Rhythm and blues, often shortened to R&B or R'n'B, is a type of popular music that began in African American communities in the 1940s. The term was first used by record companies to describe music made for African American audiences. At that time, a style of music with a strong, steady beat that combined elements of jazz and rock was becoming more popular. During the 1950s through the 1970s, typical rhythm and blues bands included a piano, one or two guitars, a bass, drums, one or more saxophones, and sometimes background singers. The songs often focused on African American experiences, including challenges, the search for freedom and happiness, and stories about society, relationships, money, and hopes.
The meaning of "rhythm and blues" has changed over time. In the early 1950s, the term was often used for blues recordings. By the mid-1950s, after this music helped create rock and roll, "R&B" was used more broadly to describe styles that included electric blues, gospel, and soul. By the 1970s, the term was used as a general name for soul and funk music.
In the late 1980s, a new style of R&B emerged, called "contemporary R&B." This version mixes rhythm and blues with elements of jazz, soul, funk, disco, blues, and electronic music.
Etymology, definitions and description
Jerry Wexler of Billboard magazine is credited with creating the term "rhythm and blues" as a musical term in the United States in 1948. However, Billboard used the term in its publications as early as 1943. Before this, Billboard published a list of songs popular among African Americans called the "Harlem Hit Parade," which began in 1942. This list highlighted the "most popular records in Harlem" and was the first version of what later became the Billboard R&B chart. The term "rhythm and blues" replaced the earlier term "race music," which was coined by Okeh producer Ralph Peer. This term was based on how African American newspapers described themselves as "people of race." Billboard used "rhythm and blues" in its chart listings from June 1949 until August 1969, when the "Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles" chart was renamed "Best Selling Soul Singles." Before "rhythm and blues" became widely used, some record companies had already started replacing "race music" with "sepia series." The term "rhythm and blues" is often shortened to "R&B" or "R'n'B." Over time, "R&B" came to include many types of popular music, such as soul, funk, disco, and modern R&B, showing changes in how music was made, who listened to it, and how it was marketed.
In the early 1950s, the term "rhythm & blues" was often used to describe blues records. Robert Palmer, a writer and producer, described rhythm & blues as "a general term for music made by and for Black Americans." He also used "R&B" to mean "jump blues." However, AllMusic separates jump blues from R&B because R&B had stronger influences from gospel music. Lawrence Cohn, author of Nothing but the Blues, wrote that "rhythm and blues" was a general term created for the music industry's use. He said the term included most Black music except classical and religious music, unless a gospel song became popular enough to appear on charts. Even today, the term "R&B" is still used to describe music made by Black musicians, different from music made by others.
In the 1950s through the 1970s, typical rhythm and blues bands included piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums, and saxophone. Music was rehearsed until it felt effortless and sometimes included background vocalists. Simple, repeated musical parts worked together to create smooth, flowing, and hypnotic sounds, with no single instrument standing out. Singers were emotionally connected to the lyrics but stayed calm and in control. Bands often wore suits or uniforms, a style linked to the modern popular music they aimed to influence. Lyrics often focused on themes of struggle, freedom, joy, and challenges in relationships, work, and dreams.
A 2016 summary by the Smithsonian Institution explained the origins of the genre. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame lists some of the early creators of R&B, including Joe Turner’s big band, Louis Jordan’s Tympany Five, James Brown, and LaVern Baker. It states that Louis Jordan helped build the foundation for R&B in the 1940s by creating many influential rhythm and blues songs. Other important artists who helped shape R&B and its transition into rock & roll include Etta James, Fats Domino, Roy Brown, Little Richard, and Ruth Brown. "Doo wop" groups like the Orioles, the Ravens, and the Dominoes were also important in the development of the genre.
The term "rock and roll" had strong sexual meanings in jump blues and R&B. However, when DJ Alan Freed used the term "rock and roll" on mainstream radio in the mid-1950s, the sexual meaning was reduced enough to make it acceptable for dancing.
History
During the 1920s and 1930s, many Black Americans moved from rural areas to large cities like Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. This movement created new opportunities for musicians to share jazz, blues, and other music styles. As African Americans settled in cities, they blended jazz, blues, and urban influences to shape rhythm and blues. These music styles were often performed by musicians working alone or in small groups. Early forms of rhythm and blues came from jazz and blues, which overlapped in the late 1920s and 1930s through the work of musicians like the Harlem Hamfats, Lonnie Johnson, Leroy Carr, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, and T-Bone Walker. During this time, the electric guitar, piano, and saxophone became more important in music.
