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Ranking the greatest R&B artists, songs, and subgenres from the late ‘70s up to today. 

Ray Charles

Update:&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5HoqewO6vWg56L3VcngyI7?si=lPUDQFXWTYK4pzPSdrHRzw" target="_blank">Follow Ranker&#39;s official New R&amp;B 2020 playlist&nbsp;on Spotify</a>!

When it comes to the pop charts, R&amp;B artists tend to be among the most popular. The best R&amp;B singers have been topping the pop charts for years as rhythm and blues has remained a bedrock of music. Emerging as a genre in the 1940s, R&amp;B also incorporates soul and funk.&nbsp;Many of of the top R&amp;B artists are household names and their songs chart-toppers. Though R&amp;B has its roots in African-American music, the best R&amp;B singers have crossed over and due to their radio smashes, they&#39;re able to sell out arenas across the globe.

So, that said, who are the best R&amp;B artists? Since this list takes a look at every R&amp;B singer, there are going to be a number of excellent choices. That&#39;s why you&#39;ll see R&amp;B icons like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, along with <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-new-rhythm-and-blues-artists-2019/ranker-music" target="_blank">newer R&amp;B stars</a> such as Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Adele, Usher and Drake on here. All of these great artists are known as some of the best rhythm and blues singers, so their inclusion shouldn&#39;t come as a big surprise.

Ultimately, it&#39;s up to you to determine who is the best R&amp;B artist. If you notice that someone isn&#39;t on this list and should be, feel free to add them. Vote or re-rank this list according to how you think it should reflect your opinion on R&amp;B.&nbsp;This list answers the questions &quot;who are the best rhythm and blues bands of all time?&quot; and &quot;who is the greatest rhythm and blues musician ever?&quot;&nbsp;If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band&#39;s music instead of just voting for the most popular rhythm and blues bands that you might&#39;ve heard of.

2010s Music

Here are the&nbsp;best R&amp;B albums&nbsp;of the decade, ranked by fans everywhere. This list of the top 2010s R&amp;B albums features&nbsp;popular music from some of the biggest R&amp;B singers today.&nbsp;From Frank Ocean&#39;s&nbsp;2012 Grammy winner&nbsp;Channel Orange to H.E.R.&#39;s 2019&nbsp;critically acclaimed self-titled album,&nbsp;the 2010s decade is filled with so many good R&amp;B albums.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Vote up the best R&amp;B albums of the 2010s, and add your favorites if they deserve to be on this list.&nbsp;

Stevie Wonder

A list of the best R&amp;B artists. Though the definition of the genre has skewed over the years, at the heart of R&amp;B music is rhythm and blues. And the artists who encompass this list are the best the genre has to offer. There are legends, both living and deceased who are on this list. There a good number of <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/rock-n-roll-hall-of-fame-drama/jon-wiederhorn?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">rock and roll hall</a> of famers on this list, whose legacy lives on at the Cleveland museum. The beginning of what became to be known as R&amp;B started with the Motown sound of the late 1960s. Under the stewardship of Berry Gordy, many of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-painters-of-all-time/ranker-art?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">most famous artists</a> and singers in music history established themselves during this time. The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross were all a part of the Motown fabric that in time became THE place to be for <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-new-rhythm-and-blues-artists-2019/ranker-music" target="_blank">up-and-coming R&amp;B artists</a>. Many of the greatest R&amp;B groups are from this early, formative period. Sly &amp; the Family Stone, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye among a group of amazing singers, whose careers started during this time.

That is not to say there aren&#39;t other great R&amp;B artists from other eras. Prince, Alicia Keys and&nbsp;D&#39;Angelo would be considered some of the best R&amp;B singers whenever they burst onto the scene. The familiar R&amp;B artists on this list should come as a surprise to no one. The odds are you&#39;ve heard of nearly everyone on here. If not, then you should give them a listen because there&#39;s a reason why they&#39;re considered the greatest R&amp;B singers of all time. Why would people label them as the top R&amp;B artists? Give them a listen and you&#39;ll hear yourself.

This is the list of the best R&amp;B artists. If you notice someone is missing, feel free to add him, her or them to this list. Vote or re-rank this list according to who you think is the greatest R&amp;B artist of all time.

