A city that holds a strong heritage of vibrant music and well documented musical art, Philadelphia has rightfully earned its fame both nationally and internationally. Music has always been a major part of Philadelphia’s culture, and to nurture which many musical institutions have been set up. The diverse population inhabiting in the city explores various style and forms of music that ranges from Irish traditional music to dancehall and also culminating classical and folk sound. Religion has always played a significant role in developing new music in this city and with the influx of immigrants; it got opened to new influential musical cultures. Philadelphia Soul, most popularly coined as Philly Soul is driven by funk influences and extravagant instrumental arrangements that often feature piercing horns and sweeping strings. The genre became renowned for its fusion of R&B sections of the 1960s with the traditional pop vocals that also brought in a strong flavor of jazz in its melodic structures. The Sound of Philadelphia earned a strong reputation throughout the 1970s and laid a firm foundation for urban contemporary music. Philadelphia was also the home Philadelphia Orchestra who was one of the very firsts to create electric recordings.
The era encountered a prominent label titled Philadelphia International Records that cultured sounds which were a mix of pristine sounding cymbals and social awareness and of growling vocals with soulful strings. The members behind the foundation, Kenny Gambe, and Leon Huff made their way through the falling sound of Philadelphia and collaborated with Linda Creed and Thom Bell to create a new kind of pop-soul, that went ahead to become a top shot on the dance floor. Since then, the Philadelphia International Music started featuring exquisite instrumentation guided by adult vocalists. It started with, Me and Mrs. Jones in 1972, a story of implied infidelity put forward balladeer Billy Paul. Next were Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes who became stars after being 20 years in the business and Teddy Pendergrass became a representative of the 1970s sex symbol. Veterans, The O’Jays who had a 10-year recording history skillfully reached the Top Ten with Love Train and Back Stabbers. Going forward, disco music made its entry with the Ritchie Family’s Best Disco in Town and Village People’s YMCA. Philadelphia witnessed its final huge hit with the anthemic Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now by McFadden and Whitehead. Things took a different course with the emergence of the best of the Philadelphia soul sons, Daryl Hall and John Oates who curated traditional rhythm and blues voicing’s with the black rhythms of hip-hop. Philadelphia’s cultural and musical history is rich and notable and has a remarkable contribution in making the nation conscious of fine music in that era.