Turn up the slow jams and the dance-floor classics, because this R&B trivia set has range.
These questions travel from rhythm-and-blues roots to soul foundations, vocal groups, landmark albums, and modern favorites.
Roots and Soul Foundations
- What does R&B stand for?
Answer: Rhythm and blues - Which trade magazine popularized the term rhythm and blues in 1949?
Answer: Billboard - Who is widely credited with coining the term for Billboard?
Answer: Jerry Wexler - What earlier chart label did Billboard replace with rhythm and blues?
Answer: Race records - Which musical traditions helped shape early R&B?
Answer: Blues, jazz, gospel, and jump blues - In which country did R&B develop?
Answer: The United States - Which decade saw rhythm and blues become a common industry term?
Answer: The 1940s - Which instrument drove many early R&B horn sections?
Answer: Saxophone - What vocal tradition strongly influenced soul and R&B singing?
Answer: Gospel - Which related genre grew from R&B and gospel in the 1950s and 1960s?
Answer: Soul music - Which singer recorded What'd I Say in 1959?
Answer: Ray Charles - Who sang the soul classic A Change Is Gonna Come?
Answer: Sam Cooke - Which singer was nicknamed the Queen of Soul?
Answer: Aretha Franklin - Who recorded Respect before Aretha Franklin made it her signature?
Answer: Otis Redding - Which Motown star recorded What's Going On?
Answer: Marvin Gaye
Classic Groups and Voices
- Who sang (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay?
Answer: Otis Redding - Which label was founded by Berry Gordy in Detroit?
Answer: Motown Records - Which group featured lead singer Diana Ross?
Answer: The Supremes - Who fronted the Famous Flames?
Answer: James Brown - Which singer made I Heard It Through the Grapevine a major hit in 1968?
Answer: Marvin Gaye - Which group sang End of the Road?
Answer: Boyz II Men - Which trio recorded No Scrubs?
Answer: TLC - Which group featured Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams?
Answer: Destiny's Child - Which New Edition member formed Bell Biv DeVoe with Ricky Bell and Ronnie DeVoe?
Answer: Michael Bivins - Which group recorded Poison in 1990?
Answer: Bell Biv DeVoe - Which quartet recorded Weak?
Answer: SWV - Which group sang Can You Stand the Rain?
Answer: New Edition - Which vocal group recorded If I Ever Fall in Love?
Answer: Shai - Which group recorded Creep on the album CrazySexyCool?
Answer: TLC - Which vocal group included K-Ci and JoJo Hailey?
Answer: Jodeci
Build a bigger playlist with our music trivia.
Albums That Defined R&B
- Which Whitney Houston debut album shares her name?
Answer: Whitney Houston - Who recorded the album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill?
Answer: Lauryn Hill - Which singer released Control in 1986?
Answer: Janet Jackson - Who released the album My Life in 1994?
Answer: Mary J. Blige - Which artist's debut album was Songs in A Minor?
Answer: Alicia Keys - Who recorded the 1998 album Never Say Never?
Answer: Brandy - Which singer released the album One in a Million?
Answer: Aaliyah - Who released The Emancipation of Mimi?
Answer: Mariah Carey - Which artist recorded Baduizm?
Answer: Erykah Badu - Who released the 2016 album A Seat at the Table?
Answer: Solange - Which artist released the album Brown Sugar in 1995?
Answer: D'Angelo - Who recorded the 1988 album Don't Be Cruel?
Answer: Bobby Brown - Which singer released Confessions in 2004?
Answer: Usher - Who recorded the album Get Lifted?
Answer: John Legend - Which artist released Channel Orange?
Answer: Frank Ocean
Modern R&B Favorites
- Who released the 2012 album Kaleidoscope Dream?
Answer: Miguel - Which singer's debut album was House of Balloons?
Answer: The Weeknd - Who recorded the hit Adorn?
Answer: Miguel - Which artist released the album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite?
Answer: Maxwell - Who sang So Sick in 2006?
Answer: Ne-Yo - Which Prince album includes When Doves Cry?
Answer: Purple Rain - Which Michael Jackson album includes The Lady in My Life?
Answer: Thriller - Which SZA album includes Love Galore?
Answer: Ctrl - Which Beyoncé album includes Cuff It?
Answer: Renaissance - Which Rihanna album includes Needed Me?
Answer: Anti - Which TLC album includes Waterfalls?
Answer: CrazySexyCool - Which Toni Braxton album includes Un-Break My Heart?
Answer: Secrets - Which Mariah Carey album includes Fantasy?
Answer: Daydream - Which Usher album includes Yeah!?
Answer: Confessions - Which Alicia Keys album includes Fallin'?
Answer: Songs in A Minor
For a wider entertainment mix, try our pop culture trivia.
Collaborations and Producers
- Which producer worked with Michael Jackson on Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad?
Answer: Quincy Jones - Which production duo is known as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis?
Answer: James Harris III and Terry Lewis - Which rapper joins Usher and Lil Jon on Yeah!?
