
In this first fall installment, writer Rudy Radelic is featuring a comparison, some winners, a major disappointment, and a handful of other notable titles he’s found.

From jump blues and Ray Charlesโs boundary-breaking โWhatโd I Sayโ to the polished hits of Motown and gritty grooves of Stax, this sweeping history traces soul musicโs riseโand discoโs rootsโin a racially and musically transformative America.