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Wikipedia's Rhythm and Blues Portal

Introduction

Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to African Americans, at a time when "rocking, jazz based music ... [with a] heavy, insistent beat" was becoming more popular. In the commercial rhythm and blues music typical of the 1950s through the 1970s, the bands usually consisted of a piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums, one or more saxophones, and sometimes background vocalists. R&B lyrical themes often encapsulate the African-American history and experience of pain and the quest for freedom and joy, as well as triumphs and failures in terms of societal racism, oppression, relationships, economics, and aspirations.

The term "rhythm and blues" has undergone a number of shifts in meaning. In the early 1950s, it was frequently applied to blues records. Starting in the mid-1950s, after this style of music had contributed to the development of rock and roll, the term "R&B" became used in a wider context. It referred to music styles that developed from and incorporated electric blues, as well as gospel and soul music. From 1960s to 70s, some British groups were referred to and promoted as being R&B bands. By the 1970s, the term "rhythm and blues" had changed once again and was used as a blanket term for soul and funk. (Full article...)

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"Don't Forget About Us" is a song by American R&B singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox and Johntá Austin, and produced by Carey, Dupri and Cox. On October 10, 2005, it was released as the lead single from the reissue of her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi: Ultra Platinum Edition (2005). The song is influenced by R&B and hip hop soul music genres, and lyrically chronicles the emotions felt by the protagonist after the loss of their relationship. Carey explained that the true meaning of the song is to be interpreted by the listener, therefore not disclosing its entire meaning publicly.

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, with many heavily comparing it to Carey's previous single "We Belong Together". Several reviewers felt the song's similarity marked Carey's lack of creativity with it, while others embraced its radio-friendly formula. "Don't Forget About Us" became Carey's seventeenth chart topping single on the US Billboard Hot 100, tying the record for most number-one singles by a solo artist set by Elvis Presley 36 years before. Internationally, the song topped the charts in Finland, and reached the top-ten in Hungary.

Carey performed the song at the 33rd Annual American Music Awards, and during the half-time of the Thanksgiving game between the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons. Additionally, the song was included on the set-lists of Carey's The Adventures of Mimi and Angels Advocate Tours. The song's music video chronicles the two time frames, Carey in the present, as well as the past memories she shared with her ex-lover that continue to haunt her. "Don't Forget About Us" was nominated for two awards at the 49th annual Grammy Awards held on February 11, 2007. (Full article...)

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Jackie Brenston (August 24, 1928 or 1930 – December 15, 1979) was an American singer and saxophonist who, with Ike Turner's band, recorded the first version of "Rocket 88" in 1951. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various rhythm and blues-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The Ramones in Toronto (1976) (from Doo-wop)
Image 2Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings at Middelburg in 2009 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 3Alicia Keys ranked fifth on Billboard Artist of the Decade list. "No One" ranks No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs of the decade. (from Contemporary R&B)
Image 4Alternative R&B artist Frank Ocean performing at the Coachella Festival in 2012 (from Alternative R&B)
Image 5John Lee Hooker, whose visit to England was the anticipated R&B event of 1964, shown in 1978 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 6Herman Santiago, original lead singer of the Teenagers (from Doo-wop)
Image 7The Jam in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1982 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 8Georgie Fame, leader of one of the most widely influenced R&B groups, in 1968 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 9Alexis Korner in Hamburg in 1972 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 10Kathy Young with the Earth Angels performing Kathy's hit "A Thousand Stars" during the festival of this genre celebrated at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in May 2010 (from Doo-wop)
Image 11Beyoncé was named by Billboard the most successful female act of the 2000s. (from Contemporary R&B)
Image 12The instruments of the skiffle group the Quarrymen, who would become the Beatles (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 13The original line up of the Kinks, 1965 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 14Muddy Waters, a major influence on the movement, pictured in 1971 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 15Usher was cited by Billboard as the no. 1 Hot 100 artist of the 2000s decade, with 7 number-one singles that accumulated 42 weeks at the top. (from Contemporary R&B)
Image 16Chris Barber, one of the major figures in the early popularisation of the blues in Britain, playing at the Musikhalle, Hamburg, 1972 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 17Led Zeppelin performing at Chicago Stadium in January 1975
Image 18The Cleftones during their participation in the doo-wop festival celebrated in May 2010 at the Benedum Center. (from Doo-wop)
Image 19Janet Jackson's Control, released in 1986, was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the 1980s. (from New jack swing)
Image 20The Moonglows, 1956 (from Doo-wop)
Image 21The Jimi Hendrix Experience performing on Dutch television in 1967 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 22Lead Belly's recordings would be a major part of British R&B repertoires, although he never performed in the UK (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 23The Animals in 1964 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 24Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac onstage in 1970 (from British rhythm and blues)
Image 25Michael Jackson holds the record for the best-selling new jack swing album with his 1991 release, Dangerous. (from New jack swing)