R n B, or rhythm and blues, emerged as a genre in the US in the 1940s as popular dance music. It was rooted in boogie-woogie blues and the jump rhythms of the swing bands of the late 1930s. It combined boogie woogie bass patterns, an underlying swing feel, jazz, and urban blues electric styles. The lyrics reflected the gold times at the end of and after WWII. Chronologically, the subgroups were Boogie woogie (1930s), Urban Blues (40s), and Doo-Wop (40s and 50s). Doo-Wop does spill over to pop, though.Pat wrote: Slightly off topic , what about R'n'B,I always thought that meant rhythm and blues but when I watch cd:uk it seems to have something to do with rappers and bottoms.
The official label "R & B" was created in 1949. Billboard changed the "race music" section of the charts to "R & B." (The other two charts, if my notes are accurate, were "Pop/Hot" and "Country.") The music people didn't want black music on the same charts/competing with white music. So basically all "black" music since has been labelled as such. Isn't racism fun kids?