Here are the best R&amp;B karaoke songs, ranked by fans everywhere.&nbsp;From the people who are stone-cold sober to the folks who have had one too many, you want everyone to be able to sing along and enjoy the ride. Even if you are not the best singer, everyone will have a great time as long as you pick something that is instantly recognizable. You can bring things down a notch by selecting one of the fantastic R&amp;B songs on this list. Choose from the most popular R&amp;B karaoke songs,&nbsp;so that you can impress that one special person in the crowd.&nbsp;

The songs on this list are sung by some of the greatest singers of all time. Don&#39;t worry about trying to match their talent. Karaoke is all about having fun and getting everyone else to sing with you. The most important part is that you have a great time while singing. With so many good R&amp;B karaoke songs to choose from, you should not feel at a loss for when you&#39;re flipping through the bar&#39;s booklet. Remember to vote for your go-to karaoke songs.&nbsp;

R&amp;B is a unique musical genre because it combines elements of pop, soul, funk, and hip hop. When most people think of the style, artists like Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston likely come to mind. They reminisce about lovely songs you can slowly grind to. Sometimes, it takes more than one artist to get the job done. That is why there are numerous duos in R&amp;B music. If you&#39;re looking for some new acts to follow, then give the artists on this list a listen.

Some popular R&amp;B duos include K-Ci &amp; JoJo, Chloe x Halle, dvsn, Majid Jordan, and Snakehips.&nbsp;

This list has the best R&amp;B duos of all time. Some are new to the industry while others have been cranking out hits for years. Vote for the artists you like to tune on when you want to take things down a notch.

90s Music

Soulful, sultry, and smooth, the best &#39;90s R&amp;B duets are the perfect soundtrack to any slow dance or date night. Or, if you want to turn things down a notch at karaoke night, these classic R&amp;B songs are perfect, no matter who your partner is: in addition to the countless good <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-90s-karaoke-duet-songs/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">male and female duets</a>, there are many performed between two women or two men.&nbsp;

From famous love songs like Toni Braxton and Babyface&#39;s &quot;Give U My Heart,&quot; to spiritually uplifting hits such as Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston&#39;s &quot;When You Believe,&quot;&nbsp; the&nbsp;songs on this list feature many of the top R&amp;B singers of all time.&nbsp;But, while each of these velvety singles is sure to make the room nostalgic, it&#39;s up to you to decide which 1990s R&amp;B duet is the best of all time.&nbsp;

Vote up the best R&amp;B duets of the &#39;90s below, and be sure to add any that you feel we might have missed.

Soulful, sultry, and smooth, the best &#39;80s R&amp;B duets are the perfect soundtrack to any slow dance or date night. Or, if you want to turn things down a notch at karaoke night, these classic R&amp;B songs are perfect, no matter who your partner is: in addition to the countless good <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-90s-karaoke-duet-songs/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">male and female duets</a>, there are many performed between two women or two men.&nbsp;

From famous love songs like Lionel Richie and Diana Ross&#39;s timeless R&amp;B classic&nbsp;&quot;Endless Love,&quot; to uplifting hits such as Aretha Franklin and George Michael&#39;s&nbsp;&quot;I Knew You Were Waiting for Me,&quot;&nbsp; the&nbsp;songs on this list feature many of the top R&amp;B singers of all time.&nbsp;But, while each of these velvety singles is sure to make the room nostalgic, it&#39;s up to you to decide which 1980s R&amp;B duet is the best of all time.&nbsp;

Vote up the best R&amp;B duets of the &#39;80s&nbsp;below, and be sure to add any that you feel we might have missed.

Turn the lights down low, and enjoy&nbsp;the best R&amp;B songs of 2021.&nbsp;From popular R&amp;B singers, like H.E.R., Ashanti, Lucky Daye, and more,&nbsp;this list of new R&amp;B songs pairs well with chill nights and romantic vibes. What do you think are the most popular R&amp;B tracks of the year?

Vote up the top R&amp;B songs of 2021, and don&#39;t forget to add your favorites missing below.

70s Music

Soulful, sultry, and smooth, the best &#39;70s R&amp;B duets are the perfect soundtrack to any slow dance or date night. Or, if you want to turn things down a notch at karaoke night, these classic R&amp;B songs are perfect, no matter who your partner is: in addition to the countless good <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-90s-karaoke-duet-songs/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">male and female duets</a>, there are many performed between two women or two men.&nbsp;

From famous love songs, like Peaches &amp; Herbs&#39; R&amp;B classic &quot;Reunited,&quot; to&nbsp;uplifting hits such as Ike and Tina Turner&#39;s &quot;Proud Mary,&quot;&nbsp; the&nbsp;songs on this list feature many of the top R&amp;B singers of all time.&nbsp;But, while each of these velvety singles is sure to make the room nostalgic, it&#39;s up to you to decide which 1970s R&amp;B duet is the best of all time.&nbsp;

Vote up the best R&amp;B duets of the &#39;70s below, and be sure to add any that you feel we might have missed.

