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From the 20-year rule to stylistic homage and outright appropriation, nostalgia has always played a part in musical evolution, with even the most forward-thinking music looking to the past for inspiration.
Being ahead of their time, too offbeat for mass consumption, or through plain old bad luck – some artists became wildly influential without becoming household names.
Motown’s great songwriters were the foundations of the Great American Soulbook, an imaginary, but nonetheless awe-inspiring collection of songs written in the name of soul. But it did not come easy.
The legendary Muscle Shoals studio defined the sound of Southern soul before becoming one of the go-to studios for the biggest names in music.
Gospel music has always had a major influence on R&B, with many of the biggest soul singers having started their vocal careers in gospel church choirs.
Impulse! Records’ history blends indie hipness with a compulsion to push the boundaries, creating some of the most forward-thinking music in history.
A catchy hook, an infectious chant: an earworm is a simple thing. Writing one, however, is not. Here’s why earworms are so effective – and hard to create.
Everyone from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga has sung from The Great American Songbook – classic songs so familiar they are woven into our cultural fabric.
We look back to a time when jazz was the dominant form of popular music and could be heard emanating from radio stations and concert halls around the world.
The sophisticated sound of symphonic soul filled dancefloors and bedrooms in the 70s, thanks to the pioneering work of Barry White, Isaac Hayes, and more.
Hailed as the birthplace of both the blues and rock’n’roll, Memphis, Tennessee, is a must-visit city for music lovers around the world.
Chess Records and its founders, Leonard and Phil Chess, played a bigger part than any other record label in making the blues a worldwide phenomenon.
If you’re a key member of a successful band, the solo bug will bite. Here we salute some of the most notable artists who found life after the band.
Founded in 1939 by Alfred Lion, Blue Note is loved, respected and revered as one of the most important record labels in the history of music.
It wasn’t easy for musicians to be openly feminist – or, indeed, to be openly women. But right from the start, they’ve been there...
