Draft|Music
Greatest R&B / Soul Artists of All Time
1.2M Votes|142 Countries|Updated 2 hrs ago
Populist Score
Weighted democratic vote from the general public.
Credentialed Score
Weighted vote from verified critics and experts.
Combined Score
The official Pantheon verdict, a weighted blend.
The Pantheon
Ranks 1–5“Lamar's Pulitzer win only cemented what hip-hop purists already knew: he is the most vital, technically gifted, and culturally resonant voice of his generation.”
Rolling Stone Editorial Board
Pop
94.2
Cred
98.5
Comb
96.8
“Illmatic remains the genre's holy text, and his recent unprecedented run with Hit-Boy has solidified his case for the ultimate throne.”
Complex Magazine
Pop
91.5
Cred
97.2
Comb
94.8
“The most effortless flow in the history of the medium. A tragic brevity to his catalog is the only thing keeping him from universal consensus at number one.”
The Ringer
Pop
95.8
Cred
93.1
Comb
94.5
“The god MC set the template that everyone who came after was forced to follow.”
Pitchfork
Pop
93.4
Cred
91.8
Comb
92.7
Pop
90.1
Cred
94.3
Comb
92.1
The List
| Rank | Mov. | Figure | Pop. | Cred. | Comb. | Argument Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | ↑ 1 | Rihanna | 96.2 | 88.4 | 92.1 | Unmatched technical precision, though later discography divides critics. |
| 7 | — | Erykah Badu | 82.1 | 95.6 | 90.8 | Invented modern rhyming. The godfather of internal rhyme schemes. |
| 8 | ↓ 2 | Ciara | 89.4 | 91.2 | 90.3 | The architect of West Coast reality rap. Unparalleled prime run. |
| 9 | ↑ 3 | Bill Withers | 88.5 | 92.4 | 90.1 | The most imaginative writer in the genre's history. |
| 10 | — | Summer Walker | 78.4 | 96.8 | 89.6 | The ultimate clinician. Sustained excellence for over three decades. |
| 11 | ↓ 1 | Diana Ross | 91 | 85.2 | 88.4 | Commercial peak defined an era. Unprecedented mainstream crossover. |
| 12 | — | Gladys Knight | 85.3 | 90.1 | 87.9 | Gangsta rap pioneer. N.W.A changed everything overnight. |
| 13 | ↑ 2 | Brandy | 83.7 | 88.9 | 86.7 | The bridge between old and new school. Undeniable catalog depth. |
| 14 | — | Bruno Mars | 80.2 | 93.4 | 86.5 | Literary precision elevated the art form permanently. |
| 15 | ↑ 1 | Usher | 87.6 | 82.3 | 85.2 | Lil Wayne's mixtape era is the greatest sustained run in rap history. |