In this post, we list some of the best R&B artists of all time and their greatest hits. Over the past 50 years, R&B has always had a certain degree of mainstream success especially from Motown acts like Smokey Robinson and soulful singers like Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye to pop icons like Michael Jackson, Prince, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
You’ll also see a familiar pattern in that this music genre was originally created and developed by African-American artists in the mid-twentieth century. This means you’ll get to know some of the greatest R&B artists who’ve created music that features the most intense lyrics and soulful vocal performances.
1. Luther Vandros
On “Dance with my Father” Vandross recalls fond memories with his late father who used to dance with his mother. The song is a tribute to his father, Luther Vandross, Sr., who died due to complications of diabetes. Vandross was eight when his father died.
Stream “Dance With My Father” song
Get “Dance With My Father” lyrics
2. Marvin Gaye
“Sexual Healing” was Marvin Gaye’s first song since his messy departure from Motown Records in the early 80’s. Spiraling out of control with drug addiction, trouble with the I.R.S and suffering from depression, Marvin was in disarray as he relocated to Ostend, Belgium. That’s when David Ritz, then a reviewer for Rolling Stone, visited Gaye in order to write his autobiography. During the visit, he saw Marvin’s unusually large pornography collection and joked he was in need of some “sexual healing”, which as we now know became the track’s title and lyrical inspiration.
Stream “Sexual Healing” song
3. Aretha Franklin
“Respect” was originally written and recorded by Otis Redding in 1965, off of the soul singer’s third album Otis Redding Sings Soul. Franklin’s version of “Respect” is about a young, confident, independent woman telling her man that she does everything he wants from her and doesn’t see any why he disrespects her. According to her, all she demands from him is nothing short of “respect”. The way Franklin spelled out R-E-S-P-E-C-T ensured the message was loud and clear. Aretha’s version went on to become one of the most famous female empowerment anthems of all time.
Stream “Respect” song
4. James Brown
On “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” James Brown shares the idea that no matter how many great things men have done and accomplished throughout time, the man is nothing without his woman. He proceeds to detail all of men’s seemingly mighty achievements. They created cars, trains and boats. They invented electricity. They’re the breadwinners. But every single boast is punctured by Brown’s melancholy tone. Each time he lists more accomplishments, he returns to that lament: “It wouldn’t be nothing / nothing without a woman or a girl.”
Stream “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” song
Get “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” lyrics
5. Otis Redding
“(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” was recorded by Redding twice in 1967, including once just three days before his death in a plane crash on December 10, 1967. It wasn’t written as a protest song, but it almost sounds like it could have been one during the civil rights struggles of the 1960s. According to Ricky Moore of American Songwriter, “It became an anthem of sorts for people of all colors all over the world, both the truly downtrodden and those of us who just feel like we are.”
Stream “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” song
Get “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” lyrics
6. Etta James
Etta James penned the Southern blues classic “I’d Rather Go Blind” during a visit to her friend Ellington “Fugi” Jordan in prison in 1967. The Detroit singer and songwriter had already outlined the song, in which he poured out his grief from being incarcerated not knowing when he would be released.
Stream “I’d Rather Go Blind” song
Get “I’d Rather Go Blind” lyrics
7. Bill Withers
Bill Withers wrote “Ain’t No Sunshine” for his 1971 album Just As I Am, and it was produced by Booker T Jones. It was Bill’s first hit. He was inspired to write the song after watching the 1962 movie Days of Wine and Roses. The film depicts the downward spiral of two everyday Americans, played by Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick, who succumb to alcoholism and attempt to deal with their problems. The artist’s success came after spending nine years in the US Navy, where he had a job at a factory making toilet seats for airplanes. When the single reached gold status, his record company presented him with a golden toilet, marking the start of his new career.
Stream “Ain’t No Sunshine” song
Get “Ain’t No Sunshine” lyrics
8. Tina Turner
“What’s Love Got to Do With It” marked the rise of Tina Turner’s solo career after living through 16 years of abuse while married to Ike Turner. In this song, Tina Turner plays the part of a woman who enjoys the carnal encounters with her lover, but feels no emotional attachment. She wants him to know that there’s nothing more to it, as for her it’s purely physical. Their relationship has nothing to do with love, which she dismisses as “a sweet, old-fashioned notion.”
Stream “What’s Love Got To Do With It” song
Get “What’s Love Got To Do With It” lyrics
9. Sam Cooke
“Wonderful World” was mainly composed by songwriting team Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, but Cooke revised the lyrics to mention the subject of education more. According to Craig Werner, a professor of African American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the song may have had a more politically charged meaning. In his book, A Change Is Gonna Come: Music, Race and the Soul of America, Werner writes that “Wonderful World” may be one of the first examples of Cooke’s crossover into politics, where he informs white listeners that he “don’t know much about history” and “don’t know much biology” as a comment that these are the things to forget about African-Americans, and all they need to remember is love.
Stream “Wonderful World” song
10. Ray Charles
“Hit the Road Jack” captures a woman who wants to break up with her down-on-his-luck lover. She’s determined to end the relationship that even if her man drags his feet about packing out of their house, she’s willing to leave instead. He, however thinks that when his fortunes change, so will her mind. But the female perspective assures listeners that such is not the case. That moment also injects humor into the song.
Stream “Hit the Road Jack” song
Get “Hit the Road Jack” lyrics
11. Anita Baker
“Sweet Love” is a song by American R&B singer and songwriter Anita’s first single from her second studio album, Rapture. It was written by her, Louis A. Johnson, and Gary Bias, and produced by Michael J. Powell. The song was Baker’s first big hit single, peaking at number two on the US Billboard R&B chart. It also won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song at the 29th Annual Grammy Awards (1987).
Stream “Sweet Love” song
12. Donny Hathaway
“A Song For You” was recorded by Donny Hathaway for his self-titled second album. It’s original version was recorded by Leon Russell. It was long thought that Leon Russell’s muse for the song was the singer Rita Coolidge, who claimed to be the inspiration and called it “the most beautiful song ever written.” They met in the late ’60s when Russell was one of the top session piano players and Coolidge was getting started as a singer. But at a 2015 concert in New York City, he said “A Song For You” was not about her. Hathaway’s version features orchestral string and woodwind parts arranged by Arif Mardin. Hathaway’s gospel-inflected interpretation has been praised as redefining the song as his own. His live performances were electrifying, evoking a near-religious experience for the audience.
Stream “A Song For You” song
13. Stevie Wonder
“Superstition” was released as the lead single from Stevie Wonder’s fifteenth studio album, Talking Book. In an interview with NPR magazine, Stevie Wonder explained what the song means; “I think that the reason that I talked about being superstitious is because I really didn’t believe in it. I didn’t believe in the different things that people say about breaking glasses or the number 13 is bad luck, and all those various things. And to those, I said, ‘When you believe in things you don’t understand, then you suffer.’”
Stream “Superstition” song
14. Jackie Wilson
“(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher” was originally recorded by the vocal group The Dells. It was written by the blind songwriter and producer from Chicago, Raynard Miner, who worked on the original version with Billy Davis of Chess Records and producer Carl Smith. Jackie Wilson then recorded his version in Chicago with members of The Funk Brothers, who were Motown’s house band. As detailed in the documentary Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, these musicians were responsible for the distinctive Motown sound, but they didn’t make much money and moonlighted by playing sessions for artists like Wilson.
Stream “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher” song
Get “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher” lyrics
15. Whitney Houston
“I Will Always Love You” was first written by country-music legend Dolly Parton some two decades before Whitney Houston covered her song. In 1967, Dolly was invited by country star Porter Wagoner to co-host his TV show, where they became famous for their duets. However, her huge talent soon eclipsed that of her mentor, and she moved on to bigger things. She wrote the song for him to show her appreciation for their time together. Whitney originally intended to cover Jimmy Ruffin’s “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” as the lead single in the movie The Bodyguard. However, after she found out the song had been used just one year earlier in the 1991 film Fried Green Tomatoes, Costner (one of the movie’s producer and actor) suggested she record Dolly Parton’s country hit instead.
Stream “I Will Always Love You” song
Get “I Will Always Love You” lyrics
16. Dionne Warwick
“That’s What Friends Are For” was originally written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager for the 1982 movie Night Shift, where it was recorded by Rod Stewart and played over the closing credits. This version was not released as a single, but the songwriters thought it had lots of commercial potential and had Dionne & Friends record it in 1985.
According to PEOPLE, the night before Dionne Warwick was set to record “That’s What Friends Are For,” she ran into Elton John while grocery shopping in Beverly Hills. “I said, ‘I’m recording tomorrow and I need you.’ That’s how simple it was,” Warwick tells PEOPLE of how she recruited John at the last minute, back in 1985. John showed up, along with Warwick’s friends, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder, to record the song, which would reach number one on the Billboard charts, and earn Warwick her fifth Grammy award.
