The music site is in beta. Its rankings, album data and features may still change.

Most Acclaimed R&B Albums of All Time Beta

92 of 92

#1 What's Going On (1971)

Marvin Gaye | 19 lists

#2 Purple Rain (1984)

Prince and the Revolution | 19 lists

#3 Thriller (1982)

Michael Jackson | 19 lists

#4 My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

Kanye West | 24 lists

#5 Sign o' the Times (1987)

Prince | 24 lists

#6 Songs in the Key of Life (1976)

Stevie Wonder | 14 lists

#7 The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)

Lauryn Hill | 22 lists

#8 Graceland (1986)

Paul Simon | 19 lists

#9 The Blueprint (2001)

Jay-Z | 26 lists

#10 Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965)

Otis Redding | 13 lists

#11 Live at the Apollo (1963)

James Brown and the Famous Flames | 12 lists

#12 Lemonade (2016)

Beyoncé | 16 lists

#13 There's a Riot Goin' On (1971)

Sly and the Family Stone | 13 lists

#14 Back to Black (2006)

Amy Winehouse | 22 lists

#15 Channel Orange (2012)

Frank Ocean | 20 lists

#16 I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)

Aretha Franklin | 10 lists

#17 Blonde (2016)

Frank Ocean | 15 lists

#18 Off the Wall (1979)

Michael Jackson | 10 lists

#19 A Seat at the Table (2016)

Solange | 18 lists

#20 Supa Dupa Fly (1997)

Missy Elliott | 15 lists

#21 Voodoo (2000)

D’Angelo | 18 lists

#22 Beyoncé (2013)

Beyoncé | 14 lists

#23 Station to Station (1976)

David Bowie | 7 lists

#24 Moondance (1970)

Van Morrison | 7 lists

#25 The College Dropout (2004)

Kanye West | 17 lists

#26 Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)

Ray Charles | 6 lists

#27 CrazySexyCool (1994)

TLC | 11 lists

#28 Super Fly (1972)

Curtis Mayfield | 6 lists

#29 Baduizm (1997)

Erykah Badu | 10 lists

#30 Here's Little Richard (1957)

Little Richard | 5 lists

#31 Black Messiah (2014)

D'Angelo and the Vanguard | 13 lists

#32 Talking Book (1972)

Stevie Wonder | 6 lists

#33 Gris-Gris (1968)

Dr. John | 6 lists

#34 Anti (2016)

Rihanna | 11 lists

#35 Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)

OutKast | 13 lists

#36 Control (1986)

Janet Jackson | 8 lists

#37 21 (2011)

Adele | 9 lists

#38 Call Me (1973)

Al Green | 6 lists

#39 A Wizard, a True Star (1973)

Todd Rundgren | 5 lists

#40 Take Care (2011)

Drake | 11 lists

#41 Dirty Mind (1980)

Prince | 8 lists

#42 Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)

Janet Jackson | 7 lists

#43 Late Registration (2005)

Kanye West | 11 lists

#44 Bad (1987)

Michael Jackson | 7 lists

#45 Currents (2015)

Tame Impala | 9 lists

#46 Let's Get It On (1973)

Marvin Gaye | 5 lists

#47 Ctrl (2017)

SZA | 11 lists

#48 My Life (1994)

Mary J. Blige | 7 lists

#49 Brown Sugar (1995)

D’Angelo | 8 lists

#50 Dirty Computer (2018)

Janelle Monáe | 8 lists

#51 Safe as Milk (1967)

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band | 5 lists

#52 LP1 (2014)

FKA Twigs | 11 lists

#53 The Velvet Rope (1997)

Janet Jackson | 6 lists

#54 Aftermath (1966)

The Rolling Stones | 4 lists

#55 Love Deluxe (1992)

Sade | 5 lists

#56 FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006)

Justin Timberlake | 9 lists

#57 Mama's Gun (2000)

Erykah Badu | 7 lists

#58 Going to a Go-Go (1965)

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles | 3 lists

#59 Young Americans (1975)