Rhythm and blues (R&B) began in African-American communities in the 1940s. In 1948, a record company called RCA Victor promoted Black music under the name "Blues and Rhythm." That year, Louis Jordan had three songs in the top five of the R&B charts, and two of those songs used boogie-woogie rhythms that were popular in the 1940s. Jordan’s band, the Tympany Five, included musicians who played trumpet, saxophone, piano, bass, and drums. Music experts described Jordan’s style as "grittier" than earlier jazz-influenced blues and as "urbane, rocking, jazz-based music" with a strong beat. Before 1949, Jordan and other musicians like Big Joe Turner, Roy Brown, Billy Wright, and Wynonie Harris were known for a style called jump blues. Later, artists like Paul Gayten and Roy Brown helped define rhythm and blues. In 1948, Wynonie Harris’s version of Roy Brown’s song "Good Rockin’ Tonight" reached number two on the charts, following Sonny Thompson’s "Long Gone" at number one.
In 1949, the term "Rhythm and Blues" replaced the Billboard category "Harlem Hit Parade." That year, the song "The Huckle-Buck," recorded by Paul Williams and His Hucklebuckers, was the number one R&B song and stayed on top for most of the year. The song, written by Andy Gibson, was called a "dirty boogie" because of its risqué and lively style. Concerts by Williams and His Hucklebuckers were so energetic that they were sometimes shut down. Lyrics written by Roy Alfred (who later co-wrote the 1955 hit "Rock and Roll Waltz") included mild sexual references. In 1949, a new version of the 1920s song "Ain’t Nobody’s Business" reached number four on the charts by Jimmy Witherspoon, and Louis Jordan and the Tympany Five again made the top five with "Saturday Night Fish Fry." Many of these songs were released by independent record labels like Savoy, King, Imperial, Specialty, Chess, and Atlantic.
African American music started using rhythms from Cuban music in the 1800s, especially the Cuban contradanza (called the habanera outside of Cuba). The habanera rhythm combines two patterns: tresillo and the backbeat. For over 25 years, as cakewalk, ragtime, and early jazz developed, the habanera rhythm remained in African American music. Jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton called the tresillo/habanera rhythm (which he called the "Spanish tinge") an important part of jazz. Examples of tresillo-like rhythms appear in African American folk music, such as hand-clapping and foot-stomping in ring shout traditions, post-Civil War drum and fife music, and New Orleans second line music. Tresillo is a basic rhythm pattern in Sub-Saharan African music, and its use in African American music shows how African rhythms were preserved in the United States. Cuban music continued to influence American music, and in 1940, Bob Zurke released "Rhumboogie," a boogie-woogie song with a tresillo bass line and lyrics celebrating Cuban rhythm.
New Orleans blues, which developed near the mouth of the Mississippi River, has distinct Afro-Caribbean rhythms compared to Mississippi Delta blues. In the late 1940s, New Orleans musicians were especially open to Cuban influences, which helped shape rhythm and blues. The first use of tresillo in R&B happened in New Orleans. Robert Palmer, who studied R&B, noted that New Orleans musicians like Bartholomew and Professor Longhair incorporated Cuban rhythms and instruments into their music. Bartholomew, who had the first R&B studio band, called the Cuban son "rumba," a term used at the time. Fats Domino’s "Blue Monday," produced by Bartholomew, is an example of this style. Bartholomew’s 1949 song "Oh Cubanas" tried to blend African American and Afro-Cuban music, with the word "mambo" prominently displayed on the record label. Professor Longhair’s song "Misery" includes a habanera-like rhythm in his left hand.
Gerhard Kubik observed that early blues, except in New Orleans, rarely used complex rhythms or asymmetric patterns. However, in the late 1940s, New Orleans musicians like Bartholomew and Longhair began using Cuban rhythms, including the clave pattern, in songs like "Carnival Day" and "Mardi Gras In New Orleans." While some early attempts to mix these styles were awkward, Cuban elements were eventually fully integrated into New Orleans music. Professor Longhair was influenced by Afro-Cuban music, especially the work of Perez Prado. He blended Afro-Cuban rhythms with rhythm and blues in songs like "Longhair’s Blues Rhumba," where he combined a basic blues structure with a clave rhythm. His style was called "rumba-boogie," and in "Mardi Gras in New Orleans," he used the 2–3 clave pattern in a rumba boogie "guajeo."
The syncopated, straight rhythm feel of Cuban music became common in New Orleans R&B. This style later influenced musicians like James Brown and the development of funk music in the 1970s. The unique rhythm and blues style that emerged from New Orleans after World War II played an important role in shaping later music genres.
