James Brown’s breakout hit “Please, Please, Please” drew directly from the gospel tradition, channeling its pleading repetition and raw emotion into a new sound. Misunderstood by critics but ...

Taking soul onto the R&B charts, James Brown helped push the genre further into the mainstream by the mid-1960s with his first No. 1 hit, “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” which earned him his first ...

Whether you call him “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business,” “Soul Brother Number One” or “The Godfather of Soul,” you’d be hard pressed to find someone who would argue that James Brown wasn’t one ...

A surprising and controversial ode to women, “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” from 1966 showcases Brown’s softer side. A major hit and an iconic ballad in his discography, this song doesn’t boast the ...