Favorite R&B/Soul Songs (1960s and onwards)

This one...and no shitty, 3 minute long radio versions. I want the full on intro.

Great choice R1

Isaac has so many great songs, this is just one of them

Timeless

Really like the Diana Ross version of this with the spoken word segments.

often the most famous ones are the best - in the 60s the best stuff usually made it BIG

Bringing the 80s New Jack Swing: Keith Sweat, "Make It Last Forever."

I was OBSESSED with this one

So catchy and soulful

I like a lot from the Lafayette Afro Rock Band

I love this song by Johnny Gill

R8, Heat Wave is one of the all time best songs. Martha and the Vandellas were underrated.

from 1976, "Kiss and Say Goodbye"

....

Rip Off-by Laura Lee

My Whole World Ended the Moment You Left Me-David Ruffin

How ‘bout Us?-Champagne

💗

Another favorite of mine (70's soul/rb is one of my very favorite genres. Mayfield is a tragically underrated genius.

“Hold On I’m Coming” - Sam and Dave

This song is a classic

R4 was just about to post thag one so I'll post this one. Stevie Wonder at 12 fucking years old.

So is this

I love "Your Smile" by Rene and Angela.

The best...

Sorry, the above version sucks. Here's the original...

Heard this gem this morning.

Strawberry Letter #23 -- The Brothers Johnson

That's the Way of the World -- Earth, Wind & Fire

Mr Barry White

Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On is still the greatest rnb song of all time.

The rhythm on this cut is phenomenal. Put your earbuds in and see if you can keep up with it.

Who remembers this one? I was seven years old on my way from Ohio to Alabama in my Mother's brand new Mercury Cougar XR7 when this was played again and again.

Back in Love Again -the late Sweet Pea Atkinson (d.May 4.2020) from Was (not Was )

Sir Harry Bowens and maybe Melonie Daniels backup.

....

It's too bad he was such a piece of shit, he had a nice voice.

How about some Luther - Hot Butterfly

Speaking of Luther..

Reeree

Bobby Womack wrote some great songs

Harry Hippy, Across 110th Street, I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much

....

The Dramatics

Rufus feat. Chaka Khan. Damn she was hot. Looks like an Yvette, too - sweet thang.

Phyllis Hyman - You Know How To Love Me

Betty Wright - Pain

I would have added the Isley Brothers Shout but that came out in 1959. Some great choices on this thread.

Shirley Brown -This used to be your house

Jean Carne - Was That All It Was

Erykah Badu for spittin some straight truth in a comical way - TYRONE!

✔

r51 so many hits tho

Harry Hippie, Bobby Womack’s best

Caravan of love

I've been playing the hell out of this song for the last couple of days.

Bobby Womack covered by my fave

This is my favorite Rufus & Chaka Khan. You've Got the Love - live.

Whitney Houston - You Give Good Love. A classic '80s R&B song launched that a legendary career.

Joy and Pain, classic Maze

“Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time” by Jimmy and David Ruffin. Originally recorded by the Delfonics, and later covered by a lot of other artists, including Miss Patti LaBelle. A great duet version was done more recently by Todd Rundgren and Daryl Hall, but the Ruffin Brothers’ version was the first one I heard in my college days and will always remain my fave.

Wake Up Everybody

Love Train

The Whispers - Rock Steady

Livin' It Up (Friday Night) -- Bell & James

This, along with "Signed, Sealed, Delivered", were my favorite early Stevie songs:

Living for the city, my fave Stevie Wonder

I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye

LaBelle - Lady Marmalade. Patti mackin hard on that blond dude!

The first concert I ever attended (11 years old), at the Universal Amphitheater. With my mom. Her whole office got comp tickets, and I was like, "Hell, yeah, I wanna go!"

I've always been partial to Gladys Knight and the Pips' version, R73.

Show and Tell - Al Wilson

"Red Light" by Linda Clifford...especially for this scene from Fame

And let's add this while I'm at it. She had such beautiful hair, and it's her own. Pretty woman.

The original. About 1976?

Beautiful.

A classic from the Maestro.

Heeeey

Oh hell yeah, R82! I also love "I'm Qualified to Satisfy You"! But it's gotta be the full, uncensored version, starting with "Shiiit...I can't lose with I use with what I use!"

Want Ads - Honey Cone

Waaaay to many to post here, but I was filling my tank the other day in a small central Texas town when this came on the pump speakers and I couldn't help but sing along. One of my absolute, all-time favorites that never fails to take me back to my teenage years...some of the best times of my life.