Jewish influence in the business end of rhythm and blues
According to Arnold Shaw, a Jewish writer, music publisher, and songwriter, during the 1940s in the United States, Jewish people had limited opportunities in the mass communication industries controlled by WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants). However, the music industry was "just as accessible for Jews as it was for African Americans." Jewish individuals played an important role in developing and spreading African American music, such as rhythm and blues. Independent record companies were mostly run by young Jewish men who helped promote African American music.
For example, Milt Gabler was born to Jewish immigrants and grew up in Harlem. In the late 1930s, he started his own record company called Commodore Records, where he mainly recorded, produced, and promoted African American musicians. Gabler recorded many of the top jazz artists of that time. In 1939, he released Billie Holiday’s hit song "Strange Fruit" on Commodore, which helped launch her career. In 2000, Time magazine named this song "Best Song of the Century." Because of Commodore’s success, the major record company Decca Records hired Gabler in 1941. His Jewish brother-in-law, Jack Crystal (father of Billy Crystal), later took over Commodore.
At Decca, Gabler worked with many famous artists of the 1940s, creating popular songs. He was also the first person to record Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald together on a record. Decca later assigned him to manage their subsidiary label, Coral, where he continued to support the careers of Black musicians like the Ink Spots, Sammy Davis Jr., and Louis Jordan.
Gabler made many important changes in the recording industry. He was the first to sell old records again, the first to sell records through mail order, and the first to list all musicians on recordings. In 1991, he received the Grammy Trustees Award from The Recording Academy for his contributions to recording. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by his nephew, Billy Crystal.
British rhythm and blues
British rhythm and blues and blues rock began in the early 1960s, often inspired by music from American artists. These recordings were brought to Britain by African American soldiers and sailors stationed there or visiting cities like London, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Belfast. Many bands in London tried to copy the styles of black rhythm and blues performers, creating a rougher or more intense sound compared to other popular groups. During the 1960s, artists like Geno Washington, the Foundations, and the Equals had pop hits. British black musicians played a key role in forming the British R&B scene. Geno Washington, an American singer in the Air Force stationed in England, joined a band called Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band in 1965. The group had top 40 hit singles and two top 10 albums before splitting in 1969. Another musician, Jimmy James, born in Jamaica, moved to London after achieving local success with his band The Vagabonds. The Vagabonds released a live album and their first studio album, The New Religion, in 1966. They had some success with singles before the original group disbanded in 1970. White blues rock musician Alexis Korner formed a new jazz rock band called CCS in 1970. Interest in blues influenced British rock musicians like Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Peter Green, and John Mayall. Bands such as Free and Cream explored a wider range of rhythm and blues styles.
The Rolling Stones became the second most popular band in the UK (after the Beatles) and led the "British Invasion" of the US music charts. The Rolling Stones covered the song "It's All Over Now" by Bobby Womack & the Valentinos, giving them their first UK number one in 1964. Under the influence of blues and R&B, bands like the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, and the Animals, as well as jazz-influenced groups like the Graham Bond Organisation and Zoot Money, created blue-eyed soul albums. White R&B musicians popular in the UK included Steve Winwood, Frankie Miller, Scott Walker & the Walker Brothers, the Animals from Newcastle, the Spencer Davis Group, and Van Morrison & Them from Belfast. These bands did not exclusively play rhythm and blues, but it remained central to their early music.
Champion Jack Dupree was a New Orleans blues and boogie woogie pianist who toured Europe and lived there starting in 1960. He later moved to Switzerland, Denmark, Halifax, England, and finally settled in Germany. Average White Band and Ian Dury released funky singles. From the 1970s to the 1980s, artists like Carl Douglas, Hot Chocolate, Delegation, Junior, Central Line, Princess, Jaki Graham, Loose Ends, the Pasadenas, Ruby Turner, and Soul II Soul had hits on pop or R&B charts. In the 1990s, UK R&B acts such as Mark Morrison, Eternal, the Chimes, Carleen Anderson, D'Influence, Nu Colourz, Omar, and Bryan Powell gained success. The music of the British mod subculture was influenced by rhythm and blues and soul, even though many of the artists performing this music were not available in the small London clubs where the scene began. In the late 1960s, the Who performed American R&B songs like the Motown hit "Heat Wave," which reflected the lifestyle of young mods. Many of these bands achieved success in the UK but struggled to gain recognition in the United States. The music of British white R&B bands had a different tone compared to that of African-American artists.