# "Soul" vs "R&B" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soul-vs-r-b/644128 "2012-12-15T19:48:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soul-vs-r-b/644128/1 "2012-12-15T19:48:19Z")
Listening to Pandora, I’ve been trying to understand the difference between the Soul and R&B categories. Help? Ideally with an example or two. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soul-vs-r-b/644128/2 "2012-12-15T20:16:58Z")
Soul = Gospel with sacrilegious lyrics, e.g., Ray Charles Rhythm and Blues = boogie/proto-rock and roll with black performers and with a slower beat vs Chuck Berry and Little Richard R&B - commercial pop targeted to an African-American audience, with a ton of crossover success. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soul-vs-r-b/644128/3 "2012-12-16T00:36:27Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Soul = Gospel with sacrilegious lyrics, e.g., Ray Charles > Rhythm and Blues = boogie/proto-rock and roll with black performers and with a slower beat vs Chuck Berry and Little Richard > R&B - commercial pop targeted to an African-American audience, with a ton of crossover success. Also, from what I’ve seen, R&B is often used as an all-encompassing category for all African-American oriented music except for jazz and rap/hip-hop.