Many also tour with and play on studio recordings of R&amp;B and pop artists.The emergence of alternative radio formats such as “adult alternative,” ”easy listening” and their spin-offs “urban contemporary adult,” “smooth jazz” and “quiet storm” made possible the continued air-play of smooth jazz artists, although jazz purists do not consider these musicians to be representative of the jazz tradition.

Smooth jazz musicians borrow musical elements from R&amp;B. Songs, for example, center on a “groove” (a syncopated and repetitive foundation established by the bass and drum), and they often feature lead and/or background vocals. Improvisation is de-emphasized, although some smooth jazz artists occasionally incorporate the blues and the improvisational style of traditional jazz—for example, David Sanborn on Another Hand (1991) and Closer (2005), and Fourplay on <a href="" data-song-json="{&quot;id&quot;:456,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Between the Sheets&quot;,&quot;apple_music_song_id&quot;:&quot;1306537322&quot;,&quot;song_file&quot;:null,&quot;apple_music_attributes&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Between the Sheets (feat. Chaka Khan &amp; Nathan East)&quot;,&quot;artist_name&quot;:&quot;Fourplay&quot;,&quot;album_name&quot;:&quot;Between the Sheets&quot;,&quot;release_date&quot;:&quot;1993-08-13&quot;,&quot;artwork&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/is4-ssl.mzstatic.com\/image\/thumb\/Music115\/v4\/bb\/57\/01\/bb57019b-bf05-afa4-8a99-bb66f2a9e302\/4897012132944_3000.jpg\/{w}x{h}bb.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:3000,&quot;height&quot;:3000,&quot;bgColor&quot;:&quot;1e1f21&quot;,&quot;textColor1&quot;:&quot;ffffff&quot;,&quot;textColor2&quot;:&quot;fad1b6&quot;,&quot;textColor3&quot;:&quot;d1d2d2&quot;,&quot;textColor4&quot;:&quot;cead98&quot;},&quot;preview_song_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com\/itunes-assets\/AudioPreview125\/v4\/33\/b8\/dc\/33b8dca8-aef8-c4ab-8114-14160a2e612c\/mzaf_18212865046488683318.plus.aac.p.m4a&quot;},&quot;video_file&quot;:null}" rel="noopener noreferrer">Between the Sheets</a> (1993).

R&amp;B vocalists such as Lenny Williams, Eric Benet, Heather Headley, and Phil Perry have appeared on smooth jazz recordings as guest performers. Jazz-oriented R&amp;B singers, including Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, and Sade are programmed on easy listening, contemporary adult, smooth jazz, and quiet storm radio formats.