R&B MUSIC

BY : LEE YU YANG



Late 1940s

Marketing black music under “Blues and
Rhythm”

Louis Jordan dominated top 5 of R&B
Charts for prominence

"Rhythm and Blues" replaced the Billboard

category Harlem Hit Parade.

A new version of 1920s blues song once
again made the top five in 1949.

Late 1950s

o City visited by R&B "Top Stars of '56" tour
included Columbia, Maryland, New York and
other cities.

o Elvis Presley made two records on the R&B top
five in 1957: “Treat Me Nice” in first place, and
“All Shook Up” in fifth place

o In 1959, two black-owned record labels, one of
which would become hugely successful, made
their debut

1960s-1970s

• By the early 1960s, the music industry category

previously known as rhythm and blues was being

called soul music
• Motown Records had its first million-selling

single in 1960 with the Miracles’ “Shop Around”
• In 1969 black culture and rhythm and blues

reached another great achievement when the

Grammys first added the Rhythm and Blues

category
• Being used as blanket term for soul, funk and

disco

Michael Jackson
Beyonce

Al Green
Drake

“Fun Girl” by Summer Walker
“Give It Up” by Marco McKinnis
“My Body” by Ann Marie
“Love Riddim” by Rotimi
“Discrecion” by Girl Ultra