The 38 Best R&B and Soul Bands of All Time

R&B and soul music has produced some of the most emotionally powerful and vocally gifted groups in music history. From Motown legends to 90s new jack swing innovators, these groups defined smooth harmonies, passionate delivery, and timeless songwriting. Cast your vote for the group that best represents the heart and soul of the genre.

1. 1
   The Temptations

   Motown vocal group known for "My Girl" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"
   1000pts
2. 2
   The Drifters

   New York vocal group with ever-changing lineups, including future Stand by Me star Ben E. King, behind Save the Last Dance for Me and Under the Boardwalk.
   999pts
3. 3
   Maze featuring Frankie Beverly

   Soul and R&B group known for their powerful live performances
   873pts
4. 4
   Sade

   British-Nigerian soul group known for smooth, jazz-influenced R&B
   832pts
5. 5
   The Isley Brothers

   Legendary soul and R&B group known for "Shout" and "That Lady"
   799pts
6. 6
   Earth, Wind & Fire

   American band known for combining soul, funk, jazz, and pop in a unique sound
   756pts
7. 7
   The Platters

   Los Angeles doo-wop group whose Only You, The Great Pretender and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes made them one of the top vocal groups of the 1950s.
   654pts
8. 8
   The Delfonics

   Philadelphia trio whose La-La Means I Love You and Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time helped launch the lush Philadelphia soul sound.
   654pts
9. 9
   The Emotions

   Chicago sister trio produced by Maurice White, whose 1977 hit Best of My Love topped both the pop and R&B charts and won a Grammy.
   654pts
10. 10
    War

    Long Beach band whose multicultural mix of funk, Latin and soul produced Low Rider, Why Can't We Be Friends? and The World Is a Ghetto.
    593pts
11. 11
    The Jackson 5

    Gary, Indiana brothers fronted by young Michael Jackson whose first four Motown singles, from I Want You Back to I'll Be There, all hit number one.
    593pts
12. 12
    The Miracles

    Smokey Robinson's Detroit group, Motown's first major act, behind The Tracks of My Tears, Ooo Baby Baby and the chart-topping The Tears of a Clown.
    593pts
13. 13
    The O'Jays

    Philadelphia soul group known for "Love Train" and social commentary
    524pts
14. 14
    SWV

    New York R&B trio known for "Weak" and "Right Here"
    524pts
15. 15
    Parliament-Funkadelic

    George Clinton's sprawling P-Funk collective behind Flash Light and One Nation Under a Groove, whose cosmic funk became a cornerstone of R&B and hip-hop.
    523pts
16. 16
    Commodores

    Tuskegee band that moved from the funk of Brick House to Lionel Richie's ballads Three Times a Lady and Easy, becoming Motown's biggest act of the late 1970s.
    523pts
17. 17
    The Supremes

    Motown trio led by Diana Ross that scored twelve Billboard Hot 100 number ones in the 1960s, including Where Did Our Love Go and Baby Love.
    523pts
18. 18
    The Whispers

    Los Angeles vocal group with twin brothers Walter and Wallace Scott, best known for the 1979 dance-floor favourite And the Beat Goes On.
    443pts
19. 19
    Boyz II Men

    Philadelphia R&B vocal group known for harmonies and "End of the Road"
    443pts
20. 20
    En Vogue

    Oakland R&B quartet known for powerful vocals and "Don't Let Go"
    443pts
21. 21
    Four Tops

    Motown vocal group known for "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)"
    443pts
22. 22
    Dru Hill

    Baltimore quartet fronted by Sisqó that scored 1990s R&B hits such as In My Bed, Never Make a Promise and How Deep Is Your Love.
    443pts
23. 23
    The Impressions

    Chicago group led by Curtis Mayfield whose People Get Ready and Keep On Pushing became anthems of the civil rights movement.
    443pts
24. 24
    Jodeci

    North Carolina R&B group known for new jack swing and "Forever My Lady"
    443pts
25. 25
    The Dells

    Chicago vocal group that stayed together for over five decades, known for Oh, What a Night and Stay in My Corner, inducted into the Rock Hall in 2004.
    349pts
26. 26
    TLC

    Atlanta R&B trio known for "Waterfalls" and "No Scrubs"
    349pts
27. 27
    The Spinners

    Detroit vocal group that found its peak with Thom Bell in Philadelphia, producing smooth soul classics such as I'll Be Around and Could It Be I'm Falling in Love.
    349pts
28. 28
    Sly and the Family Stone

    San Francisco multiracial band whose hits Everyday People and Thank You blended soul, funk and psychedelia and reshaped late-1960s Black music.
    349pts
29. 29
    Chic

    New York band led by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards whose Le Freak and Good Times fused disco with tight funk and inspired early hip-hop.
    349pts
30. 30
    Martha and the Vandellas

    Motown girl group led by Martha Reeves that delivered Heat Wave, Nowhere to Run and the enduring party anthem Dancing in the Street.
    238pts
31. 31
    The Staple Singers

    Chicago family group led by Pops and Mavis Staples that turned gospel into message soul with Respect Yourself and I'll Take You There.
    238pts
32. 32
    Gladys Knight & the Pips

    Atlanta family group fronted by Gladys Knight whose Midnight Train to Georgia and I Heard It Through the Grapevine became soul standards.
    238pts
33. 33
    Ohio Players

    Dayton band known for Fire and Love Rollercoaster, whose horn-driven funk and provocative album covers defined mid-1970s R&B.
    238pts
34. 34
    The Stylistics

    Philadelphia soul vocal group known for lush string arrangements and sweet harmonies
    0pts
35. 35
    Destiny's Child

    Houston R&B group that launched Beyoncé's career, known for "Say My Name"
    0pts
36. 36
    The Time

    Minneapolis band fronted by Morris Day and created with Prince, known for The Bird and Jungle Love and their scene-stealing role in Purple Rain.
    0pts
37. 37
    New Edition

    Boston R&B group that launched careers of Bobby Brown, Bell Biv DeVoe, and Johnny Gill
    0pts
38. 38
    Blackstreet

    Teddy Riley's 1990s group whose 1996 hit No Diggity, featuring Dr. Dre, topped the Hot 100 and won a Grammy for best R&B vocal performance.
    0pts

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