100 Greatest R&B/Soul/Funk Artists

Submitted by enigmazach on Tue, 04/17/2007 - 06:46
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  1. James Brown
  2. Ray Charles
  3. Stevie Wonder
  4. Aretha Franklin
  5. Marvin Gaye
  6. Sam Cooke
  7. Otis Redding
  8. Diana Ross & the Supremes
  9. The Temptations
  10. Fats Domino
  11. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
  12. Sly & the Family Stone
  13. Prince
  14. Curtis Mayfield/The Impressions
  15. Al Green
  16. Parliament/Funkadelic
  17. Michael Jackson
  18. Jackie Wilson
  19. Earth, Wind & Fire
  20. The Four Tops
  21. Gladys Knight & the Pips
  22. The Jackson 5/The Jacksons
  23. The Isley Brothers
  24. Tina Turner
  25. Barry White
  26. Sam & Dave
  27. Whitney Houston
  28. Lou Rawls
  29. Wilson Pickett
  30. Martha & the Vandellas
  31. The O'Jays
  32. The Coasters
  33. Janet Jackson
  34. Clyde McPhatter
  35. The Drifters
  36. Donna Summer
  37. Lionel Richie/The Commodores
  38. Kool & the Gang
  39. Solomon Burke
  40. Luther Vandross
  41. Isaac Hayes
  42. Ruth Brown
  43. James Carr
  44. The Platters
  45. Mariah Carey
  46. Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
  47. The Chi-Lites
  48. Jerry Butler
  49. Boyz II Men
  50. Chaka Khan
  51. The Delfonics
  52. Bobby Womack
  53. Chic
  54. Rick James
  55. TLC
  56. The Dells
  57. The Marvelettes
  58. R. Kelly
  59. The Ohio Players
  60. Mary J. Blige
  61. Babyface
  62. The Flamingos
  63. Cubby Checker
  64. Little Willie John
  65. En Vogue
  66. Booker T. & the MGs
  67. The Clovers
  68. KC & the Sunshine Band
  69. Usher
  70. Teddy Pendergrass
  71. The Neville Brothers
  72. The Spinners
  73. D'Angelo
  74. The Cadillacs
  75. War
  76. Dionne Warwick
  77. The Shirelles
  78. Guy
  79. Screamin' Jay Hawkins
  80. Hank Ballard
  81. Billy Ward & the Dominoes
  82. New Edition
  83. Percy Sledge
  84. Eddie Floyd
  85. Irma Thomas
  86. Cameo
  87. Major Lance
  88. The Stylistics
  89. Tower of Power
  90. Anita Baker
  91. Sade
  92. The Emotions
  93. Keith Sweat
  94. The "5" Royales
  95. Junior Walker
  96. Ben E. King
  97. Roberta Flack
  98. The Whispers
  99. Sister Sledge
  100. King Curtis
Author Comments: 

Artist rankings are based on: impact, influence, and lasting popularity. Feel free to critique.

tdunnie04/18/2007

Good list! Those top ten look almost unassailable.

enigmazach04/18/2007

Thanks :)

Yeah, I think the top ten are pretty solid candidates. The rest could possibly use some work as far as rearranging, but overall I think I got the most important artists all here.

Drew Velvet03/25/2008

Very good list. I pretty much agree with the top 10, and everything else seems fairly accurate but could probably use a little bit of rearranging like you said. Overall, you did an excellent job naming the best artists from both older and newer generations of R&B (very pleased to see D'Angelo and R. Kelly on here).

enigmazach03/27/2008

Thanks. Eventually I'll revise the list and try to make it a bit more accurate.