soul music

noun

1. a fervent type of popular music developed in the late 1950s by Black Americans as a secularized form of gospel music, with rhythm-and-blues influences, and distinctive for its earthy expressiveness, variously plaintive or raucous vocals, and often passionate romanticism or sensuality.

Word History and Origins

Origin of soul music¹

An Americanism dating back to 1960–65

Example Sentences

The underlying factor is soul music.

From Los Angeles Times

When you hear soul music, you think of Teddy Pendergrass and things like that.

From Los Angeles Times

"When the world's gone crazy, soul music is a good escape."

From BBC

“Soul music is releasing a demon that turns into a beautiful, cathartic exercise,” Questlove told the Times in 2025.

From Los Angeles Times

As musical theater fans await Part 2 of the blockbuster Broadway adaptation, the woman behind Elphaba is releasing an album of softer, more intimate soul music.

From Los Angeles Times