Luther Vandross
Winelight
Greatest Hits [Legacy]
Smokey Robinson

R&B » Contemporary R&B » Quiet Storm

In 1975, Smokey Robinson released a smooth, sensuous solo LP of romantic adult soul titled A Quiet Storm. The album eventually gave its name to a style and radio format that aimed to create very similar moods. Quiet Storm also drew inspiration from Marvin Gaye's lush Let's Get It On LP, the orchestrations of Philly soul, and the gentle, ultra-smooth recordings of Al Green. In a way, quiet storm was R&B's answer to soft rock and adult contemporary -- while it was primarily intended for black audiences, quiet storm had the same understated dynamics, relaxed tempos and rhythms, and romantic sentiment. However, there was also an urbane sophistication and subdued soulfulness that marked quiet storm as unmistakably rooted in R&B. Some artists concentrated near-exclusively on the style, but most recorded more uptempo tracks in addition to the ballads that fit the requirements of the radio format. Quiet storm remained popular from the late '70s into the early '90s, when mainstream R&B took on a harder-edged hip-hop influence; as a result, quiet storm found virtually no new practitioners.

Quiet Storm Artists Highlights

Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
Grover Washington, Jr.
Grover Washington, Jr.
Commodores
Commodores
The Spinners
The Spinners
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers

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Quiet Storm Album Highlights

Winelight
Grover Washington, Jr.
Winelight
Greatest Hits [Legacy]
Earth, Wind & Fire
Greatest Hits [Legacy]
The Ultimate Collection
Stephanie Mills
The Ultimate Collection
Rapture
Anita Baker
Rapture
A Quiet Storm
Smokey Robinson
A Quiet Storm
The Ultimate Luther Vandross [2001]
Luther Vandross
The Ultimate Luther ...

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Quiet Storm Song Highlights

Title/Composer Performer Stream
Juicy Fruit Mtume
Baby Come to Me James Ingram
Turn Off the Lights Teddy Pendergrass
On the Wings of Love Jeffrey Osborne
Reunited Peaches & Herb
Reasons Earth, Wind & Fire
Tonight, I Celebrate My Love Peabo Bryson / Roberta Flack
Caught up in the Rapture Anita Baker
For the Cool in You Babyface
Solid Ashford & Simpson

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Other Styles in Contemporary R&B