Lakeside - Fantastic Voyage

It's a Shame -- The Spinners

What a great thread. It’s sad in the past your could turn on the radio and hear so many talented people and now it’s mostly garbage.

I remember when this was a big R&B radio hit. It seemed like a throwback to another era, making no concessions whatsoever to the then-current trends of early 80's black music. The lyrics are borderline silly, but the guy sells it like it's nobody's business.

J. Blackfoot - Taxi

Brit soul

Considered one of the greatest cheating songs ever written, maybe the greatest. It's been covered by dozens of artists over the years, but this is the original.

James Carr - The Dark End of the Street

Teena Marie, blue eyed soul

The "Funk Brothers" -- Motown's studio musicians -- produced more #1 hits than the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Brothers & Elvis, combined.

The lates, greats, incomparables Barry and Luciano

Kool and the Gang, Take My Heart

James Brown, Please Please Please

James Brown, Sex Machine

R95, I will see your "Take my Heart" and raise you a "Spirit of the Boogie".

Keni Burke - Risin' To The Top

De La Soul

A Tribe Called Quest - Bonita Applebum

Apparently Nothin' - Young Disciples

Let's get back to R&B/Soul. Bill Withers.

Lovely Day always puts a smile on my face.

Think -- Lyn Collins

Singer of Young Disciples, Carleen Anderson - Mama Said

Take Me In Your Arms - Kim Weston

The Doobie Brothers' cover is great (it soars), but I love her version, too.

Stevie Wonder’s cover ft. Maysa Leake

Incognito - Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing

Sam Cooke with Lou Rawls on backup vocals

Bring it on Home to Me

so cute 🌈

Love Tevin!

Have You Seen Her? - Chi Lites

I can clearly remember this one playing on the radio as a lil tyke way back when. More Rufus/Chaka.

That's Wolfman Jack!

Dublin (pronounced Dooblin) soul! Mustang Sally, the Commitments

....

"Right on the Tip of My Tongue," Brenda and the Tabulations

First song that came to mind when I saw this thread. Can't believe it hasn't been mentioned yet.

B.T. Express -- Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)

Aaron Neville - Hercules

Aaron Neville - Hercules

Alexander O'Neal - Crying Overtime

My favorite Marvin Gaye song. From the very first note, it is IMPOSSIBLE to not move.

Here he is on Soul Train...and check out the sax player's lovely cakes.🤑

This was a fav of mine.

Time for some funk, One Nation Under A Groove - Funkadelic

Mario - Let Me Love You

Thank you for this thread, y'all. I'm still feeling down about the Buffalo shooting but this is helping.

Beyoncé - XO

I CAN NOT stand her BUT she has good songwriters and producers. This song is FUCKING transcendent.

Stevie Wonder - Knocks Me Off My Feet

Stevie Wonder - That Girl

I can't even believe I hated his music when I was younger.

R6, I play that song every time I'm in my car (2007 Camry, 6-CD changer)! I'm a "Top Head," haha! Been going to their concerts since 1967.

Kenny Thomas - Outstanding, blue eyed soul covering the Gap Band

R130 It's the perfect closing song in "Cooley High"

Be Thankful For What You Got by William DeVaughn

He Can't Love U · Jagged Edge

"Too Close" by next

DENISE LASALLE-Trapped by a thing called love

Al Green - Tired of Being Alone 🦊

If You're Ready (Come Go with Me) -- Staple Singers

What A Man -- Linda Lyndell

Fucking KKK! (from Wikipedia) [quote]Lyndell sang in gospel churches as a child; though she was white, she sang in both white and black churches, and eventually began singing with R&B groups as a teenager.[1] In the 1960s she sang as a support act with James Brown and Ike & Tina Turner, and in 1967 Atlanta disc jockey Dave Crawford introduced her to Stax Records producers Isaac Hayes and David Porter. They recorded her first single, "Bring Your Love Back to Me", in December 1967 and released it on Volt Records, but the song did not become a hit. In 1968 she did a second session, cutting the tune "What a Man"; this song reached No. 50 on the Billboard R&B charts.[2] In response to the release of her single, she received threats from white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, and retired from performance soon after.[1][3] She remained out of music and lived in Gainesville for the next 25 years. Linda recorded songs at Fuller Studios in Tampa, Florida, in the sixties with Gene Middleton and the Soul Survivors. [quote]In 1993, rap group Salt-n-Pepa sampled "What a Man" for their hit single "Whatta Man", which was a massive hit. In the wake of the single's success, Lyndell began performing again, and in 2003, at the opening of the Stax Museum, she performed "What a Man" live for the first time ever.[1] and lyrics.

