Stevie Wonder is Billboard‘s choice for the best R&B artist of all time. The publication highlighted his career accomplishments, including his first-ever #1 R&B and Hot 100 single “Fingertips – Pt. 2″; his first #1 R&B album, Talking Book; and #1 R&B projects Innervisions, Fullfillingness’ First Finale, Songs in the Key of Life, Hotter Than July, and The Woman in Red and Jungle Fever soundtracks.
“But above all the accolades and hits, Wonder … helped erect the foundation on which later and new next-gen R&B artists stand,” a Billboard staff member writes.
Billboard had been slowly revealing its picks for the 75 Best R&B artists of all time, using the following criteria: vocal prowess, body of work, career longevity, industry achievements, game-changing influence and enduring generational/cultural impact. Songwriting was not a factor, and “legendary singers best known for fronting groups versus their solo work were not included,” Billboard explained.
Joining Stevie on the list’s top five are #2 pick Aretha Franklin, respectively followed by Michael Jackson, Beyoncé and Whitney Houston. James Brown, Prince, Mariah Carey, R. Kelly and Marvin Gaye round out the top 10.
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