Led by SZA's soulful anthem "Snooze," the list is a testament to the genre's evolution and the artists who've left an indelible mark on the streaming world.
In a nod to the evolution of R&B music in the digital age, Spotify has unveiled its highly-anticipated list of the 100 greatest R&B songs of the streaming era. However, there's a catch—only tracks released since 2015 were eligible for consideration, reflecting the ever-changing landscape of music consumption and the rise of streaming platforms as the primary mode of listening.
Curated by Spotify's Creative Director and Head of Urban Music, Carl Chery, along with the platform's U.S. editorial team, the list represents a diverse array of artists and sounds that have resonated deeply with listeners over the past few years. Criteria for selection included not only the sheer number of streams but also qualitative aspects such as quality, impact, replay value, influence, and cultural significance.
Topping the illustrious list is SZA's mesmerizing track "Snooze," released in 2023, which has garnered over a staggering 886.5 million streams and earned the artist a Grammy award for Best R&B Song earlier this year. The song's ethereal vocals and hypnotic melody have captivated audiences worldwide, solidifying its status as a modern classic.
Among the other luminaries featured on the list are industry heavyweights like Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Jazmine Sullivan, and The Weeknd, alongside emerging talents such as Summer Walker, Brent Faiyaz, and Lucky Daye. Each track on the list showcases the rich tapestry of R&B music in the digital age, from sultry slow jams to infectious grooves and everything in between.
THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE STREAMING ERA — R&B
- SZA “Snooze”
- Frank Ocean “Pink + White”
- Daniel Caesar, H.E.R. “Best Part”
- Beyoncé “CUFF IT”
- Bryson Tiller “Don’t”
- Solange Knowles “Cranes in the Sky”
- Summer Walker “Session 32”
- Rihanna “Needed Me”
- Jazmine Sullivan “Pick Up Your Feelings”
- Chris Brown ft. Drake “No Guidance”
- Childish Gambino “Redbone”
- SZA “The Weekend”
- Ella Mai “Boo’d Up”
- Daniel Caesar “Get You”
- The Weeknd “Die for You”
- Beyonce “Formation”
- SZA “Good Days”
- Miguel ft. J. Cole “Come Through and Chill”
- Summer Walker “Girls Need Love”
- Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic “Leave the Door Open”
- Wizkid ft. Tems “Essence”
- SZA ft. Travis Scott “Love Galore”
- Bryson Tiller “Exchange”
- Beyonce “Plastic OFF THE SOFA”
- Jhene Aiko ft. Swae Lee “Sativa”
- Summer Walker ft. Bryson Tiller “Playing Games”
- The Internet, KAYTRANADA “Girl”
- Solange ft. Sampha “Don’t Touch My Hair”
- Tems “Free Mind”
- SZA “Broken Clocks”
- Rihanna “Love on the Brain”
- Victoria Monet “On My Mama”
- Frank Ocean “Channel”
- Beyoncé “VIRGO’S GROOVE”
- H.E.R. “Focus”
- Giveon “Heartbreak Anniversary”
- Muni Long “Hrs & Hrs”
- PARTYNEXTDOOR ft. Drake “Come and See Me”
- Brent Faiyaz “Trust”
- Anderson .Paak ft. ScHoolby Q “Am I Wrong”
- Lucky Daye “Over”
- Daniel Caesar “Japanese Denim”
- Miguel ft. Travis Scott “Skywalker”
- Summer Walker ft. SZA “No Love”
- Tems “Higher”
- Coco Jones “ICU”
- SiR “Johnny Redcorn”
- Ari Lennox ft. J. Cole “Shae Butter Baby”
- Steve Lacy “Dark Red”
- Jazmine Sullivan “Lost One”
- Teyana Taylor “Gonna Love Me”
- Giveon “Like I Want You”
- Chris Brown “Under the Influence”
- The Weeknd “Earned It”
- H.E.R. ft. Bryson Tiller “Could’ve Been”
- Brent Faiyaz “Clouded”
- Jeremih “Oui”
- Bruno Mars “Finesse”
- Kehlani ft. Ty Dolla $ign “Nights Like This”
- Jhene Aiko “While We’re Young”
- Cleo Sol “Into Your Arms”
- Bryson Tiller “Right My Wrongs”
- Jorja Smith “Blue Lights”
- Pink Sweats “Honesty”
- 6LACK “PRBLMS”
- The Internet “A Special Affair”
- Snoh Aalegra “DO 4 LOVE”
- Chloe x Halle “Do It”
- DVSN “Too Deep”
- Chris Brown ft. Wizkid “Call Me Every Day”
- H.E.R. “Damage”
- Jazmine Sullivan “Let It Burn”
- Luck Daye “Roll Some Mo”
- NAO “Bad Blood”
- Tyla “Water”
- Steve Lacy ft. Foushée “Sunshine”
- Solange “Stay Flo”
- Brent Faiyaz “DEAD MAN WALKING”
- Erykah Badu “Hello”
- Khalid “Location”
- Jacquees “B.E.D.”
- Masego, FKJ “Tadow”
- Ty Dolla $ign ft. Musiq Soulchild, Tish Hyman, 6LACK “Your Turn”
- Ro James “Permission”
- Snoh Alegra “I Want You Around”
- Janelle Monae “Only Have Eyes 42”
- Kehlani ft. Masego “Hate the Club”
- Oxlade “KU LO SA”
- Kelela “LMK”
- Thundercat “Funny Thing”
- TianaMajor9 ft. EARTHGANG “Collide”
- Yebba “Distance”
- Ravyn Lenae ft. Steve Lacy “Skin Tight”
- Sampha “No One Knows Me (Like the Piano)”
- SiR “D’Evils”
- Kali Uchis “Moonlight”
- PJ Morton, JoJo “SAY SO”
- Alex Isley ft. Lucky Daye, Masego & Jack Dine “Good & Plenty (Remix)”
- Libianca “People”
- Mahalia ft. Ella Mai “What You Did”
Notably, this isn't Spotify's first foray into celebrating the timeless appeal of R&B. Earlier this year, the platform released a list of 30 Classic Hip-Hop and R&B Albums from the Streaming Era, further cementing its commitment to honoring the genre's rich legacy and cultural impact.
As listeners continue to discover and rediscover these iconic tracks on Spotify and other streaming platforms, the influence of R&B music shows no signs of waning. Whether you're a longtime fan or a newcomer to the genre, the 100 greatest R&B songs of the streaming era offer a captivating journey through the sounds and stories that have defined contemporary music.