David Bowie | 3 lists

#60 3 + 3 (1973)

The Isley Brothers | 3 lists

#61 Miss E... So Addictive (2001)

Missy Elliott | 8 lists

#62 At Last! (1960)

Etta James | 4 lists

#63 Graduation (2007)

Kanye West | 7 lists

#64 Music of My Mind (1972)

Stevie Wonder | 3 lists

#65 Pastel Blues (1965)

Nina Simone | 3 lists

#66 Back to Mono (1958–1969) (1991)

Various Artists | 4 lists

#67 Reach Out (1967)

Four Tops | 4 lists

#68 That's the Way of the World (1975)

Earth, Wind & Fire | 3 lists

#69 The Life of Pablo (2016)

Kanye West | 4 lists

#70 The Writing's on the Wall (1999)

Destiny's Child | 4 lists

#71 C'est Chic (1978)

Chic | 3 lists

#72 Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990)

George Michael | 3 lists

#73 Freak Out! (1966)

The Mothers of Invention | 3 lists

#74 Rapture (1986)

Anita Baker | 5 lists

#75 Where Did Our Love Go (1964)

The Supremes | 3 lists

#76 The ArchAndroid (2010)

Janelle Monáe | 7 lists

#77 808s & Heartbreak (2008)

Kanye West | 6 lists

#78 Happy Trails (1969)

Quicksilver Messenger Service | 2 lists

#79 One in a Million (1996)

Aaliyah | 4 lists

#80 If You're Reading This It's Too Late (2015)

Drake | 5 lists

#81 Roger the Engineer (1966)

The Yardbirds | 2 lists

#82 Bo Diddley (1958)

Bo Diddley | 2 lists

#83 Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996)

Maxwell | 4 lists

#84 Under Construction (2002)

Missy Elliott | 5 lists

#85 Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul (1966)

Otis Redding | 2 lists

#86 The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)

Bruce Springsteen | 2 lists

#87 Janet (1993)

Janet Jackson | 4 lists

#88 Whitney Houston (1985)

Whitney Houston | 3 lists

#89 How Will the Wolf Survive? (1984)

Los Lobos | 3 lists

#90 Anthology (1973)

The Temptations | 2 lists

#91 What's the 411? (1992)

Mary J. Blige | 3 lists

#92 Parade (1986)

Prince and the Revolution | 2 lists

Marvin Gaye

Soul / R&B

19 lists

What's Going On 1971

#16

Prince and the Revolution

Rock / Pop / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B / Minneapolis Sound / Pop Rock

19 lists

Purple Rain 1984

#25

Michael Jackson

Pop / Soul / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B / Dance-pop / Disco

19 lists

Thriller 1982

#28

Kanye West

Hip Hop / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Hardcore Hip Hop / Pop Rap

24 lists

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 2010

#32

Prince

Rock / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B / Minneapolis Sound / Pop Rock

24 lists

Sign o' the Times 1987

#35

Stevie Wonder

Pop / Soul / R&B / Funk / Art Pop / Disco / Rhythm & Blues

14 lists

Songs in the Key of Life 1976

#53

Lauryn Hill

Hip Hop / Soul / R&B / Conscious Hip Hop / Contemporary R&B / Neo Soul

22 lists

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 1998

#57

Paul Simon

Rock / Pop / R&B / Funk / Folk / World / African / Afrobeat / Folk Rock / Pop Rock / Rhythm & Blues

