In honor of Black History Month, The Current is exploring the origins of Black music in America, what came after, and how it has impacted today's music. R&B was born out of the Great Migration of the 1940s, as Black Americans moved from the rural South to urban centers across the country.

The genre of R&B — short for “rhythm and blues” — mixed elements of blues, jazz, boogie woogie, and gospel and was pioneered by artists like Little Richard, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and others. Today, let’s craft a classic R&B playlist!

So for today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, what classic R&B songs would you like to hear?

Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.

Songs Played
Little Richard- Tutti Frutti
Ruth Brown- Lucky Lips
Fats Domino- Ain't That a Shame
Ray Charles- I Got a Woman
Clarence 'Frogman' Henry- Ain't Got No Home
Betty Everett- The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in his Kiss)