This list was devised by aggregating more than 50 best-of lists focused on R&B and soul albums. These figures were averaged with the albums’ overall status in Dave’s Music Database to create this list. Note: there are references in the comments section to albums no longer on this list because of revisions.
Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here.
1. Marvin Gaye What’s Going On (1971)
2. Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
3. Stevie Wonder Innervisions (1973)
4. Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
5. Michael Jackson Thriller (1982)
6. James Brown Live at the Apollo Volume 1 (live, 1962)
7. Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)
8. Michael Jackson Off the Wall (1979)
9. Sly & the Family Stone There’s a Riot Goin’ On (1971)
10. Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (1984)
11. Otis Redding Otis Blue (1965)
12. Prince Sign ‘O’ the Times (1987)
13. Aretha Franklin Lady Soul (1968)
14. Curtis Mayfield Superfly (1972)
15. Stevie Wonder Talking Book (1972)
16. Whitney Houston Whitney Houston (1985)
17. Usher Confessions (2004)
18. Boyz II Men II (1994)
19. Alicia Keys Songs in A Minor (2001)
20. Marvin Gaye Let’s Get It On (1973)
21. Various artists (Whitney Houston et al) The Bodyguard (soundtrack, 1992)
22. Ray Charles Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)
23. TLC Crazy Sexy Cool (1994)
24. Frank Ocean Channel Orange (2012)
25. Parliament Mothership Connection (1976)
26. Janet Jackson Control (1986)
27. Bobby Brown Don’t Be Cruel (1988)
28. D’Angelo Voodoo (2000)
29. Isaac Hayes Hot Buttered Soul (1969)
30. Al Green I’m Still in Love with You (1972)
31. Michael Jackson Dangerous (1991)
32. Sly & the Family Stone Stand! (1969)
33. Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
34. Michael Jackson Bad (1987)
35. Earth, Wind & Fire That’s the Way of the World (1975)
36. Mariah Carey The Emancipation of Mimi (2005)
37. Lionel Richie Can’t Slow Down (1983)
38. D’Angelo Brown Sugar (1995)
39. Erykah Badu Baduizm (1997)
40. Prince 1999 (1982)
41. Anita Baker Rapture (1986)
42. Beyoncé Lemonade (2016)
43. Toni Braxton Toni Braxton (1993)
44. Funkadelic One Nation Under a Groove (1978)
45. Beyoncé Beyoncé (2013)
46. Beyoncé Dangerously in Love (2003)
47. Al Green Let’s Stay Together (1972)
48. Alicia Keys The Diary of… (2003)
49. Al Green Call Me (1973)
50. Destiny’s Child The Writing’s on the Wall (1999)
51. Various Artists (Bee Gees et al) Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack, 1977)
52. Stevie Wonder Fulfillingness’ First Finale (1974)
53. War The World Is a Ghetto (1972)
54. Mary J. Blige What’s the 411? (1992)
55. Various Artists (Whitney Houston et al) Waiting to Exhale (soundtrack, 1995)
56. Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (1990)
57. Toni Braxton Secrets (1996)
58. D’Angelo & the Vanguard Black Messiah (2014)
59. Janet Jackson janet. (1993)
60. Isaac Hayes Shaft (soundtrack, 1971)
61. Mary J. Blige My Life (1994)
62. R. Kelly 12 Play (1993)
63. Curtis Mayfield Curtis (1970)
64. Funkadelic Maggot Brain (1971)
65. Etta James Tell Mama (1968)
66. Stevie Wonder Hotter Than July (1980)
67. Maxwell Urban Hang Suite (1996)
68. Rick James Street Songs (1981)
69. Boyz II Men Cooleyhighharmony (1991)
70. The Isley Brothers 3 + 3 (1973)
71. Mariah Carey Daydream (1995)
72. Dusty Springfield Dusty in Memphis (1969)
73. Sly & the Family Stone Fresh (1973)
74. En Vogue Funky Divas (1992)
75. Mariah Carey Butterfly (1997)
76. Mary J. Blige The Breakthrough (2005)
77. Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club (aka “One Night Stand”) (live, 1963)
78. The Weeknd Beauty Behind the Madness (2015)
79. Al Green Greatest Hits (1975)
80. Natalie Cole Unforgettable…With Love (1991)
81. Gladys Knight & the Pips Imagination (1973)
82. Beyoncé I Am…Sasha Fierce (2008)
83. Bill Withers Still Bill (1972)
84. Prince Dirty Mind (1980)
85. Jill Scott Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 (2000)
86. James Brown Sex Machine (live, 1970)
87. Sade Diamond Life (1984)
88. Sade Promise (1985)
89. The O’Jays Ship Ahoy (1973)
90. Bruno Mars 24K Magic (2016)
91. The Miracles Going to a Go-Go (1965)
92. Jodeci Forever My Lady (1991)
93. Soul II Soul Club Classics Vol. I (aka “Keep on Movin’”) (1989)
94. Otis Redding The Dock of the Bay (1968)
95. Diana Ross Diana (1980)
96. Guy Guy (1988)
97. Donny Hathaway Everything Is Everything (1970)
98. Sam Cooke Night Beat (1963)
99. Maxwell Black Summer’s Night (2009)
100. Marvin Gaye Here, My Dear (1978)
Resources and Related Links:
- Dave’s Music Database: other best-of-genre lists
- AlbumoftheYear.org: “The Best R&B Albums of All Time”
- Amazon.com: “Essential CDs by Style”
Now dead link. Originally had listings of CDs by style for classic R&B, contemporary R&B, funk, Motown, and soul.
- Amazon.com: “Best R’n’B Albums”
Now dead link. Originally a top-10 list created by user Jay Kelly.
- Amazon.com: “15 Best Soul/R&B Albums of the ‘70s”
Another dead link. Originally a list by user “konnmann.”
