Funk, Disco, and Soul: R&B’s Fearless 1970s Revolution
In this essay, I will delve into the musical and cultural landscape of 70s R&B. Exploring the social climate, stylistic innovations, subgenres, chart-topping artists, and other definitive elements, this article illuminates why 70s was a time of creative flourishing for rhythm and blues. This essay is part of an ongoing series analyzing each epoch of R&B history. By chronicling the genre’s evolution from its roots through the present day, this series will ultimately address the burning question: is R&B dead?
As the 1970s dawned, rhythm and blues music entered a new era laced with both fearless experimentation and frustration. The psychedelic haze still lingered from the 60s, but the hopes of the civil rights movement had faded for many African Americans still facing discrimination and lack of opportunity. Out of this climate came powerful calls for empowerment through anthems laced with swirls of jazz, thunderous funk, and interplanetary soundscapes.
With one foot in the past and the other stepping towards progress, R&B found itself stretched between worlds. By absorbing the era’s myriad influences, the genre gave voice to cries for justice and liberation. Through visionary works of thunderous funk, euphoric disco escapes, and smooth quiet…
