I've noticed that on these forums, and those of many other music sites, soul is very unappreciated. When looking at user top ten lists, I see the occasional Stevie Wonder album, and the very rare Marvin Gaye but other than that I hardly ever see any. With that in mind, I ask your top ten soul/r&b albums. Feel free to include compilations. I've limited myself to one per artist, but don't feel that you have to.

1. Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul - Otis Redding
2. Superfly - Curtis Mayfield
3. Let's Get it On - Marvin Gaye
4. Ultimate Collection - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
5. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You - Aretha Franklin
6. Stand! - Sly & the Family Stone
7. 20 All-Time Greatest Hits! - James Brown
8. Portrait of a Legend: 1951-1964 - Sam Cooke
9. Hot Buttered Soul - Isaac Hayes
10. Thriller - Michael Jackson

you are right, Nat, soul is a little underrated here, probably because it is not an influence on today's hipster music.

It's definitely underrated here! Most of my favorites are funk albums, so I'm not sure if that's what you're after.

Moonbeam: Funk is fine, if we're talking about groups like Funkadelic and Sly and the Family Stone. It's a little iffy when you get to artists like prince, with enormous rock influences, but why not?

By the way, I realized that I forget to include The Temptations and Al Green on my list. This is the revised version (sorry, Michael Jackson and Isaac Hayes.)

1. Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul - Otis Redding
2. Superfly - Curtis Mayfield
3. Let's Get it On - Marvin Gaye
4. Ultimate Collection - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
5. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You - Aretha Franklin
6. Stand! - Sly & the Family Stone
7. 20 All-Time Greatest Hits! - James Brown
8. Portrait of a Legend: 1951-1964 - Sam Cooke
9.The Ultimate Collection - The Temptations
10. Call Me - Al Green

aww come on, what kind of hoax is this again...??

Netjade: what? I don't understand. I haven't been on this forum very long, so maybe I'm just missing something. Or maybe I'm just slow today.

Nat, welcome to the forum! And I agree, we don't have enough soul in this forum (well we certainly do, but we don't discuss it). With Prince allowed, my list becomes...

1. Sly and the Family Stone - Stand!
2. Prince - Purple Rain
3. Curtis Mayfield - Superfly
4. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
5. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
6. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go
7. Al Green - I'm Still in Love with You
8. Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis
9. Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul
10. Erykah Badu - Baduizm

In my case, I don't have a lot of soul/R&B on there because most of the folks I like best are 50s-70s R&B artists and I usually know them from their singles..not their albums.

Of the actual LPs/CDs I've heard (in no order):

10. Usher "Confessions"
9. James Brown "Live at the Apollo (1964)"
8. Marvin Gaye "What's Going On?"
7. Ray Charles "Modern Sounds in Country and Western"
6. Aretha Franklin "I've Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You"
5. Dusty Springfield "Dusty in Memphis"
4. Sly and the Family Stone "Stand!"
3. Stevie Wonder "Songs in the Key of Life"
2. Aretha Franklin "Lady Soul"
1. Michael Jackson "Thriller"

Of course, allowing for compilations my list changes a LOT:

10. Temptations box set
9. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles box set
8. Aretha Franklin "I've Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You"
7. Ray Charles box set
6. Soulsville 1955-1974 (Motown box set)
5. Stevie Wonder "Songs in the Key of Life"
4. Sam Cooke "Portrait of a Legend"
3. Sam and Dave "Greatest Hits"
2. Otis Redding anthology on Rhino records
1. James Brown "Live at the Apollo (1964)"

HONORABLE MENTION:
Four Tops 2 CD anthology