Black households were surely grooving to BET’s 2021 Soul Train Awards!

Tichina Arnold and Tisha Campbell served humor and looks, and of course, we grooved to the soulful sounds of R&B we love like Maxwell, Jazmine Sullivan, Ashanti, and more.

Some say good music is hard to come by these days, but we beg to differ because Amazon is also the online marketplace for music! You can find every format like MP3, vinyl, cassette, and compact disc. We scoured the site and came up with seven dope and soulful albums everyone should add to his or her collection. Let’s get into these classic R&B albums that can also be Kris Kringle gifts at the office or stocking stuffers at home!

Mary J. Blige- My Life 

Mary’s sophomore album soared on the charts 27 years ago and is still her most critically acclaimed body of work to date! She literally put her life into lyrics and created an R&B masterpiece produced by the late Chucky Thompson and Sean “Puffy” Combs.

Maxwell- Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite 

Reminiscent of a young Marvin Gaye,  Maxwell introduced us to the epitome of Neo-Soul with this debut album. Although the entire album is a bop, singles like “…Til the Cops Come Knockin,” “Sumthin, Sumthin,” “Ascension,” and “Whenever, Wherever, Whatever” all standout.

Jill Scott- Who Is Jill Scott?  

Jilly from Philly won us over with this one in 2000. She took us on the journey of a soul sister with songs about love, lust, and life. “The Way” will forever be a cult favorite and easily one of her best songs performed live.

Jon B- Cool Relax 

Get ready for some blue-eyed soul with Babyface protégé’ Jon B! This album spawned the hits “They Don’t Know,” “I Do” (Whatcha Say Boo), and “Are You Still Down” featuring Tupac.

Erykah Badu- Erykah Badu Live  

Sistas, how y’all feel? Brothas, y’all alright? You can never go wrong with this CD! Pop it in on a road trip or to set the mood for some much-needed self-care with candles and wine. There’s nothing like belting out the lyrics to “Tyrone”  and “Ye Yo” in the shower!

Anita Baker- Original Album Series 

If you haven’t heard, Auntie Anita owns her music now! Amazon has a set that includes five of her greatest albums—”The Songstress,” “Rapture,” “Giving You the Best That I Got,” “Compositions,” and “I Apologize.” Let the winter deep cleaning and dusting begin!

The Best of Minnie Riperton

As one beloved fan, Michael Ruby, put it: “Minnie Riperton’s untimely death from breast cancer (in 1979 at the age of 32) robbed the world of one its truly great, truly distinctive voices. Her operatically-trained, five-octave instrument was the very model of beauty and control. Consequently, her signature tune, “Lovin’ You,” is likely the breeziest bit of pop you may ever hear. In addition to her own songs, Riperton also makes light work of material as lovely and strong as Stevie Wonder’s “Perfect Angel” and Joni Mitchell’s “Woman of Heart and Mind.”

What are your favorite R&B albums to vibe to?