Ranking the best R&amp;B love songs of all time is no easy feat. Featuring hits from every decade, this list of R&amp;B songs about love includes smooth jams which have provided the romantic soundtracks for generations of lovers, from old school R&amp;B legends like The Temptations, to current stars in 2019 and beyond.&nbsp;

There is no shortage of good R&amp;B&nbsp;love songs, but it&#39;s up to you to decide which are the best of the best. What are your favorite R&amp;B love making songs? Are you a fan of &#39;80s and &#39;90s R&amp;B, or do you prefer to set the mood with <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-artists-similar-to-sza/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">artists like Frank Ocean</a>?&nbsp;

Vote up your favorite R&amp;B songs about love below, and if we missed any from your personal top 10, be sure to add them to the list.&nbsp;

80s Music

Here are the greatest &#39;80s R&amp;B songs, ranked by fans everywhere. The 1980s were a transformative decade for R&amp;B. The genre of rhythm and blues used to be its own genre, but in the &#39;80s, it began to incorporate elements of hip hop into the music. The genre gradually became more homogenized, and a select group of high-profile R&amp;B artists dominated the charts. This was all thanks to producer L.A. Reid, who produced some of the biggest hits of the era. From George Michael&nbsp;to Janet Jackson, many prominent artists rose to superstardom during this time. On this R&amp;B throwback playlist, you&#39;ll have the chance to slow dance to some of the smoothest jams ever made.

Which track do you think deserves the top spot? The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, made numerous R&amp;B hits you will be able to choose from. Marvin Gaye was also a major artist of the time, and plenty of people&nbsp;still turn on his music when they are in the mood for romance. There are no wrong answers. Every song on this list is a hit in its own right. You can help determine what the most popular R&amp;B songs of the &#39;80s are.&nbsp;

Below we&rsquo;re counting down the best trios in R&amp;B music. There are a lot of iconic groups on this list of popular R&amp;B trios. But which of these 3 piece R&amp;B bands are your favorite?From Destiny&rsquo;s Child to The Impressions, you&rsquo;re sure to recognize at least some of these famous R&amp;B music trios. Nineties fans are sure to recognize trios such as Blaque and 3LW.

Which of these R&amp;B groups with three members do you think is the best? Vote up your favorite trio bands in R&amp;B and if we&rsquo;ve missed one, feel free to add it to the list.

Songs With Soul

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The Best of 2019

Update: check out our list of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-rhythm-and-blues-songs-2020/music-lover" target="_blank">best new&nbsp;R&amp;B songs of 2020</a>!

Slow it down with the best R&amp;B songs of 2019. Which ones are&nbsp;featured on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/top-rhythm-and-blues-songs-of-2010s-decade/jovaughnbrown" target="_blank">best R&amp;B&nbsp;songs of the 2010s decade</a>? From smooth tracks to bedroom music, these new 2019 R&amp;B songs feature <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-rhythm-and-blues-artists-2019/ranker-music" target="_blank">popular artists</a>, like Ella Mai, Bryson Tiller, and 6LACK. Check out the latest R&amp;B hits and see how they compare to the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-rhythm-and-blues-songs-2018/ranker-music" target="_blank">top R&amp;B songs of 2018</a>.&nbsp;

There are plenty of good recent R&amp;B songs in 2019, but which song will become the top R&amp;B song of the year in 2019?

Vote up the best 2019 R&amp;B songs, and add your favorites if they&#39;re missing from the list.&nbsp;

The Best R&B Songs Of 2019, Ranked By Fans

The Best R&amp;B Songs of 2019

Song

Top Music List: Top 10 Music Lists and Entertaining Rankings

music

United States

Coley Reed

AMAZON

Up All Night

Love Again

Talk

Joanna

How You Want It?

Come Thru

Commitment

No Guidance

Nights Like This

My Bad

Girls Need Love

Feels

Before I Let Go

Playing Games

What You Did

Waves

Shot Clock

Undecided

Motivation

Blame

Overtime

I'll Kill You

Triggered (freestyle)

Girls Need Love (Remix)

Heat

Update: check out our list of the best new&nbsp;R&amp;B songs of 2020! Slow it down with the best R&amp;B songs of 2019. Which ones are&nbsp;featured on ...