By the 1960s, African-American music, rooted in the blues and r&b, grew more popular with a white audience and expanded into three different genres:
- Soul music "was the result of the urbanization and commercialization of rhythm and blues in the '60s. Soul came to describe a number of R&B-based music styles. From the bouncy, catchy acts at Motown to the horn-driven, gritty soul of Stax/Volt..." (allmusic.com)
- Motown: A record label, established by Berry Gordy, Jr. in Detroit, that created a "smooth, sophisticated blend of R&B and memorable pop melodies". (allmusic.com)
- Funk: "A music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960’s when African-American musicians created a rhythmic, dance able new form of music through a mixture of soul music, jazz, and rhythm and blues (R&B)," according to the website Black Music Scholar, For a more complete definitions, check out allmusic.com.
In the early 1970s, R&B continued to splinter and create two more subgenres:
- Phillie soul: A smooth, orchestrated R&B, often with a funky beat, developed in Philadelphia.
- Disco: A danceable R&B sound, influenced by the Philly sound.