Orbital　

Orbital became one of the biggest names in techno during the mid-’90s by solving the irreconcilable differences previously inherent in the genre： to stay true to the dance underground and, at th ..more

Otis Redding　

One of the most influential soul singers of the 1960s, Otis Redding exemplified to many listeners the power of Southern deep soul -- hoarse, gritty vocals, brassy arrangements, and an emoti ..more

Peggy Gou　

Peggy Gou seemed to appear out of nowhere in 2016, releasing no less than four 12 EPs of bright, slightly hazy house tracks during the course of the year. In actuality, the Seoul-born artist had b ..more

Portishead　

Portishead may not have invented trip-hop, but they were among the first to popularize it, particularly in America. Taking their cue from the slow, elastic beats that dominated Massive Attack ..more

Post Malone　

Dropping basketball references like the old-school but wrapping them in thoroughly modern beats, Post Malone hit in 2015 with his single White Iverson. Raised in Dallas, Malone was NFL before ..more

Prince　

Few artists have created a body of work as rich and varied as Prince. During the ’80s, he emerged as one of the most singular talents of the rock ＆ roll era, capable of seamlessly tying together po ..more

Ray Charles　

Ray Charles was the musician most responsible for developing soul music. Singers like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson also did a great deal to pioneer the form, but Charles did even more to ..more

Sade　

When singer Sade and her band of the same name were establishing themselves, their record company, Epic, made a point of printing Pronounced Shar-day on the record labels of their releases. So ..more

Salsoul Orchestra　

The music world’s prime disco big band during the late ’70s, the Salsoul Orchestra recorded several of the tightest, chunkiest disco themes of the 1970s, both on its own productions and as th ..more

Sam Cooke　

Sam Cooke was the most important soul singer in history -- he was also the inventor of soul music, and its most popular and beloved performer in both the black and white communities. Equally ..more

Sampha　

Sampha Sisay is a singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and producer whose artful and emotive mix of pop, R＆B, and electronic music isn’t easily categorized. He started making music early in his teenage ..more

Schoolboy Q　

Mixing bud smokers’ anthems with socially conscious numbers, rapper ScHoolboy Q spent three years in the mixtape underground before launching his career properly in 2011. The first mixtape, the aut ..more

Seal　

Seal emerged from England’s house music scene in 1990 to become the most popular British soul vocalist of that decade. Although his earliest material still showed signs of acid house, by the mid-’9 ..more

Shabazz Palaces　

The first hip-hop crew signed to the Sub Pop label, Shabazz Palaces is the brainchild of Ishmael Butterfly Butler, although the Digable Planets member wasn稚 so quick to admit it. In 200 ..more

Sheila E　

During the mid-’80s, Sheila E. was the biggest and brightest of Prince’s protegees, unique in seeming that she could stand toe to toe with the Purple One. Certainly during his post-Revoluti ..more

Sia　

In a career filled with ups and downs, Sia Furler has been an in-demand guest vocalist, a quirky singer/songwriter, a hitmaker for the likes of Rihanna and Beyonce, and more popular than ever ..more

Skrillex　

Sonny Moore found club and mainstream stardom beginning in 2008, when he swapped his gig as the frontman in post-hardcore band From First to Last for the dancefloor-oriented project Skrillex. ..more

Slowly　

Sly & The Family Stone　

Sly ＆ the Family Stone harnessed all of the disparate musical and social trends of the late ’60s, creating a wild, brilliant fusion of soul, rock, R＆B, psychedelia, and funk that bro ..more

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles　

Scoring over 40 hits in the R＆B Top 40 charts, the Miracles started out as the Five Chimes in the mid-’50s while the members were still in high school. The Detroit vocal group consisted of ..more