4 R&B Songs That Have (Wrongfully) Been Swept Under the Rug 

R&B is not what it used to be. Nowadays, the genre encompasses the sounds and themes of pop more than it does true R&B. That isn’t a bad thing in the slightest, as all music genres go through transformations as the years pass. However, the transformation R&B has experienced makes us dearly miss some of the classics. If you’re in the same boat, then here are four R&B tracks that have (wrongfully) been swept under the rug.

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“So You Win Again” by Hot Chocolate

Released in 1977, “So You Win Again” isn’t necessarily underrated, but just overly forgotten. Overly forgotten because the R&B and soul tracks of the 1970s don’t align with the current public taste. Which is a shame, because this track from Hot Chocolate makes your mundane car ride home from work into a joyous sing-along.

Following its release, this single peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. Also, if you are unfamiliar with Hot Chocolate and want to be, check out their other hit singles “You Sexy Thing”, “Emma”, and “Every 1’s A Winner”. You will not be disappointed.

“Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On” by Funkadelic

Do you know those songs that are nothing but pure and raw emotion? Well, one of those songs is Funkadelic‘s 1974 single “Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On”. This single once likely played through every dance hall in America during the 70s, but now, it just has too much unfiltered power for the younger generation.

Released in 1974, this single did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100; as a matter of fact, a lot of their songs didn’t. That being said, Funkadelic is an incredibly underrated band, and as the years have rolled by, that fact has just unfortunately been bolstered. Hopefully, after you read this, you will help change that.

“Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up” by Barry White

If you’ve seen Shaft, then you know what the sound of 1970s R&B truly is. One person and song encompassing that very sound is Barry White and his 1973 single, “Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up”. It’s intoxicating, steamy, and incredibly catchy, but to be catchy, you have to listen to it, and to listen to it, you have to find it. Well, here you go.

In terms of chart success, this song was incredibly successful. Following its 1973 release, White’s song peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. However, those numbers haven’t necessarily made it widely popular in the 21st century. But after you hear it, you’ll want to share it with your fellow music lovers.

“Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher And Higher” by Jackie Wilson

If you want to rejoice in the fact that you are in love, then there is no better song than this one. Released in 1967, Jackie Wilson’s song “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher” is pure joy. And for that reason, this song deserves a major comeback and should be introduced to a younger audience.

Upon the release of this single, it was an enormous hit. Not only did it peak at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart, but it also peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Furthermore, years later, when Rita Coolidge covered it, the song peaked at No. 2 on the chart.

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