Start Here: a guide to old school soul, funk and R&B

What “old school” means here

People use “old school” loosely. On this site it covers four connected stretches of music, roughly from the early 1960s to the start of the 1990s:

• Soul: gospel singing brought into secular pop, built in Detroit, Memphis, Chicago and Muscle Shoals.
• Funk: soul with the emphasis moved onto rhythm, led by James Brown and then by bands like Sly & the Family Stone and Parliament-Funkadelic.
• R&B: the 70s and 80s descendants, from Philly soul’s strings to quiet storm ballads, the Minneapolis sound and new jack swing.
• Early hip-hop: DJs and MCs in the Bronx looping the drum breaks from those funk and soul records.

These are not separate boxes. Each one grew out of the one before, which is why a route through them in order makes sense.

A route in ten albums

Take these roughly one at a time. Each is a complete album that rewards playing start to finish, and each points somewhere specific next.

1. Sam Cooke, Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963. Recorded in 1963 but held back until 1985, it shows a gospel-trained singer working a club crowd far rougher than his pop records. Next: 1960s soul.
2. Aretha Franklin, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967). Her first Atlantic album, including “Respect.” The sound of soul at full strength.
3. The Four Tops, Reach Out (1967). Motown was built for singles, but this album catches Holland–Dozier–Holland and the house band at a peak. Next: Motown.
4. Marvin Gaye, What’s Going On (1971). The moment a Motown singer took creative control and made a unified album. Read our listening guide.
5. Sly & the Family Stone, There’s a Riot Goin’ On (1971). Dark, murky and hugely influential funk. Next: 1970s funk.
6. The O’Jays, Back Stabbers (1972). Gamble & Huff’s Philadelphia sound: strings, horns and a rhythm section that swings. Next: Philly soul.
7. Parliament, Mothership Connection (1975). The most accessible P-Funk album. It’s on our 70s funk starter list.
8. Smokey Robinson, A Quiet Storm (1975). The album that gave a radio format and a whole style of R&B its name. Next: quiet storm.
9. Luther Vandross, Never Too Much (1981). The start of 80s adult R&B. Next: the sound of 1980s R&B.
10. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, The Message (1982). Early hip-hop on album, with the title track’s street-level storytelling. Next: early hip-hop.

How to listen, not just what

A few habits make this music open up faster:

• Follow the musicians, not just the singers. House bands such as Motown’s Funk Brothers, Stax’s Booker T. & the M.G.’s and Philadelphia’s MFSB played on hundreds of records. Liner notes and credits databases will lead you across labels.
• Follow the producers. Norman Whitfield, Gamble & Huff, Thom Bell, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Teddy Riley each have a recognizable sound across many artists.
• Listen for the bass. From James Jamerson at Motown to Bootsy Collins in P-Funk, the bass line is often where the song lives. It’s also the first thing tiny laptop or phone speakers throw away.
• Hear the source, then the sample. Early hip-hop is built from funk and soul breaks. Once you know the original, you’ll hear it everywhere.

A simple way to hear it better

You don’t need expensive gear, but bass-heavy, band-recorded music suffers most on phone speakers. A pair of small powered speakers is the biggest single upgrade, whether you stream or play records. If you’re thinking about vinyl, start with our beginner’s vinyl setup guide. It explains the one compatibility question that trips most people up.

Where to go next