What is soul music ?

Soul music is a collective term for several forms of pop music that Black Americans pioneered
from the mid-twentieth century onward. Genres grouped under the "soul" banner include rhythm
and blues (R&B), urban blues, Motown, smooth jazz, and gospel music.

Soul music traces its roots to traditional blues and the gospel music of the Black church. Soul
pioneers of the 1950s—such as Ray Charles, Etta James, Sam Cooke, Clyde McPhatter, Little
Richard, and Hank Ballard—learned music through performing in gospel groups. As these
artists incorporated blues tropes and shifted to secular lyrics, the soul genre was born.

In the 1970s, soul music began to lay the groundwork for funk and disco.

6 Characteristics of Soul Music

Although soul music evolved in disparate places—from Detroit and Memphis to Philadelphia
and beyond—many key elements unite the genre:

1. Continuation of gospel traditions: A great number of soul singers learned about music
through the Black church. Idioms from Black gospel music—such as call-and-response vocals
between a lead singer and a chorus—appear in many soul songs. “Love Train” by The O’Jays,
"The Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and "Baby Love" by The
Supremes all feature gospel elements.

2. Blues harmonies: Many soul songwriters brought the harmonic language of the blues to
their music. From Ray Charles's piano to the Reverend Al Green's guitar, the influence of
southern blues pervades much of soul music.

3. Virtuosic vocals: Soul music tends to provide an excellent showcase for virtuosic vocalists.
From Sam Cooke on "A Change Is Gonna Come" and "You Send Me" to Aretha Franklin's "I
Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," many soul songs flourish on the beauty of the
singer's voice.

4. Prominent rhythm sections: Some of the most famous soul musicians are rhythm players,
such as Funk Brothers bassist James Jamerson and MGs guitarist Steve Cropper. Soul music
tends to emphasize a heavy backbeat, a characteristic derived from its gospel origins.

5. Horn sections: Many soul groups made ample use of horn sections. This was particularly
true of records put out on Memphis-based Hi Records (under the direction of label president and
trumpet player Willie Mitchell) and Stax Records. Motown Records made less frequent use of a
horn section, but horns can still be heard on classics like Martha and the Vandellas’s "Dancing
in the Street."

6. Connection to the civil rights movement: Classic soul came of age in the 1950s and
1960s, which was a crucial period in the United States' struggle for Black civil rights. Many soul
artists sought to address the nation's social and political climate in their work, such as Marvin
Gaye on his seminal record What's Going On.