- American Music Awards: “R&B Albums of the Year”
Album of the Year awards given by American Music Awards from 1974 to present.
- AskMen.com: “Top 200 Albums of All Time”
Now dead link.
- Barnes & Noble: “Fundamentals”
Another dead link. Originally a list of fundamental CDs by genre.
- BestEverAlbums.com (10/22/2016). “100 Greatest Soul & Disco Albums of All Time”
List created by user WayneMC.
- BET.com (6/1/2014). “20 R&B Albums You Must Own”
- Billboard.com: “Greatest of All Time Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums”
- Billboard magazine: “Lists of Number-One R&B Albums in the United States”
Lists of #1 albums from 1960s to present. Albums with 6+ weeks on top ranked by overall DMDB points and factored in.
- BlackExcellence.com (1/18/2019). “The 40 Best R&B Albums of All Time”
- Blender magazine (April 2003). “500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die!”
Online link no longer exists. Magazine created lists of best CDs of all time. Included a list of 56 R&B albums.
- CheatSheet.com (10/10/2016). “10 of the Greatest Soul Music Albums of All Time”
- Dave’s Music Database: “R&B Albums of the Year”
Annual honor from Dave’s Music Database for Best R&B Album of the Year from 1967 to present.
- DevotedToVinyl.com: “Top 10 Best Funk Albums You Must Own on Vinyl”
- DigitalDreamDoor.com (1/18/2020). “100 Greatest Soul Albums”
- Discogs.com: “Top 250 R&B Albums of All Time”
List created by user kamron1.
- DutchVinyl.com.au: “Best Soul Albums of All Time: The Essential Records You Need to Hear”
Unranked list.
- Epininons.com (2000). “Funky Top 10 R&B and Soul”
Dead link. List created by user Joaquin.
- Epininons.com (2002). “The Personification of Soul”
Dead link. List of 10 albums by user Stankwalrus.
- Epininons.com (2003). “Top 10 Soul Albums of All Time”
Dead link. List created by user Gangtarrx.
- Fastnbulbous.com: “All-Time Favorite Soul Albums”
Now dead link.
- FunkMySoul.gr: “10 Best Soul Albums”
- Grammys: “R&B Albums of the Year”
Awards given by the Grammys for R&B Album of the Year (1995-present), Best Contemporary R&B Album (2003-2011), and Best Progressive R&B Album (2013-present).
- Mademan.com: “Top 10 Best R&B Albums of All Time”
Now dead link.
- Mojo (Sept. 2010). “The 70 Best Soul Albums of the ‘70s”
- Mojo (August 2001): “100 Soul Albums Everyone Should Own”
Chronological list.
- Mojo (2001). “The Ultimate CD Buyers Guide”
List of 1000 albums, unranked, divided into genres including, jazz, soul, rock, reggae, and country.
- MusicAlphabet.com: “100 Greatest Soul & Funk Albums”
Unranked list. Albums listed chronologically.
- MusicCritic.com: “R&B”
448 albums ranked by overall ratings.
- Pitchfork: “Highest Rated Soul Albums of All Time”
- Q magazine (April 2005). “The Ultimate Music Collection”
List published in magazine of albums by genre. Included 8 soul albums.
- Rapmusic.com: “Best R&B Albums of All Time”
Now dead link. List from discussion board.
- RateYourMusic.com: “Al’s 100 Essential Soul/R&B Albums”
A ranked list from user AlRog.
- RealGroovy.co.nz: “Collection: Essential Soul & Funk Albums”
Unranked list of 46 albums.
- Record Collector (Jan. 2000). “Classic Albums from 21 Genres for the 2st Century”
Unranked top-10 lists for multiple genres, including soul and funk.
- Reddit.com (2014). “Essential Soul Records?”
User list of 15 albums, unranked, on discussion board.
- Rolling Stone: “Highest Rated Soul Albums of All Time”
- Scaruffi.com: “Best Funk Albums of All Times”
Ranked list of 35 albums.
- Peter Shapiro (2000). The Rough Guide to Soul 100 Essential CDs
Rough Guide book series focuses on 100 essentials of specific genres.
- SoulTracks.com: “The 50 Best Soul Albums of the 1970s”
- SoulTracks.com: “The 75 Best Soul Albums of the ‘80s”
- SoulTracks.com: “The 75 Best Soul Albums of the ‘90s”
- SoulTracks.com: “The 100 Best Soul Albums of the 2000s”
- Soul Train: “R&B Albums of the Year”
Award given by Soul Train from 1977-2004 and 2009 to present for R&B Album of the Year overall as well as categories of male, female, and group.
- ThatSister.com: “50 Best R&B Albums of All Time”
- Tower.com: “Essentials”
Another dead link from a music store list of esesntials by genre. This one was focused on R&B.
- VinylMePlease.com (10/6/2016). “The 10 Best Soul Albums to Own on Vinyl”
- VinylRevinyl.com (2010). “10 Greatest Soul Albums”
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The Velvet Rope is too low :(
ReplyDeleteNo Jagged Edge????????????
ReplyDeleteAs noted, this list is an aggregate of 22 R&B-oriented best-of lists. The albums which made this list were determined completely objectively based on what made those lists. Sorry!
DeleteWell it seems like a pretty flawed process if Snoop Dogg and The Black Eyed Peas made the list.
DeleteThis list is horrible.
ReplyDeleteHow the hell is this the top 100 R&B albums!!! Where is Brandy, Aaliyah and how the hell did 2Pac make the R&B List??????????
ReplyDeleteSigh. It never ceases to amaze me how incapable people are of finding redeeming value in a list that doesn't perfectly match their own sensibilities.
DeleteIt’s an excellent list! :)
Delete