19 lists

Graceland 1986

#67

Jay-Z

Hip Hop / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Hardcore Hip Hop

26 lists

The Blueprint 2001

#10

#68

Otis Redding

Soul / R&B / Southern Soul

13 lists

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul 1965

#11

#69

James Brown and the Famous Flames

Soul / R&B / Funk / Rhythm & Blues / Southern Soul

12 lists

Live at the Apollo 1963

#12

#73

Beyoncé

Soul / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Neo Soul

16 lists

Lemonade 2016

#13

#79

Sly and the Family Stone

Soul / R&B / Funk / Psychedelic Soul / Rhythm & Blues

13 lists

There's a Riot Goin' On 1971

#14

#84

Amy Winehouse

Soul / R&B / Rhythm & Blues

22 lists

Back to Black 2006

#15

#89

Frank Ocean

Pop / Soul / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Neo Soul

20 lists

Channel Orange 2012

#16

#105

Aretha Franklin

Soul / R&B / Rhythm & Blues / Southern Soul

10 lists

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You 1967

#17

#111

Frank Ocean

Rock / Pop / Soul / R&B / Art Pop / Contemporary R&B / Neo Soul / Psychedelic Rock

15 lists

Blonde 2016

#18

#115

Michael Jackson

Pop / Soul / R&B / Funk / Disco / Rhythm & Blues

10 lists

Off the Wall 1979

#19

#117

Solange

Hip Hop / Electronic / Soul / R&B / Funk / Neo Soul / Rhythm & Blues

18 lists

A Seat at the Table 2016

#20

#148

Missy Elliott

Hip Hop / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Pop Rap

15 lists

Supa Dupa Fly 1997

#21

#166

D’Angelo

Hip Hop / Soul / R&B / Funk / Jazz / Contemporary R&B / Neo Soul

18 lists

Voodoo 2000

#22

#175

Beyoncé

Pop / Hip Hop / R&B / Contemporary R&B

14 lists

Beyoncé 2013

#23

#186

David Bowie

Rock / Soul / R&B / Funk / Art Rock / Blue-Eyed Soul / Pop Rock / Rhythm & Blues

7 lists

Station to Station 1976

#24

#203

Van Morrison

Rock / Pop / Soul / R&B / Jazz / Folk / Blue-Eyed Soul / Pop Rock / Rhythm & Blues / Traditional Folk

7 lists

Moondance 1970

#25

#225

Kanye West

Hip Hop / R&B / Conscious Hip Hop / Contemporary R&B / Pop Rap

17 lists

The College Dropout 2004

#26

#263

Ray Charles

Soul / R&B / Country / Rhythm & Blues

6 lists

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music 1962

#27

#264

TLC

R&B / Contemporary R&B

11 lists

CrazySexyCool 1994

#28

#272

Curtis Mayfield

Soul / R&B / Funk

6 lists

Super Fly 1972

#29

#274

Erykah Badu

Soul / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Neo Soul

10 lists

Baduizm 1997

#30

#280

Little Richard

Rock / R&B / Rhythm & Blues / Rock & Roll

5 lists

Here's Little Richard 1957

#31

#286

D'Angelo and the Vanguard

Soul / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B / Neo Soul

13 lists

Black Messiah 2014

#32

#299

Stevie Wonder

Soul / R&B / Funk

6 lists

Talking Book 1972

#33

#309

Dr. John

Rock / Soul / R&B / Funk / Jazz / Blues / Jazz Fusion / Psychedelic Rock / Psychedelic Soul / Rhythm & Blues / Soul-Jazz

6 lists

Gris-Gris 1968

#34

#311

Rihanna

Pop / Soul / R&B / Contemporary R&B

11 lists

Anti 2016

#35

#312

OutKast

Pop / Hip Hop / Electronic / R&B / Funk / Conscious Hip Hop / Contemporary R&B / Electro / Gangsta Rap / Pop Rap

13 lists

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below 2003

#36

#329

Janet Jackson

Pop / Electronic / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B / Dance-pop / Minneapolis Sound / Synth-pop

8 lists

Control 1986

#37

#346

Adele

Pop / Soul / R&B / Blues / Contemporary R&B / Neo Soul / Piano Blues

9 lists

21 2011

#38

#349

Al Green

Soul / R&B / Funk / Rhythm & Blues / Southern Soul

6 lists

Call Me 1973

#39

#372

Todd Rundgren

Rock / Pop / Electronic / Soul / R&B / Art Pop / Art Rock / Pop Rock / Prog Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Rhythm & Blues / Rock & Roll / Soft Rock

