The History of R&B

THE HISTORY OF R&B Beginnings The migration of African Americans to the major urban centres of Detroit, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles creates a vibrant new market for jazz and blues 1920S AND 30S 1940S The Rise of Rhythm and Blues The term R&B comes into more common use in the US in the late 1940s, with more R&B hits being recorded under new, independent labels such as Savoy, King, Imperial and Atlantic. Topping the Charts 1950S The influence of R&B only balloons in the 1950s, with major hits topping the charts every year throughout this decade. Rising stars during this time include Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, The Orioles and Ruth Brown. Motown and Britain 1960S In the 1960s, R&B was increasingly being referred to as soul music, and this decade sees the rise of the Motown label, beginning with The Miracles 'Shop Around'. The influence of R&B also spreads to Britain, with bands such as The Rolling Stones and The Kinks becoming influenced by its sound. Other British bands to emerge include The Moody Blues, The Spencer Davis Group and The Animals. 1970S The beginning of rap? By the 1970s, R&B is being used as an umbrella term for funk, soul and rap. DJ Hollywood may have been the first artist to make the crossover to rap. By 1979, Rapper's Delight had taken rap global. The 1970s was also the peak of the disco era. Thriller 198 OS 'Thriller' makes Michael Jackson the first post- disco artist to reach out to a mainstream audience, and R&B is changed by the arrival of synthesizers and slick drums. Notable artists of this decade include Luther Vandross, Freddie Jackson, the SOS Band. 1990S The arrival of hip-hop With the dawn of the 90s, R&B and hip-hop become more entwined, with artists such as Will Smith and Vanilla Ice turning R&B into more of a pop sensation. This was also the decade where Bobby Brown and R Kelly became global R&B superstars. 2000S R&B and the Internet This is the decade of the Internet, the iPod, and the R&B artist becoming a true superstar. Beyonce Knowles's Crazy In Love became one of the biggest selling tracks of the decade. Artists such as Kanye West and 50 Cent dominate the music industry. http://www.londongroove.co.uk/