Christmas: R&B
Also known as R&B Christmas
A seasonal R&B tag for holiday recordings that favor soulful vocals, gospel lift, and polished groove over novelty cheer.
Origins and context
Holiday recordings by R&B and soul artists became especially visible in the Motown era and later in contemporary R&B holiday albums and playlists.
History
This label is best understood as a practical umbrella rather than a rigid style with a single founding moment. R&B artists have been recording Christmas material for decades, and by the 1970s and 1990s holiday releases from Motown-era singers and later contemporary R&B stars had made the blend easy to recognize in the catalog rather than just the season. AllMusic’s R&B overview traces the genre’s roots to late-1940s jump blues, which helps explain why so many holiday recordings under the R&B banner lean on backbeat, song-first arrangements, and warm vocal delivery.
Notable artists
- DHDonny Hathaway
- MCMariah Carey
- SWStevie Wonder
- TJThe Jackson 5
- BIBoyz II Men
Essential listening
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