Quiet Storm: Tracing the Body and Soul of R&B
Discussing the rise and fall of the smooth romance era of R&B music
Sultry saxophones simmer over velvety baselines. Candlelit vocals caress shadowy silhouettes swaying in embrace. Mood music for romance: the aesthetic essence of Quiet Storm. This soothing blend of R&B, pop, soul and jazz grew from late night “slow jam” radio formats in the 1970s into a mainstream force through the 80s. But Quiet Storm’s gentle musical seduction eventually faded into the background as hip hop’s brazen beats seized center stage.
What’s Quiet Storm?
The term Quiet Storm itself traces back to Smokey Robinson’s 1975 album of the same name. But it was Melvin Lindsey, an intern at Howard University’s WHUR 96.3 FM, who pioneered this musical style as a radio format in 1976. Playing downtempo R&B ballads back-to-back for amorous listeners, Lindsey’s late night soundscapes brought slow-jam serenades mainstream.
Lindsey’s programming of uninterrupted moody, slow tempo soul and R&B music was an…
