Soul music defined a whole new genre of sound that gave birth to a generation of amazingly talented artists. This article reviews the top twelve soul groups of all time.

A man in a white shirt and bow tie is singing and gesturing, surrounded by other men in formal attire.

Sometimes soul music is all in the family. Several of these groups are actually all related. The Staple Singers, The Jackson Five, and The Isley Brothers were all singing family style.

Other groups broke the boundaries of what music is by redefining Soul. Parliament-Funkadelic and Sly and the Family Stone rewrote the book on soul music with their unique songs and sounds.

A group of men in white suits and purple vests perform a synchronized dance routine on stage.

Boyz II Men smashed the chart-toppers by breaking Elvis Presley’s record of the longest-running number-one hit with their single “End of the Road.” While not yet in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they’ll get there soon!

Gladys Knight and the Pips and The Supremes represent outstanding female talent with hit songs that generations have come to know and love. Their rags-to-riches stories are also inspirational.

A woman in a green dress sings on stage with two backup singers, accompanied by an orchestra.

Other soul groups that made the top twelve include The Temptations, Earth Wind and Fire, The Four Tops, and Booker T. and the M.G.’s. All produced songs that defined soul music.

These outstanding artists brought soul music to the forefront of American culture. Their unforgettable names will go down in history as some of the best musical groups of all time.