rnb
what it is
Rhythm and blues is a term describing popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a heavy, insistent beat" was becoming more popular. The term has subsequently had a number of shifts in meaning.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 1 · mainstream
the pop everyone knows
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make rnb a playlist
turn these 40 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is rnb?
Rhythm and blues is a term describing popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a heavy, insistent beat" was becoming more popular. The term has subsequently had a number of shifts in meaning.
What are good rnb albums to start with?
Try Beauty Behind the Madness by The Weeknd, The Writing's on the Wall by Destiny's Child, Sweetener by Ariana Grande, and 4 by Beyoncé.
Who are some women making rnb?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/rnb/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making rnb, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20