Soul
Here you'll find album stories, birthdays, and anniversaries from soul artists and the labels that shaped the sound, plus vinyl reissue news as it happens. Soul's history runs largely through the 7-inch single: Motown, Stax, and Atlantic all built their reputations one 45 at a time, and that format still drives a dedicated collector scene built around rare singles and label variants rather than albums alone. The stories here cover how specific records were written, arranged, and recorded, the house bands and producers behind the sound, and why particular pressings remain sought after by people who collect soul on vinyl.
145 STORIES
Why did Otis Rush play a guitar strung upside down?
Otis Rush, who died in 2018, built his approach to Chicago blues around a right-handed guitar flipped upside down. His technique influenced Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
· 4 min read
Melody Thornton Turned 42 With A Voice Built In Arizona
Melody Thornton, born in Arizona and raised on Phoenix talent shows, turned 42 in 2026. Her career moved from The Pussycat Dolls to a solo catalog and a masked victory in Australia.
· 4 min read
How Stevie Wonder Nearly Left Music Before Key of Life
In 1975, Stevie Wonder nearly left music for Ghana. Instead, he signed a landmark Motown contract and released Songs in the Key of Life, his most successful album.
· 4 min read
Why Did Tim Maia Turn Brazilian Soul Into a Religion?
Tim Maia, born Sebastião Rodrigues Maia in 1942, brought soul to Brazilian music with a force that reshaped the country's sound. His catalog became a lasting legacy.
· 4 min read
Mark Calderon: Why Color Me Badd Still Matters in 2026
Mark Calderon, born September 27, 1970, turned teenage harmonies into Color Me Badd. Their tenor-driven sound defined 90s radio and still resonates in 2026.
· 4 min read
Barbara Dickson: How a Scottish Folk Voice Went Pop
Barbara Dickson, born on 27 September 1947, moved from Scottish folk clubs to the West End stage and an Olivier Award, collecting chart hits along the way.
· 4 min read
How Ani Lorak turned a TV character name into 4.5 octaves
Ani Lorak, born Karolina Kuiek in 1978, commands a 4.5-octave range and built a career from Ukrainian pop to Russian citizenship, ending with sanctions in 2022.
· 4 min read
Jovanotti: The Typo That Named a Chameleon
Lorenzo Cherubini, born in Rome in 1966, built his career as Jovanotti after a nightclub marquee misspelled his stage name. The typo turned into a chameleon identity.
· 4 min read
Massive Attack Protection: Why Bristol Never Sounded Darker
Massive Attack released Protection on 26 September 1994. The second album pulled the curtains shut and let the night in, reshaping trip-hop with darker textures.
· 4 min read
Julie London: Why Her 1955 Debut Still Sounds Intimate
Julie London's 1955 debut 'Julie Is Her Name' introduced a whisper-quiet vocal style that defined intimate jazz. Her signature hit 'Cry Me a River' anchored the record.
· 4 min read
James Blake: Why the Mercury Prize Years Still Define Him
A single piano note hangs in a London studio, then splits into four harmonized versions of itself. That was the moment James Blake stopped being a dubstep produ…
· 4 min read
Prince's Gold Standard That Warner Bros. Didn't Hear
Prince's 1995 album The Gold Experience, released under the Love Symbol, treated radio play as a suggestion. It still sounds like a transmission from a parallel pop universe.
· 5 min read
How Christina Milian Turned a Disney Start Into R&B Gold
Christina Milian turned a Disney Channel start into an R&B career. She charted with 'Dip It Low' and outlasted the major-label machinery that built her early run.
· 4 min read
Why "Weird Al" Yankovic's biggest hit almost never happened
A blocked parody of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" forced "Weird Al" Yankovic to pivot to "White & Nerdy," which became his biggest hit.
· 5 min read
Why John Fiddler's Medicine Head Still Defies Easy Labels
John Fiddler, born 25 September 1947, built Medicine Head around a sound that refused blues, folk, and rock labels. He carried the band's identity through every lineup change.
· 5 min read
Why Did Donald Glover Need So Many Different Names?
Donald Glover turns 43 with a career spanning Derrick Comedy, 30 Rock, Community, Atlanta, and Childish Gambino, refusing to stay in one lane.
· 4 min read
Drummie Zeb: Why Aswad's Drummer Shares Two Dates
Born and died on the same date, Drummie Zeb led Aswad as drummer and vocalist. His career carried the band from 1977's Roots Rocking to the 1988 UK number-one 'Don't Turn Around'.
· 4 min read
The Association: How Cherish Defined a Band's Legacy
The Association's 1966 single "Cherish" reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It established the Los Angeles group as a soft-rock force with dense, jazz-informed harmonies.
· 4 min read
Blood Sugar Sex Magik: The Day Funk Metal Learned to Whisper
In September 1991, the Red Hot Chili Peppers released Blood Sugar Sex Magik, recorded in a Hollywood mansion with Rick Rubin. The album's quiet intimacy transformed their sound and career.
· 4 min read
The Rolling Stones: The 1966 Moment That Changed Everything
The Rolling Stones' 1966 album Aftermath, the band's first entirely self-written record, capped a four-year rise. The journey began with a Dartford railway platform reunion in 1961.
· 4 min read
Trugoy: Why De La Soul's Quiet Architect Still Matters
David Jude Jolicoeur, known as Trugoy the Dove, shaped De La Soul's playful yet introspective sound. His legacy outlived his 2023 passing.
· 4 min read
Fugees Ready Or Not: Why the 1996 UK No. 1 Still Echoes
In 1996, Fugees followed up 'Killing Me Softly' with 'Ready Or Not', a UK No. 1 that borrowed from Enya without permission and sparked a lawsuit that ended in settlement.
· 5 min read
Barry White: How a Prison Radio Changed Soul Forever
Barry White's path from juvenile detention to orchestral soul began with a jailhouse radio playing Elvis Presley. That moment led to a career that defined the genre.
· 5 min read
Jaco Pastorius Died at 35 After a Life That Rewired Bass
Jaco Pastorius, who rewired the electric bass and joined Weather Report, died on September 21, 1987, at 35. His legacy still defines the instrument.
· 3 min read