5 lists

A Wizard, a True Star 1973

#40

#376

Drake

Pop / Hip Hop / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Pop Rap

11 lists

Take Care 2011

#41

#392

Prince

Rock / Pop / Electronic / R&B / Funk / Alternative Dance / Contemporary R&B / Dance-pop / Minneapolis Sound / New Wave

8 lists

Dirty Mind 1980

#42

#399

Janet Jackson

Pop / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B / Dance-pop / Minneapolis Sound

7 lists

Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 1989

#43

#405

Kanye West

Hip Hop / R&B / Conscious Hip Hop / Contemporary R&B / Pop Rap

11 lists

Late Registration 2005

#44

#412

Michael Jackson

Rock / Pop / Soul / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B / Dance-pop / Disco / Pop Rock

7 lists

Bad 1987

#45

#417

Tame Impala

Rock / Pop / Electronic / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Indie Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Synth-pop

9 lists

Currents 2015

#46

#430

Marvin Gaye

Soul / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B

5 lists

Let's Get It On 1973

#47

#440

SZA

Soul / R&B / Contemporary R&B

11 lists

Ctrl 2017

#48

#445

Mary J. Blige

Hip Hop / R&B / Contemporary R&B

7 lists

My Life 1994

#49

#447

D’Angelo

Soul / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B / Neo Soul

8 lists

Brown Sugar 1995

#50

#452

Janelle Monáe

Soul / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B / Neo Soul

8 lists

Dirty Computer 2018

#51

#457

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band

Rock / R&B / Blues Rock / Garage Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Rhythm & Blues

5 lists

Safe as Milk 1967

#52

#464

FKA Twigs

Rock / Pop / Electronic / R&B / Art Pop / Contemporary R&B / Downtempo / Dream Pop / Trip Hop

11 lists

LP1 2014

#53

#471

Janet Jackson

Pop / Hip Hop / Electronic / R&B / Funk / Art Pop / Contemporary R&B / House

6 lists

The Velvet Rope 1997

#54

#504

The Rolling Stones

Rock / R&B / Pop Rock / Rhythm & Blues

4 lists

Aftermath 1966

#55

#514

Sade

Pop / Soul / R&B / Jazz / Contemporary R&B / Cool Jazz / Neo Soul / Smooth Jazz

5 lists

Love Deluxe 1992

#56

#535

Justin Timberlake

Pop / Soul / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Dance-pop / Neo Soul

9 lists

FutureSex/LoveSounds 2006

#57

#539

Erykah Badu

Hip Hop / Soul / R&B / Conscious Hip Hop / Contemporary R&B / Neo Soul

7 lists

Mama's Gun 2000

#58

#547

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Soul / R&B / Rhythm & Blues

3 lists

Going to a Go-Go 1965

#59

#563

David Bowie

Rock / Soul / R&B / Blue-Eyed Soul / Pop Rock / Rhythm & Blues

3 lists

Young Americans 1975

#60

#594

The Isley Brothers

Rock / Soul / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B

3 lists

3 + 3 1973

#61

#605

Missy Elliott

Hip Hop / Electronic / R&B / Contemporary R&B / House / Pop Rap

8 lists

Miss E... So Addictive 2001

#62

#620

Etta James

Soul / R&B / Blues / Rhythm & Blues / Southern Soul

4 lists

At Last! 1960

#63

#648

Kanye West

Hip Hop / R&B / Alternative Hip Hop / Contemporary R&B / Pop Rap

7 lists

Graduation 2007

#64

#652

Stevie Wonder

Soul / R&B / Funk / Jazz / Jazz-Funk / Rhythm & Blues / Soul-Jazz

3 lists

Music of My Mind 1972

#65

#656

Nina Simone

Soul / R&B / Jazz / Blues / Rhythm & Blues / Soul-Jazz

3 lists

Pastel Blues 1965

#66

#659

Various Artists

Rock / Pop / Soul / R&B / Baroque Pop / Blue-Eyed Soul / Pop Rock / Rhythm & Blues

