Soul music has its roots in the United States. The genre began in the 1950s and is usually a combination of gospel and R&B music. The art of merging R&B and gospel makes the style a unique one. Most of the performing artists who were pioneers of the genre came from Memphis and Southern USA. Soul music is played with instruments such as the electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, clarinet, piano, Hammond organ, and also drums.
Prominent Record Labels and Producers
Some of the notable record labels used for recording soul music include Motown Records, Stax Records, and Atlantic Records. Motown was African-American owned, and it had renowned artists such as The Supremes, The Marvelettes, Mary Wells, Jr Walker AllStars, The Jackson Five, and many others. Stax and Atlantic were independent record labels that were known to feature famous artists on quality dance records. Stax, a successful recording company, recorded hit songs with musicians such as Wilson Pickett, The Staple Singers, and Otis Redding.
Soul Music Subgenres
Soul music is a parent genre to Latin soul, Motown sound, quiet storm, neo-soul, and cinematic soul. The Motown sound is mainly comprised of hand-clapping, a vibraphone, and dominant strings and bass lines. Pop-soul, a genre style that is characterised by raw vocals was pioneered by the Motown sound.
Best Soul Tracks of All Time
The best soul music tracks to be released since the genre was invented include I’ll Be Around by The Spinners, Baby by Donnie & Joe Emerson, You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin, and I Want You by Marvin Gaye.
Soul Music Popularity
Soul music is popular due to its unique features. In the 1960s, soul tracks and albums dominated the music charts. The genre spread from the parent state to other locations such as the UK. Several soul music acts performed in the United Kingdom.