Bruce Springsteen may live and breathe rock and roll, but he knew he had the potential beyond the same Chuck Berry chords.

but Ray Charles is the man who made soul music what we know today. Charles fused all sorts of influences – jazz, blues, gospel, even a bit of country – to come up with the classic soul sound.

Soul borrowed the hysteria from sanctified church services and applied it to more sensual themes. Its artists sung messages of painful sincerity and personal redemption. This was sacred music made ...

When soul music emerged in the 1960s, it aimed to be a method of storytelling around which a community could be formed. With ‘Green Eyes’, Badu carried on that root idea and tradition, though she ...

March 26, 2025 • The New York City debut from the British soul singer counters the prevailing narrative around her. As she guided fans in spiritual healing, she did it as she has her whole ...

His soaring vocals and importance as a musician earned Cooke the nickname the King of Soul. He is cited as the inventor of the genre and credited with bringing gospel music to popular attention.

His music also inspired other musicians such ... or whatever," he added. "I play neo-soul." As for the genre's origin, he pointed to one of his most recent releases at the time, "Neo Soul Groove." ...