4 lists

Back to Mono (1958–1969) 1991

#67

#671

Four Tops

Soul / R&B / Rhythm & Blues

4 lists

Reach Out 1967

#68

#675

Earth, Wind & Fire

Soul / R&B / Funk / Disco / Rhythm & Blues

3 lists

That's the Way of the World 1975

#69

#678

Kanye West

Hip Hop / Soul / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Gospel / Pop Rap / Trap

4 lists

The Life of Pablo 2016

#70

#688

Destiny's Child

R&B / Contemporary R&B

4 lists

The Writing's on the Wall 1999

#71

#695

Chic

R&B / Funk / Disco / Rhythm & Blues

3 lists

C'est Chic 1978

#72

#712

George Michael

Rock / Pop / Electronic / Soul / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Dance-pop / Downtempo / Pop Rock

3 lists

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 1990

#73

#724

The Mothers of Invention

Rock / Electronic / R&B / Prog Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Rhythm & Blues

3 lists

Freak Out! 1966

#74

#729

Anita Baker

Soul / R&B / Funk / Jazz / Disco / Rhythm & Blues / Smooth Jazz

5 lists

Rapture 1986

#75

#732

The Supremes

Pop / Soul / R&B / Rhythm & Blues

3 lists

Where Did Our Love Go 1964

#76

#740

Janelle Monáe

Rock / Pop / Hip Hop / Soul / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B / Neo Soul / New Wave

7 lists

The ArchAndroid 2010

#77

#782

Kanye West

Pop / Hip Hop / Electronic / R&B / Art Pop / Contemporary R&B / Pop Rap / Synth-pop

6 lists

808s & Heartbreak 2008

#78

#811

Quicksilver Messenger Service

Rock / R&B / Country / Psychedelic Rock / Rhythm & Blues

2 lists

Happy Trails 1969

#79

#822

Aaliyah

Hip Hop / Soul / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Pop Rap

4 lists

One in a Million 1996

#80

#826

Drake

Hip Hop / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Pop Rap / Trap

5 lists

If You're Reading This It's Too Late 2015

#81

#853

The Yardbirds

Rock / R&B / Blues Rock / Garage Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Rhythm & Blues

2 lists

Roger the Engineer 1966

#82

#880

Bo Diddley

Rock / R&B / Blues / Chicago Blues / Rhythm & Blues / Rock & Roll

2 lists

Bo Diddley 1958

#83

#884

Maxwell

Soul / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Neo Soul

4 lists

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite 1996

#84

#898

Missy Elliott

Hip Hop / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Pop Rap

5 lists

Under Construction 2002

#85

#942

Otis Redding

Soul / R&B / Rhythm & Blues / Southern Soul

2 lists

Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul 1966

#86

#943

Bruce Springsteen

Rock / R&B / Rhythm & Blues / Rock & Roll

2 lists

The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle 1973

#87

#944

Janet Jackson

Pop / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B / Dance-pop

4 lists

Janet 1993

#88

#950

Whitney Houston

Pop / Electronic / R&B / Contemporary R&B / Dance-pop

3 lists

Whitney Houston 1985

#89

#964

Los Lobos

Rock / R&B / Blues / Folk / Country / World / Blues Rock / Country Rock / Folk Rock / Latin / Rhythm & Blues

3 lists

How Will the Wolf Survive? 1984

#90

#977

The Temptations

Soul / R&B / Funk / Disco / Rhythm & Blues

2 lists

Anthology 1973

#91

#986

Mary J. Blige

Soul / R&B / Contemporary R&B

3 lists

What's the 411? 1992

#92

#988

Prince and the Revolution

Rock / Pop / R&B / Funk / Contemporary R&B / Minneapolis Sound / Pop Rock / Psychedelic Rock

2 lists

Parade 1986

All 92 results loaded

This application uses Discogs’ API but is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by Discogs. ‘Discogs’ is a trademark of Zink Media, LLC.