Contemporary R&B

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Lore & Background

Contemporary R&B originated from African-American musicians in the 1970s. Its precursors include the progressive soul movement of the early 1970s, which, according to Geoffrey Himes speaking in 1989, 'expanded the musical and lyrical boundaries of [R&B] in ways that haven't been equaled since.' This movement was led by soul singers, songwriters and producers such as Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder. Norman Whitfield's productions at Motown, the record label of Gaye, were also pioneering for setting the soul vocals and simple hooks of earlier rhythm and blues records against strong backbeats, vocal harmonies, and orchestral sounds. Gaye's own music on albums such as What's Going On (1971) incorporated jazz influences that led the genre into a looser musical direction. The nearest precursor came at the end of the disco era in the late 1970s, when Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones added more electronic elements to the sound of the time, creating a smoother dancefloor-friendly style. The first result was Off the Wall (1979), which—according to Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic—'was a visionary album, that found a way to break disco wide open into a new world where the beat was undeniable, but not the primary focus.' Richard J. Ripani wrote that Janet Jackson's Control (1986) was 'important to the development of R&B for several reasons,' as she and her producers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, 'crafted a new sound that fuses the rhythmic elements of funk and disco, along with heavy doses of synthesizers, percussion, sound effects, and a rap music sensibility.' That same year, Teddy Riley began producing R&B recordings that included hip hop influences, a combination termed 'new jack swing.' In the 1990s, Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album (1992) eventually sold over 45 million copies worldwide becoming the best-selling soundtrack of all time. Janet Jackson's self-titled fifth studio album Janet (1993) sold over 14 million copies worldwide. Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey recorded several Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, including 'One Sweet Day,' a collaboration between both acts, which became the longest-running No. 1 hit in Hot 100 history. In the late 1990s, neo soul, which added 1970s soul influences to the hip-hop soul blend, arose, led by artists such as Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and Maxwell. At the end of 1999, Billboard magazine ranked Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson as the first and second most successful artists of the 1990s. Simultaneously, in the second half of the 1990s, The Neptunes and Timbaland set influential precedence on contemporary R&B and hip-hop music. In the 2000s, urban music attained commercial dominance during the early 2000s, which featured massive crossover success on the Billboard charts by R&B and hip hop artists. In 2004, all 12 songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100 were African-American recording artists and accounted for 80% of the number-one R&B hits that year. Usher's Confessions (2004) sold 1.1 million copies in its first week and over 8 million copies in 2004, since then it has been certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and, As of 2016, has sold over 10 million copies in the US and over 20 million copies worldwide. In the 2010s, the incorporation of disco and electronic textures and production styles, which came to prominence since the 2010s decade, brought forth a style called electro-R&B. Historically, the electro-R&B sound had been associated with R&B songs with an electronic backbone by 1990s or 2000s girl groups like TLC or Destiny's Child. As defined by Apple Music, electro-R&B is 'at the intersection of R&B and electronic music, creating abstract hip-hop that blends the moodier end of electro with minimal R&B beats.'

Reader's Guide

Contemporary R&B's significance lies in its fusion of multiple genres—pop, disco, funk, soul, jazz, blues, electronic, and hip-hop—creating a smooth, lush vocal style that has dominated popular music since the 1970s. Its evolution from progressive soul through new jack swing to neo soul and electro-R&B reflects ongoing innovation. The genre's commercial dominance in the 2000s, with African-American artists topping the Billboard Hot 100 and accounting for 80% of number-one R&B hits in 2004, underscores its cultural impact. Key figures like Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Usher, and Beyoncé have shaped its trajectory, while producers such as Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Teddy Riley, Timbaland, and The Neptunes defined its sound. The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, first awarded in 1995 with II by Boyz II Men becoming the first recipient, highlights the genre's institutional recognition. Contemporary R&B's legacy includes its role in blurring lines between R&B and hip-hop, and its ongoing adaptation to electronic production styles. According to Billboard, the most commercially successful R&B acts of the 2000s were Usher, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo and Akon.

Did You Know?

• Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album (1992) eventually sold over 45 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling soundtrack of all time.
• Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey's collaboration 'One Sweet Day' became the longest-running No. 1 hit in Billboard Hot 100 history.
• In 2004, all 12 songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100 were African-American recording artists and accounted for 80% of the number-one R&B hits that year.
• Usher's Confessions (2004) sold 1.1 million copies in its first week and, as of 2016, has sold over 10 million copies in the US and over 20 million copies worldwide.
• At the end of 1999, Billboard magazine ranked Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson as the first and second most successful artists of the 1990s.