Stream “That’s What Friends Are For” song
Get “That’s What Friends Are For” lyrics
17. Al Green
“Let’s Stay Together” is about about the power of love and how it persists through good times and bad. Before Green’s success with the song, his early singing experience came as a member of his family’s gospel group, but he was kicked out of the family home by the age of 20. He moved in with his prostitute girlfriend at the time and started his own musical group, the Soul Mates. They had success with the hit “Back Up Train“. However, everywhere he went, the people wanted “Back Up Train” and like any frustrated artist, Green eventually came to hate the song and quit the group. “Let’s Stay Together” started with Willie Mitchell (also producer) giving Green a rough cut of a tune he’d written alongside Al Jackson Jr.. Green did about 100 takes before he got the one he liked, and even then he wasn’t sure the song was any good. It was Mitchell who set him straight, telling him it “had magic on it.” The song went on to reach number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained on the chart for 16 weeks and also topped Billboard’s R&B chart for nine weeks.
Stream “Let’s Stay Together” song
Get “Let’s Stay Together” lyrics
18. Prince
“Purple Rain” was recorded by Prince and his backing band the Revolution. It’s also the title track from the 1984 album of the same name. Prince explained the meaning of ‘Purple Rain’ as: “When there’s blood in the sky – red and blue = purple… purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/god guide you through the purple rain.” Tom Eames of Smooth Radio mentions that “Purple Rain” was originally written as a country song, and was intended to be a collaboration with Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks. According to Nicks, she received a 10-minute instrumental version of the song from Prince, with a request to write the lyrics, but she felt overwhelmed by the task. She later said: “I listened to it and I just got scared. I called him back and said, ‘I can’t do it. I wish I could. It’s too much for me.'” Prince then asked his backing band to try the song.
Stream “Purple Rain” song
19. Mariah Carey
“We Belong Together” is a song by Mariah Carey from her 10th studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi. On the song, she describes the reality of being lonely after breaking off a relationship. Following a relatively unsuccessful period between 2001 and 2004, critics dubbed the song her musical comeback, as many had considered her career over. The song also incorporates 1980s retro-soul music referencing Bobby Womack’s “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” (and the Deele’s “Two Occasions”, with Babyface.
Stream “We Belong Together” song
Get “We Belong Together” lyrics
20. Patti LaBelle
“On My Own” was originally recorded for singer Dionne Warwick for inclusion on her album Friends, but never made the cut. Eventually, Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald recorded the song for her eighth studio album, Winner in You. The song was written and produced by Burt Bacharach and his former wife Carole Bayer Sager. The duo took the two singers’ vocal takes and blended them together, making the two of them sound like they were singing to each other. This was because they were in opposite coasts, LaBelle in Philadelphia, McDonald in Los Angeles. They never met each other until after the song had hit #1 on the Billboard charts.
Stream “On My Own” song
21. Barry White
In 1972, White had discovered the girl group Love Unlimited. Somewhere along the way, White fell in love with Glodean James, one of the members of Love Unlimited. They got married in 1974, and in the same year “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe.” was recorded. Tom Breihan of Stereogum mentions that, “Barry White sounds like a human volcano, belching up streams of deep affection from somewhere miles beneath the surface of the planet.” Eventually, the song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard R&B charts.
Stream “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe” song
Get “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe” lyrics
22. Smokey Robinson
“Cruisin’” is a 1979 single written, produced, and recorded by Smokey Robinson. Smokey Robinson told The Guardian’s 1000 Songs Everyone Must Hear supplement that when he wrote this song, his guitarist Marv Tarplin had already written the music. Smokey added: “He put it on cassette and gave it to me to write the lyric. As it turned out, it took me five years to write. I had the music, and that music is so intimate and sensual, but I couldn’t get the words. Then one day I got: ‘You’re gonna fly away and I’m glad you’re coming my way.’ And then I was driving my car down Sunset Boulevard and I heard that song by the Rascals, ‘Groovin’ and I thought, ‘That’s it! Grooving.’ But then, no, it wasn’t intimate enough, it wasn’t sensual enough for the music, and that’s when I thought of ‘cruisin.’
