Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the United States in the

late 1950s and early 1960s. It combines elements of African-American gospel musi
c, rhythm and blues and jazz. Soul music became popular for dancing and listenin
g in the United States; where record labels such as Motown, Atlantic and Stax we
re influential in the civil rights era. Soul also became popular around the worl
d, directly influencing rock music and the music of Africa.[1]
According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of th
e black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & b
lues into a form of funky, secular testifying".[2] Catchy rhythms, stressed by h
andclaps and extemporaneous body moves, are an important feature of soul music.
Other characteristics are a call and response between the lead vocalist and the
chorus and an especially tense vocal sound. The style also occasionally uses imp
rovisational additions, twirls and auxiliary sounds.[3] Soul music reflected the
African-American identity and it stressed the importance of an African-American
culture. The new-found African-American consciousness led to new styles of musi
c, which boasted pride in being black.[4]
Soul music dominated the U.S. R&B chart in the 1960s, and many recordings crosse
d over into the pop charts in the U.S., Britain and elsewhere. By 1968, the soul
music genre had begun to splinter. Some soul artists developed funk music, whil
e other singers and groups developed slicker, more sophisticated, and in some ca
ses more politically conscious varieties.[5] By the early 1970s, soul music had
been influenced by psychedelic rock and other genres, leading to psychedelic sou
l. The United States saw the development of neo soul around 1994. There are also
several other subgenres and offshoots of soul music.
The key subgenres of soul include the Detroit (Motown) style, a rhythmic music i
nfluenced by gospel; deep soul and southern soul, driving, energetic soul styles
combining R&B with southern gospel music sounds; Memphis soul, a shimmering, su
ltry style; New Orleans soul, which came out of the rhythm and blues style; Chic
ago soul, a lighter gospel-influenced sound; Philadelphia soul, a lush orchestra
l s