Once upon a time, R&B meant Rhythm And Blues.

Now R&B means lousy pop music made by black people.

I'm giving 5 stars to Rhythm And Blues, 'cause today's pop music - black or white - definitely deserves to be ignored.

Better than rap, but not as good as heavy metal. I like it, though.

I agree with the comments below--early R&B is an entirely different animal than what's come out in the last few decades.  I too am giving a 5.0 to the early kind of R&B.

If you want to hear some really excellent, genuine R&B, check out some of the '50s and '60s geniuses like Jesse Belvin ("Goodnight My Love") and Johnny Ace ("Pledging My Love") (both of whom unfortunately met untimely early deaths).  Check out Sam Cooke on his "Nightbeat" album; though he was mostly known for pop, his real passion was R&B and blues.  Check out later R&B artists like Otis Redding (as mentioned by Frank) and Marvin Gaye (as mentioned by Irish).

Most of the early R&B was heavily infused with blues, both ballads and up-tempo songs, and it's an entirely different genre from what is known as R&B these days--there's no resemblance at all between the two.  It would be nice if someday the real stuff became popular again, but in the meantime I'll continue to wear out my CDs.

i like R&B buh not da shit fake onez lyk rihanna and i dnt like Rkelly: Hes A Perv KMT

Marvin Gaye, and all the other apostles of the sixties and early seventies are an easy four or five stars.

But lo, how the mighty have fallen. Nothing much worth looking at or listening to any more.

A genre, like country actually, that hasn't produced anything that could  hold a candle to the stuff coming out in its glory years in a long time.

I have a hard time drawing the line that connects Otis Redding and Curtis Mayfield to Usher and Akon in order to call today's music R&B.  But then again It's pretty tough to figure out how the Rock and Roll of Little Richard begat Nine Inch Nails, too.

of course

I love old r&b from the 60's through the 80's. But what passes for r&b today is pure crap. It all seems to sound alike, with barely any melody or hook. The singers just wail tunelessly along to an electronic hip hop beat. Where's the chorus? Where's the build-up? It does absolutely nothing for me emotionally or any other way--I may as well be listening to elevator music.

R&B Is the worst type of music!!! i personally think anyway. I really dont see how anybody can like it but hey thats my opinion..

I love R&B that I can relate to. Yes it is true that music today is not like it used to be, anyone can be an artist now. I like the 90's music. I like soulful singers liek Fantasia, but she needs to put a little more substance in her music. Alicia Keys is GREAT!!!! There are more but I'll have to sit and think first.

R n B is now a term that's been well and truly debased. At it's peak it was the raw soul as performed by people like Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and others on the Atlantic and Stax lables in the 60s. Incidentally it's a far superior form of soul to the shallow and insubstantial production-line output that was Tamla Motown. My 1 star rating is for the plastic, souless, tinny and poorly produced cr@p that now passes for r n b today. IMO it's the one genre today that has no saving grace. The worst aspects are the always pitiful and poorly executed raps that always sound as if they're being delivered by some drugged up fecker who finds speaking too much of a challenge. The sort that sound like Carlton the doorman off 'Rhoda'. In a phrase..utter sh*te.

I have to say I should give it a 1, because of today's contemporary R&B...most of it SUCKS!
Why? Like how many times are the artists gonna sing about sex? That's not what life is all about. There's other stuff, too! And anyway, today's Contemporary R&B isn't really the real R&B! R&B(which stands for rhythm and blues) consists of artists back in the day and was originally derived from jazz music, so there. By the way, I'm tired of R. Smelly-he needs to go-a real pain-in-the-rear! I also wanted to say that R&B generally leaves a person alienated from the group, because that person doesn't relate, (unless they like the music or something.)Very little of today's R&B I actually like. Just a few groups/artists. It has to be positive and/or sound good.

But I'll give it a 3 for the old school R&B. :)

Another form of music that can just glide over your skin, from love tones to angry protests.

Old School R&B (Marvin Gaye,Barry White)produced some great music,but todays formulated pap that hides under the label is for the brainless.

Kudos to the earlier reviewer who praised earlier R&B. . .modern R&B is simply awful and drags down the allover rating to 3-stars. . .

I am basing this on today's r&b. It's bad dudes, really bad. I'm sick of these stories: Why you do me like that, Are you my babies father?, Don't you do me this way. Too much cursing, the oversinging of many r&b stars today is awful. For example: A normal singer- And the home of the brave! Thank you! Today's r&b singer- Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd the, the, the, the, the, hhhoooooooooommmmmmmme, the hooooooommme, oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooffffffffffffffffffff fffffff, theeeeeeiiiiii, b, br, bra, brraaaaaaaveeee!! Thank you!

The old r and b from the 70's with bands like the Three Degrees is very good. The stuff today is garbage My rating reflects the legitimate music from the 70's.

Smooth, great kickin back stuff.

Two because of the trash that is played on the radio under the label of R&B. When did Rhythym & Blues go from music like The Blues Brothers to the junk played today?

The biggest problem with R&B artists is they feel obligated to have a rapper somewhere in their songs when, really, they're better off on their own. I happen to think Usher can carry a song just fine without Ludacris, and Beyonce can do the same without Jay-Z. Why interrupt good vocals with some talentless moron who's just going to get his name first in the marquee (I'm referring to how songs featuring both an R&B artist and a rapper seem to credit the rapper first and then say featuring [the R&B artist])?

A two only because of what it used to be. Todays stuff is horrible.

Even though according to dee it is the most succeful and most best beats and rythme, I still give it a 1.

most succeful and most best beats and rythme

Good for relaxing but some of it can be really whiny and to repetitive.