rhythm and blues

[ rith-uhm uhn blooz ]

noun

1. a folk-based but urbanized form of Black popular music that is marked by strong, repetitious rhythms and simple melodies and was developed, in a commercialized form, into rock-'n'-roll.

rhythm and blues

noun

1. functioning as singular any of various kinds of popular music derived from or influenced by the blues R & B

Word History and Origins

Origin of rhythm and blues¹

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50