Soul-Pop
tagStarted 1972Peak 1985-2015Last big hit still active
Warm, classicist pop built on soul foundations: live-feeling horns, organ, gospel chord changes and a deep pocket, topped by emotive, conversational vocals. Less synthetic than mainstream Pop-R&B, it prizes songcraft and authenticity, the sound of soul tradition reframed for adult pop radio with timeless, heartfelt writing.
History
Descends from Stax and Philly soul as it softened into pop crossover in the 1970s. Hall & Oates and Lionel Richie carried blue-eyed and balladic soul into the 1980s charts; Adele, John Legend and Amy Winehouse revived the retro-soul-pop strain in the 2000s with vintage instrumentation and modern heartbreak writing.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-eyed_soul
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/blue-eyed-soul-ma0000002817
- https://www.britannica.com/art/soul-music