Stream “Cruisin'” song
23. Bobby Brown
“Roni” was the third single off Bobby’s solo sophomore album, Don’t Be Cruel. It was written by Babyface with his Deele bandmates, Darnell “Dee” Bristol and L.A. Reid. Daryl Simmons, Babyface’s frequent songwriting partner, recalled the story of the song to Songwriter Universe: “Kenny wrote this song called ‘Roni,’ about this girl we met in Florida that loved Kenny… she loved Babyface, but she was too young. We were saying, ‘She’s a Roni. Man, she’s a Tender Roni, you can’t mess with her.’ So that’s how that song came about.”
Stream “Roni” song
24. Diana Ross
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIAtE6ywgwA
“Upside Down” is a song written and produced by Chic members Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards and was recorded by Diana Ross. The plot is simple. A boy is turning her upside down, inside out, round and round. The upbeat song finds the singer sticking with a cheating lover because he keeps their romance exciting, turning her emotions upside down and inside out. Rodgers explained the tune was actually inspired by Ross’ desire to experiment with her career and have some fun.
Stream “Upside Down” song
25. Usher
“U Remind Me” was a song recorded by Usher. It was written by Edmund “Eddie Hustle” Clement and Anita McCloud and produced by Clement for Usher’s third studio album 8701. In the song, Usher is telling his girlfriend that he cannot be with her because she reminds him of an old girlfriend that dumped him when he really loved her and it is too painful to be around her.
Stream “U Remind Me” song
26. Chaka Khan
“Through the Fire” is a song from Chaka Khan’s 1984 album, I Feel for You and was written by David Foster, Tommy Keane and Cynthia Weil. The romantic song is about someone who is so certain that she’s met the love of her life, she’s willing to put it through any test. Kanye West famously sampled the hook in his 2002 single “Through the Wire.” A terrible car accident almost killed Kanye in October 2002, leaving his jaw was broken in 3 places. He had emergency surgery to have a a metal plate put in his chin. When he was in his hospital bed, with his mouth wired shut, he heard “Through the Fire” playing in the background on a CD player. He was just lying back, then he heard her voice melodically singing the line, “Right down to the wire, even through the fire.” The emotional appeal inspired Kanye to write and record a song about his own experiences, sampling Chaka Khan.
Stream “Through The Fire” song
27. Babyface
“Every Time I Close My Eyes” is a song written, produced and performed by Babyface. It was released as the second single from his fourth album, The Day. Alan Jones of Music Week complimented it as “one of the cutest little Babyface records yet—a pretty, easy-paced ballad impeccably played and sung with sweetly cooed verses and a chorus which sticks in the brain.”
Stream “Every Time I Close My Eyes” song
Get “Every Time I Close My Eyes” lyrics
28. Curtis Mayfield
“Move on Up” was a tribute of sorts to Mayfield’s Chicago neighborhood. The song was released when one of the Chicago gangs (Blackstone Rangers) tried to pressure Mayfield to fund them. He did not obey. Instead he offered them a concert and used his platform to drive a “move on up” message. Jim Beviglia of American Songwriter mentions that “Move On Up” is framed as a conversation to a child, with Mayfield acting as the avuncular sage who knows just what to say when times seem overwhelmingly tough. His message is that we should keep striving towards an ideal, even when obstacles in our way might tempt us to settle: “Just move on up toward your destination/Though you may find complication.”
Stream “Move on Up” song
29. Teddy Pendergrass
“Love T.K.O.” was recorded by Teddy Pendergrass for his 1980 album TP. This was written by the keyboard player Eddie Gip Noble along with Cecil Womack, who was a member of The Valentinos. The song is about how love can beat you down. Says Noble: “I had just left a relationship when I wrote it so I could relate to the idea of a ‘technical knock-out.'” It was originally written for soul singer David Oliver and featured on his final album Here’s To You in 1980. Even though his version was released before Pendegrass’s it’s not as well known.
Stream “Love T.K.O.” song
30. Bobby Womack
“Across 110th Street” was recorded by Bobby Womack, from the soundtrack and film of the same name that starred Anthony Quinn and Yaphet Kotto. The song tells the harrowing story of the heartbreak of poverty after the triumph of the civil rights movement. 50 Cent told NME that 110th Street was the first song with which “he fell in love with…because of how the situation was for black people in America at that time, there were a lot of struggle songs around. It seemed to be something that really moved the people around me. I felt the power of music to raise people up; to make them angry or proud.”
Stream “Across 110th Street” song