Answer: Ludacris - Who duets with Brandy on The Boy Is Mine?
Answer: Monica - Which rapper joins Alicia Keys on Empire State of Mind Part II's original counterpart?
Answer: Jay-Z - Who duets with Beyoncé on The Closer I Get to You?
Answer: Luther Vandross - Which producer created the distinctive beat for Aaliyah's Are You That Somebody?
Answer: Timbaland - Which production duo wrote and produced No Scrubs?
Answer: She'kspere and Kandi Burruss, with Tameka Cottle as co-writer - Who joins Mary J. Blige on Love Is All We Need?
Answer: Nas - Which rapper appears on Mariah Carey's Fantasy remix?
Answer: Ol' Dirty Bastard - Which Lauryn Hill album won the Grammy for Album of the Year?
Answer: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Which Whitney Houston soundtrack won Album of the Year at the Grammys?
Answer: The Bodyguard - Who became the first Black woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Answer: Aretha Franklin - In what year was Aretha Franklin inducted?
Answer: 1987 - Which Prince film and soundtrack won an Academy Award for its song score?
Answer: Purple Rain
Deep Cuts and Crossover Hits
- Which artist won the first Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album for It Is What It Is?
Answer: Thundercat - Which artist won Album of the Year for Songs in the Key of Life?
Answer: Stevie Wonder - Which duo's Crazy in Love won Best R&B Song at the 2004 Grammys?
Answer: Beyoncé and Jay-Z - Which group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2022: TLC or Boyz II Men?
Answer: TLC - Which late singer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020?
Answer: Whitney Houston - Which singer made the 1972 album Super Fly soundtrack?
Answer: Curtis Mayfield, who wrote and performed the landmark soul soundtrack - Who recorded Let's Stay Together in 1971?
Answer: Al Green, one of the defining voices of Memphis soul - Which group sang Love Train?
Answer: The O'Jays, the Philadelphia soul vocal group - Who sang Rock with You on the album Off the Wall?
Answer: Michael Jackson - Which singer released the 1981 album Street Songs?
Answer: Rick James - Who recorded the ballad If Only You Knew?
Answer: Patti LaBelle - Which duo recorded Solid in 1984?
Answer: Ashford & Simpson - Who sang Sweet Love on the album Rapture?
Answer: Anita Baker - Which Luther Vandross album includes Never Too Much?
Answer: Never Too Much, his 1981 debut solo album - Who recorded the 1988 hit My Prerogative?
Answer: Bobby Brown
Switch genres for a round with our country music trivia.
R&B from the 1990s to Today
- Which En Vogue song begins with the command to free your mind?
Answer: Free Your Mind - Who recorded the 1993 hit That's the Way Love Goes?
Answer: Janet Jackson - Which Toni Braxton single was written by Diane Warren?
Answer: Un-Break My Heart - Who sang Return of the Mack?
Answer: Mark Morrison - Which singer released the album Share My World in 1997?
Answer: Mary J. Blige - Who recorded the 1998 hit Doo Wop (That Thing)?
Answer: Lauryn Hill - Which TLC album includes the hit No Scrubs?
Answer: FanMail - Who sang Fortunate for the Life soundtrack?
Answer: Maxwell - Which artist released the 2001 album Aaliyah?
Answer: Aaliyah - Who recorded the 2002 hit Foolish?
Answer: Ashanti - Which Beyoncé debut solo album includes Crazy in Love?
Answer: Dangerously in Love - Who sang Let Me Love You in 2004?
Answer: Mario - Which Ciara debut album includes 1, 2 Step?
Answer: Goodies - Who released the 2006 album The Evolution of Robin Thicke?
Answer: Robin Thicke - Which singer recorded Spotlight in 2008?
Answer: Jennifer Hudson
Labels, Movements, and Milestones
- Who released the mixtape House of Balloons in 2011?
Answer: The Weeknd - Which artist recorded the 2013 song The Worst?
Answer: Jhené Aiko - Who released the album Malibu in 2016?
Answer: Anderson .Paak - Which singer's 2017 debut album is titled Ctrl?
Answer: SZA - Who released the 2018 album H.E.R.?
Answer: H.E.R. - Which artist released Shea Butter Baby in 2019?
Answer: Ari Lennox - Who recorded the 2020 song Damage?
Answer: H.E.R. - Which Silk Sonic album includes Leave the Door Open?
Answer: An Evening with Silk Sonic - Who are the two members of Silk Sonic?
Answer: Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak - Which artist released the 2022 album Gemini Rights?
Answer: Steve Lacy - Who recorded the 2023 hit On My Mama?
Answer: Victoria Monét - Which record label released many classic Stax soul recordings?
Answer: Stax Records of Memphis, Tennessee - What city was Motown founded in?
Answer: Detroit, Michigan - Which Philadelphia label was founded by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff?
Answer: Philadelphia International Records - What term describes the late-1990s movement associated with D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Maxwell?
Answer: Neo-soul
Sources and Further Reading
Genre history, artist, recording, and awards details are supported by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Library of Congress, the Recording Academy, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
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