R & B was African – American urban sounds that evolved from blues and jazz based with a heavy and insistent beat . The lyrics of the new genre are about everyday life like work , hard time and drinking . The huckle-buck that became and R & B hit . The song was called dirty and raunchy for it time . By 1950s more artists started to emerges like Little Richard , Fats Domino and Chuck Berry . By the 1960s rhythm and blues would include soul music . Seventies disco was added to the R & B category as was funk . By the 1980s R & B was the booming artist like New Edition , Michael Jackson , Whitney Huston , Tony , Toni , Tone , Keith Sweat , Baby face . By the 90s artist like Keith sweat , Jodeci and Bell Biv DeVoe took R & B to another level with there there vocal harmonies . R & B is one of the most listen to genres today .