From Dr. Rock, your dose of the BEST music ever made!

Motown-free Soul

The Motown Sound ruled the R&B and pop charts in the 60s and 70s with over 40 tracks that hit #1 and countless others that made the Top 20. But Motown pop/soul wasn't the only game around. From Philly to Chicago, Memphis to New York, blue-eyed, deep fried, Northern, Southern, smooth or funky, soul came in many flavors from many other great non-Motown artists. Who were the Top 25 Non-Motown R&B/Soul Artists?

Here are a few of my suggestions:

Harold Melvin (& The Bluenotes)
King Curtis
Otis Redding
Wilson Pickett
Aretha Franklin
Sly (& The Family) Stone
James Brown

For some hints, check out my Soul Explosion playlist.

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by PinkFloydFan on May 14, 2009 at 8:41pm

The original mixed color but still white soul band: Booker T and the MG's.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Gracie on May 14, 2009 at 9:25pm

OK, but blue-eyed soul's best was the Rascals. But, of course, they were only one out of hundreds of great r&b and soul groups. Don't ever forget Mr. Soul himself, Sam Cooke!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Snipe on May 15, 2009 at 12:25pm

The White Soul thread can be interesting but you run into some pretty awful stuff. Hall & Oats have the ability to plant a stupid hook into my brain that will have me repeating some awful song for days. Nice harmonies but I'm not sure if there is any real soul there.

Boz Scaggs? He had some good chops but maybe is more blues.

Laura Nyro? Maybe the most under-appreciated singer/songwriter of the 60s. She had more soul (and street cred) than she knew what to do with, and her album with LaBelle (as in Patti LaBelle) is sublime. All her old stuff is amazing and she is always on the play list at my house.

the Rascals bring back a lot of memories. They were from New Rochelle (or somewhere in Westchester) and used to play dances in my town.

And where do we put Van Morrison?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Snipe on May 15, 2009 at 12:36pm

Don't forget Sam and Dave (Hold on, I'm coming) and Eddie Floyd (Knock on wood). Oh dear, are both of these songs sexual double entendres? Shocking!