The Soundtrack of Black History Month

In case you weren’t already aware, February is Black History Month, so it’s only fitting that today’s post recognizes some of the most influential African American artists of yesterday and today.

THE OLD
Aretha Franklin (1942 - 2018) 

Franklin grew up singing in a gospel choir at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father was a minister. During her life, she was a singer, songwriter, pianist, and a civil rights activist. She died being appropriately hailed as the Queen of Soul.

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Bob Marley (1945 - 1981) 

Marley was born in Jamaica and hailed as one of the pioneers of reggae music. In the 1960s, he and his friends formed the “Wailing Wailers”, and after signing with Island Records, went on to become a massive success in the United States and in Britain and toured with acts such as Bruce Springsteen and Sly & the Family Stone.₁

Jimi Hendrix (1942 - 1970)

Though Hendrix’s mainstream career only lasted about four years, he managed to achieve unsurmountable success and has gone down in history as one of the most influential guitarists in history.

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Whitney Houston (1963 - 2012) 

A singer and an actress, she was cited to be the most awarded female artist of all time by Guinness World Records and remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time with 200 million records sold worldwide.₂

Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009)

While much of Michael Jackson’s legacy has been stained by the accusations made against him of sexual abuse, he is still widely hailed as the King of Pop music, and is still regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures and performers of the 20th Century.

Prince (1958 - 2016)

Prince is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of all time. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his tendencies to create music that is genre-bending, or crossing multiple genres, his wide-ranging voice, and his flamboyant, spectacular performances. His music style included a variety of genres, including, but not limited to, soul, funk, r&b, rock, psychedelia, and pop.

Photo courtesy of @rollingstone on Instagram / Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Stevie Wonder (1950 - )

Born with a disability that caused him to be blind, Stevie Wonder still grew up to be one of the most prominent figures in pop and soul music. A singer, songwriter, all around musician, and producer, he is one of the most successful songwriters and musicians in the history of music (and in the world!).

THE NEW
Beyoncé 

Need I say more?

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Missy Elliott

Elliott originally worked as a collaborator on projects for artists like Aaliyah, 702, and Total in the 90s before embarking on her own solo career. Her debut album Supa Dupa Fly, debuted at number three on the Billboard Top 200 chart in 1997, the highest charting debut for a female rapper at the time.₃ In 2019, she was the recipient of the Vanguard Award at the VMA’s.

Rihanna 

Rihanna was born in Barbados and is best known as a singer, songwriter, and businesswoman. She is known for reinventing her image and music style throughout the years, and now has her own cosmetic line, Fenty. Rihanna is also known for her tremendous philanthropy, and though she has taken a step back from music in recent years, she will receive the President’s Award — which recognizes special achievement and distinguished public service — at the 51st National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Image Awards.₄

Lizzo

You’ve already heard me go on and on about Lizzo, so I won’t do it again. But seriously, the girl is talented.

H.E.R. 

Gabriella Wilson first emerged as a part of Disney’s Next Big Thing at age 14. Later in 2017, she reemerged with the new persona H.E.R., and released 5 EPs. Wilson won the award for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album at the 2019 Grammy Awards, and was subsequently nominated for five more Grammy Awards at the 2020 show. The 22 year old seems to just be getting started, so we’d better keep our eyes on her (no pun intended). 

Photo courtesy of @rollingstone on Instagram / Photograph by Samuel Trotter

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar has been deemed one of the most influential rappers of his time, and for good reason. In 2017, his album DAMN. topped the US Top 100 Chart, and was later the first non-classical/non-jazz album to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music.₅

Photo courtesy of @rollingstone on Instagram / Photo by Samir Hussein

Janelle Monáe

Monáe rose to fame in the early 2010s when she was featured on the song that practically took over the world, fun.’s “We Are Young”. Since then, she has acted in two high profile films, Hidden Figures and Moonlight, and has amassed eight Grammy nominations. She was also the recipient of the ASCAP Vanguard Award in 2010, which is presented in recognition of “shaping the future of music”.₆

I am aware that I have left many, many talented artists out of this list. As such, this post only encompasses some of the African American artists that have undoubtedly influenced music. There are plenty of others, and this Black History Month, do your research and know their names.

₁: https://www.biography.com/musician/bob-marley
₂: Chidi, Sylvia Lovina. The Greatest Black Achievers in History. Sylvia Lovina Chidi, e-book. Web.
₃: Hunter, Karen (July 28, 1997). "Missy to the Max How a Regular Homegirl Became Hip Hop's Freshest Princess". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 2,2010.
₄: https://variety.com/2020/music/news/rihanna-naacp-presidents-award-1203492797/
₅:https://www.bbc.com/news/business-43789936
₆: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASCAP_Vanguard_Award