Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul

 

James Brown is the Godfather of Soul

 

But who reigns as the king?

 

Discuss 

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marvin gaye

Between Stevie and Marvin. I'd give Stevie the edge on catalog. 

Kings of Soul is def Otis, James Brown, and Marvin.

 

King of R&B I say Luther.

Hasn’t it officially been Bobby for the past 35+ years?

 

I don’t think anyone has claimed that title in a while since him.

Just now, Dr. Alexander said:

Hasn’t it officially been Bobby for the past 35+ years?

 

I don’t think anyone has claimed that title in a while since him.

You know who has....

Marvin is my fave but Stevie is bigger and more influential overall.

 

If we're talking about contemporary R&B it's R. Kelly.

It has to be stevie the accolades speak for themselves

 

but it’s Bobby for me  

Jacquees

King of R&B: Usher

King of Soul: Stevie Wonder

Frank

Where’s Justin B**** 

Probably Marvin Gaye or Otis from this list?? 

 

Stevie is objectively the biggest artist there but it doesn't feel right to call him king of soul

Stevie, sooooo many classics

Michael Jackson

Stevie Wonder. His catalog speaks for itself. I listen to Marvin and Al Green more regularly but it is what is.

 

Ray Charles should be the architect of soul.

5 hours ago, Armani? said:

who reigns as the king?

I’m gonna keep it real seeing as nobody else will…

 

We all know the answer is Robert Kelly - he’s been the King of R&B since 1997. 

 

 

However, he’s a pedophile, human trafficker and sex offender so he’s been automatically demoted of that title due to circumstance. Now it’s just a matter of who’ll reclaim it. 
 

2 hours ago, Protocol said:

Probably Marvin Gaye or Otis from this list?? 

 

Stevie is objectively the biggest artist there but it doesn't feel right to call him king of soul

I agree.

 

Stevie Wonder is the biggest artist on this list, commercially, and has the acclaim and awards to back it up, but Marvin Gaye is the most deserving of the title overall. 
 

• Marvin Gaye = King of Soul/Emperor of Soul.

 

• Stevie Wonder = Emperor of Soul/King of Soul.

 

• Luther Vandross = Godfather of R&B.

Edited March 5, 20233 yr by GoodGuyGoneGhetto

Changed CULTURE. The others y’all are listing are not doing it 

19 minutes ago, GoodGuyGoneGhetto said:

I’m gonna keep it real seeing as nobody else will…

 

We all know the answer is Robert Kelly - he’s been the King of R&B since 1997. 

 

 

However, he’s a pedophile, human trafficker and sex offender so he’s been automatically demoted of that title due to circumstance. Now it’s just a matter of who’ll reclaim it. 
 

I agree.

 

Stevie Wonder is the biggest artist on this list, commercially, and has the acclaim and awards to back it up, but Marvin Gaye is the most deserving of the title overall. 
 

Marvin Gaye = King of Soul

Stevie Wonder = Emperor of Soul

Luther Vandross = Prince of R&B

Emperors rule over kings Stevie has way more classics than anybody else y’all are talking about, like TRUE classics the babies know them, it’s not about commercial success idk any of these artists stats. To say R KELLY over Stevie wonder is crazy as hell

Ray Charles was also a pioneer in the 50's and early 60's recording what was to become known as soul later in the decade.

Edited March 5, 20233 yr by jdanton2

19 minutes ago, bijonse said:

Emperors rule over kings Stevie has way more classics than anybody else y’all are talking about, like TRUE classics the babies know them, it’s not about commercial success idk any of these artists stats. To say R KELLY over Stevie wonder is crazy as hell

Yes, however Stevie Wonder’s imperial phase in the 1970’s was largely driven by Soul music. 

 

He didn’t venture into commercialised Contemporary R&B until the 1980’s and, by that point, there were several male R&B acts that were bigger than him ie. Luther Vandross, Freddie Jackson, Bobby Brown etc. 

 

Stevie Wonder (along with Marvin Gaye) is definitely one of the King’s of Soul, it’s a little more difficult to pinpoint who (unlike with the Queen of Soul) but it’s certainly between those two. 
 

 

R.Kelly, for the disgusting and disgraced person he now is, was a visionary and pioneer of Contemporary R&B in the 1990’s, both as a solo artist and songwriter for other artists, hence why he has held the title of King of R&B since the turn of the new millennium with only Usher challenging it. 

Edited March 5, 20233 yr by GoodGuyGoneGhetto

Bobby brown

20 minutes ago, GoodGuyGoneGhetto said:

Yes, however Stevie Wonder’s imperial phase in the 1970’s was largely driven by Soul music. 

 

He didn’t venture into commercialised Contemporary R&B until the 1980’s and, by that point, there were several male R&B acts that were bigger than him ie. Luther Vandross, Freddie Jackson, Bobby Brown etc. 

 

Stevie Wonder (along with Marvin Gaye) is definitely one of the King’s of Soul, it’s a little more difficult to pinpoint who (unlike with the Queen of Soul) but it’s certainly between those two. 
 

 

R.Kelly, for the disgusting and disgraced person he now is, was a visionary and pioneer of Contemporary R&B in the 1990’s, both as a solo artist and songwriter for other artists, hence why he has held the title of King of R&B since the turn of the new millennium with only Usher challenging it. 

Stevie clears marvin without a doubt, and if you wanna talk modern r&b it would be usher or The Weeknd. Ushers 2000s DOMINATION and quality was insane  he lost his way a bit in the edm era but still 

2 minutes ago, bijonse said:

Stevie clears marvin without a doubt, and if you wanna talk modern r&b it would be usher or The Weeknd. Ushers 2000s DOMINATION and quality was insane  he lost his way a bit in the edm era but still 

For me, The Weeknd is the closest artist we have to a new ‘King of Pop’, even moreso than Justin Timberlake (which I always thought was hilarious. ).

 

I’d say he is definitely the current ‘King of Alternative R&B’, if you will, but I feel as though his music is too crossover-based to truly label him a sole R&B artist. That’d be like calling Rihanna the ‘Queen of R&B’. 
 

If not R.Kelly, then Usher definitely holds the modern title of ‘King Of R&B’. 

7 minutes ago, GoodGuyGoneGhetto said:

For me, The Weeknd is the closest artist we have to a new ‘King of Pop’, even moreso than Justin Timberlake (which I always thought was hilarious. ).

 

I’d say he is definitely the current ‘King of Alternative R&B’, if you will, but I feel as though his music is too crossover-based to truly label him a sole R&B artist. That’d be like calling Rihanna the ‘Queen of R&B’. 
 

If not R.Kelly, then Usher definitely holds the modern title of ‘King Of R&B’. 

True he is very pop. I still think his most loyal fans are here for the r&b stuff from his SoundCloud days and he will always kind of veer back to that style. So anyways the modern day king is still usher. r kelly does not have the same amount of classics nor influence 

Edited March 5, 20233 yr by bijonse