Great Black Music: Recommended Masterpieces

Move on UpCurtis Mayfield

Move on Up (Extended Version)

Curtis Mayfield, who made a significant impact on Black music not only as a singer-songwriter but also as a composer.

During the time he was active, the genre of neo soul was mainstream, but he was known for a distinctive musical style that mixed elements of funk into neo soul.

His track “Move on Up” encapsulates his appeal and is said to have influenced Bob Marley, the god of reggae.

U.N.I.T.Y.Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah – U.N.I.T.Y.

Queen Latifah, who has excelled both as a rapper and actress and paved the way for women in hip-hop, released a track from Motown in November 1993 that became a landmark in music history.

Set over a sophisticated beat that samples a jazz classic, the song delivers a powerful message calling for dignity and solidarity among women.

Her poised defiance against the careless words and attitudes that pervade everyday life gives listeners tremendous courage.

In 1995, it won a Grammy Award and was featured in the popular TV series Living Single, in which she starred—testament to its immeasurable impact.

It’s a gem from the seminal album Black Reign, a track for anyone who wants to stay strong when faced with unjust realities.

Say My NameDestiny’s Child

Destiny’s Child – Say My Name (Official Video)

If you’ve been closely following the R&B scene from the mid-2010s into the 2020s, you’ve probably noticed a wave of young artists drawing inspiration from 1990s R&B.

For those who listened in real time back in the ’90s, it’s nostalgic; for younger music fans, it feels fresh—so the rediscovery of ’90s R&B seems likely to keep accelerating.

The song featured this time, “Say My Name,” is a massive hit by Destiny’s Child, the group that Beyoncé was a part of.

It’s a classic included on their second album, The Writing’s on the Wall, released in 1999, which became a huge global success.

In fact, the first maxi-single release was in Japan, so many of you might remember it well.

Above all, Beyoncé’s rhythmic, rap-like, and highly original vocal delivery on this track has had a tremendous influence on subsequent artists.

Its legacy still shines undimmed more than 20 years after its release—Summer Walker, a leading artist in today’s R&B scene, even references it in her own song “Playing Games.” If you only know Beyoncé from her solo career, be sure to check out Destiny’s Child too!

The First Time Ever I Saw Your FaceRoberta Flack

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Since her debut in 1969, Roberta Flack has long been a leading figure among female soul and R&B singers.

She’s also known for first making a hit of the original song behind Misato Watanabe’s “Yasashiku Utatte ~Killing Me Softly with His Song~,” familiar as a Nescafé Excella commercial tune.

Another of Roberta Flack’s signature songs, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” is a massive hit also known in Japan by its Japanese title “Ai wa Omokage no Naka ni.” It’s a standard that has been covered by many artists; more recently, the cutting-edge singer-songwriter James Blake revisited it, which is still fresh in our memories.

The song was originally written in 1957 by the British singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl.

After several folk groups covered it, Roberta included it on her 1969 debut album, First Take.

Two years later, in 1971, it was featured in Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, Play Misty for Me, and the following year it was re-released as a single, becoming a major hit.

Given the high acclaim it received—including winning both Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 15th Annual Grammy Awards—it’s clear not only how good the song itself is, but just how outstanding Roberta’s version truly is.

Bring It On Home to MeSam Cooke

Sam Cooke – Bring It On Home to Me (Official Audio)

In the history of soul music, sadly, legendary singers who passed away young are not few, and Sam Cooke, the subject of this article, is one of them.

Having met a tragic end at the age of just 33, Cooke possessed striking good looks, a natural singing voice, and a distinctive vocal style, with which he produced many hit songs from the late 1950s to the early 1960s.

More than just a musician, he was highly conscious of racial issues: he founded a music publishing company and a record label to manage the rights to his own works and to protect the rights of Black musicians, and he was actively involved in the civil rights movement.

The influence Cooke exerted on later artists thus extended far beyond musical style.

One notable example is his 1962 release and hit “Bring It On Home to Me,” which was covered just three years later by the British rock band The Animals and, in the same year, by fellow Britons The Zombies—evidence that the song was embraced by white groups from the start.

Since then, countless artists and bands have covered it, and it has become a famous standard number that continues to be loved across generations.

Cooke himself wrote both the lyrics and the music, and the song’s beautifully wistful melody has never lost its luster—once again highlighting Cooke’s outstanding talents as a songwriter.

Everyday PeopleSly and the Family Stone

Sly & The Family Stone – Everyday People (Official Video)

Led by the wildly unconventional frontman Sly Stone, whose powerful charisma and talent were unmistakable, Sly & The Family Stone is another group that cannot be omitted when recounting the history of Black music.

Unusual for the time, the band featured a mixed-gender lineup that included both Black and white members, and they released numerous works that influenced not just soul music but many other genres, including rock.

The song discussed here, Everyday People, was the band’s fifth single overall and an early signature hit.

Released in 1968, Everyday People is a classic whose simple, accessible melody and straightforward message about the importance of universal values like peace and equality resonate deeply.

It also became an anthem of the late-1960s counterculture movement.

The more you learn about its background, the more fascinating details emerge—for instance, lyrics that quote Muhammad Ali from an interview, and the fact that it is among the earliest recordings to feature slap bass playing.

It’s also a standard that many artists have chosen to cover, so it could be fun to compare different cover versions with the original.

One LoveBob Marley

One Love (Official Fan Made Music Video) – Bob Marley

Bob Marley’s classic song “One Love.” In contrast to its warm, gentle melody, the lyrics sharply probe what it means to be human, and their excellence has earned the song respect from listeners around the world.

If you don’t understand English, be sure to read the Japanese translation of the lyrics.