^^yeesh, sorry for messed up formatting

R90, Soul II Soul is so good.

I’m Goin’ Left-Syreeta

The Blackbyrds - Walking in Rhythm

Mitty Collier - I Had A Talk With My Man

The Dells - There Is

SHAFT!!

Aretha Franklin - You're All I Need To Get By (Long Version)

Misty blue Dorothy Moore

Rainy night in Georgia

Let’s get it on

The Flirtations - Nothing But A Heartache

The Marvelettes - Barefootin'

Kim Weston - "Helpless"

Atlantic Starr - Circles

Deniece Williams - Silly

Cameo - Word Up

Tom Browne - Jamaica Funk

Gil Scott-Heron - Home Is Where the Hatred Is

Fantasy by Earth, Wind, & Fire So Very Hard to Go by Tower of Power This Masquerade by George Benson Ain't Nobody by Rufus Me and Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul

How 'Bout Us by Champaign Right on the Tip of My Tongue by Brenda and the Tabulations Shame Shame Shame by Shirley and Company

Great live version of this Luther Ingram classic

Starr - Agent Double-O-Soul

Shirley Ellis - Soul Time

Lovergirl by Teena Marie Breathe Again by Toni Braxton Here Comes the Rain Again by Eurhythmics

The Velvelettes - He Was Really Saying Something

Marie Knight - You Lie So Well

Tina Turner - A Fool in Love

Commodores - Brick House

Boom! Bam!

Best of My Love -- The Emotions

Reminds me of college.

I always thought about 98% of so-called "neo-soul" was pure garbage, but for me, this one was definitely part of the 2% that wasn't. Beautiful melody, sweet lyrics, and lovely, understated vocals.

India Arie - Purify Me

I don't understand why this song doesn't get more "love" in the all-time-great-love-songs/ballads discussion.

Giving Him Something He Can Feel - En Vogue

Any fans of the neo-soul movement from the late 90s to the early 2000s? D'Angelo, Angie Stone, Musiq Soulchild, Alicia Keys, Raphael Sadiq, Maxwell, Jill Scott, Jaguar Wright, Erykah Badu, Anthony Hamilton, Lina to name a few.

Now this is real talent.

The What Ifs - Jaguar Wright.

Erykah Badu - Appletree

Angie Stone - Wish I Didn't Miss You

O'Jays - Backstabbers

Whitney still had it, boy she could feel a song!

^ I really enjoyed her much-maligned album Just Whitney that had this jam. The voice isn't as pristine but she still does things to a song no other singer can.

The Soul Children - I'll Be the Other Woman

The opening track to Beyonce's underrated R&B classic, 4.

Shirley Brown - Woman To Woman

DARRELL BANKS - Open The Door To Your Heart

Al B Sure - Hotel California

I absolutely love old obscure songs. Stuff recorded by local & regional labels. Or just a gem like this:

Little Ann- Deep Shadows

Garnet Mimms - Cry Baby

Only the strong survive

Ann Peebles - I can't stand the rain

Cry to Me - Solomon Burke

Pain in My Heart - Otis Redding

Another from the Isley Brothers oeuvre, and my favorite, This Old Heart of Mine.

Just Once In My Life - Righteous Brothers

Barbara Lynn should have had a much bigger career, she is so talented.

r175, one my favorites...Robert Kelly's ass can be heard singing in the background. Would've been hot if they just made it a duet, their voices complement each other so well. I guess that would've been too gay lol

Milira - Mercy Mercy Me

I Need More Love -- Robert Randolph & the Family Band

"Easy" by the Commodores

Hearts of Fire - Earth Wind and Fire

Epic fail, R201. Hearts of Fire (or Hearts Afire) is NOT the title of the song -- just a crappy, short-lived 90's sitcom.

(That’s The) Way Of The World. - EWF

Vanessa Williams - Work To Do

The Isley Brothers - Work to Do

The Isley Brothers - Summer Breeze

How about some love for some blue-eyed soul? Mariah sampled this for "We Belong Together"

Renee Geyer - Stares & Whispers

R207, please see R195.

Kathy Sledge - Another star

The System - Don't Disturb This Groove (1987)

Fantastic live version that's even better than the studio version

And that hat!!!

Thanks, R151. I was (unsuccessfully) trying to remember this song.

Another - little remembered - Marvin Gaye song.

Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway - Back Together Again

Bobby 🥰

Mint Condition- Breakin My Heart(Pretty Brown Eyes)

Renee Geyer's whole Movin' Along album is stellar. Produced by Frank Wilson.