Best RnB Albums of All Time

The Best R&B/Soul and Reggae Albums of All Time

Rhythm and Blues, or R&B (or RnB) was the more uptempo, party music that derived from the Blues and Jazz in the 1940s. Since then it has always been a parallel form of Pop music, with a focus on heartfelt emotion and the power of the human voice - mostly created and enjoyed by Black artists but at many times in the the last 70 years crossing over to a mainstream audience. Over the years there have been many different forms of R&B. When Ray Charles and Sam Cooke mixed the divine with the profane (Gospel music and earthbound romantic lyrics) they created something new: Soul, this would go on to dominate the next 20 years and include great record labels from Motown to Stax recording some of the greatest music ever made. In 1965 James Brown got a New Bag and created Funk. By the 1980s smoother Philly soul had given way to Disco, and in the 1980s Soul largely faded into generic Pop. But in the early 1990s there was a jump-start - the strong influence of Hip-Hop created the new form of modern RnB. In the 21st century, becoming ever-closer with Hip-Hop, this has overtaken Rock to become one of the most popular forms of music the world over.

The 50 Best R&B/Soul Albums of All Time

1. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye, 1971
2. Innervisions - Stevie Wonder, 1973
3. Lemonade - Beyonce, 2016
4. Songs In The Key Of Life - Stevie Wonder, 1976
5. Purple Rain - Prince, 1984
6. Sign 'O' The Times - Prince, 1987
7. I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You - Aretha Franklin, 1967
8. Blonde - Frank Ocean, 2016
9. There's A Riot Goin' On - Sly & The Family Stone, 1971
10. Talking Book - Stevie Wonder, 1972
11. Dusty In Memphis - Dusty Springfield, 1969
12. Back To Black - Amy Winehouse, 2006
13. Live At The Apollo - James Brown, 1963
14. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill, 1998
15. Lady Soul - Aretha Franklin, 1968
16. Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings Soul - Otis Redding, 1965
17. Stand!  - Sly & the Family Stone  , 1969
18. Channel Orange - Frank Ocean, 2012
19. Superfly - Curtis Mayfield, 1972
20. A Seat at the Table - Solange, 2016
21. 1999 - Prince  , 1982
22. Black Messiah - D'Angelo, 2014
23. Take Care - Drake, 2011
24. Beyonce - Beyonce, 2013
25. Voodoo - D'Angelo, 2000
26. At Last - Etta James, 1960
27. The Score - The Fugees, 1996
28. Baduizm - Erykah Badu, 1997
29. My Life  - Mary J. Blige  , 1994
30. Maggot Brain - Funkadelic, 1971
31. Crazysexycool - TLC, 1994
32. Curtis - Curtis Mayfield, 1970
33. Live at the Harlem Square Club - Sam Cooke, 1963
34. Lets Get It On - Marvin Gaye, 1973
35. Brown Sugar - D'Angelo, 1995
36. Stevie Wonder - Fulfilingness First Finale, 1974
37. One Nation Under Groove - Funkadelic, 1978
38. Mothership Connection - Parliament, 1975
39. Call Me - Al Green, 1973
40. Aaliyah - Aaliyah, 2001
41. The Velvet Rope - Janet Jackson , 1997
42. Dirty Mind - Prince, 1980
43. 3+3 - The Isley Brothers, 1973
44. Still Bill - Bill Withers, 1972
45. Ctrl - SZA, 2017
46. Hot Buttered Soul - Isaac Hayes , 1969
47. 808s & Heartbreak - Kanye West , 2008
48. First Take - Roberta Flack, 1969
49. Anti - Rhianna, 2016
50. Here My Dear - Marvin Gaye , 1978

The 10 Best Reggae Albums of All Time

The small island of Jamaica has had global impact of music out of all proportion to its size. Influenced by Soul but creating a new beat of their own, the islnders created a vibrant, form of new. This was brought ti world attention as a serious album-based form by the incomparable Bob Marley and the Wailers in the 1970s. Reggae is a broad name given to a range of succsessive genres, which are still enjoyed the world over: Ska, Rocksteady, Dub, Dancehall, Reggaeton. But its influence extends beyond its genre: Reggae has led new and estbalished artists to create new forms of Rock and Pop and helped birth new genres such as Drum'n'Bass and Dubstep.

1. Exodus - Bob Marley & the Wailers, 1977
2. Catch A Fire - Bob Marley & the Wailers, 1972
3. Dreadlocks Dread - Big Youth, 1975
4. Funky Kingston - Toots and the Maytals, 1973
5. Natty Dread - Bob Marley & the Wailers, 1974
6. Burnin' - Bob Marley & the Wailers, 1973
7. Heart Of The Congo’s - The Congos , 1977
8. King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown - Augustus Pablo, 1976
9. Marcus Garvey - Burning Spear, 1977
10. Super Ape - The Upsetters, 1976

​BEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME

The Best R&B/Soul and Reggae Albums of All Time

BEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME