VH1 Soul
Encyclopedia
VH1 Soul is a digital cable
and satellite
television channel
and is the sister network to VH1
. It showcases R&B, funk
, soul
, and Motown music from various periods.
The channel debuted in 2000 as part of the "MTV Suite" line-up of digital/satellite channels that included new MTV
and VH1 channels. They played non-stop music videos, as well as several new Nickelodeon
spin-off channels, such as Nick GAS
, NickToons Network
, The N, Noggin, VH1 Classic
, CMT Pure Country
, MTV2
, and MTVX
. The "MTV Suite" package was sold to cable companies and satellite providers as a bundle, so they could either choose to offer their customers all the channels or none of them.
In its early years, VH1 Soul's main focus was on R&B and soul videos of the late 70s, 80s and 90s, along with live performance clips from even earlier years. Janet Jackson
, Prince, TLC, Usher
, Tony Toni Tone, Aretha Franklin
, and Stevie Wonder
were some of the channel's main staples. By 2003, the channel had stopped showing most of the pre-90s videos that it had once played, since they were often played on VH1 Classic's Classic Soul
program. The channel then gradually began to focus more on underground, alternative, and old school
hip-hop videos, whilst continuing to feature new R&B musicians.
Presently, a selection of R&B hits from the past ten years, as well as several 80s and early 90s hip-hop videos, can be seen on VH1 Soul. Several of the more R&B-influenced modern-day rappers and their newest videos can also be regularly seen in heavy rotation on VH1 Soul; for example: The Roots
, De La Soul
, Kanye West
, Common
, and Talib Kweli
. However, VH1 Soul still occasionally airs older 80s or early 90s R&B/soul hits, such as Prince's "Kiss", Mariah Carey
's "Vision Of Love", Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", or Chaka Khan
's "I Feel For You".
On February 1, 2006, VH1 Soul revamped its format, doing away with the model of random videos and instead allocating music videos to different TV shows, each catering to a particular musical style. In November 2007, the network also had their first event program, airing the Vibe Awards, which moved from the now-defunct UPN
network and did not take place in 2006 due to the new CW
network declining to air the program.
In the spring of 2007 VH1 Soul, along with its sister networks MTV Jams and MTV Hits, were briefly dropped from Time Warner Cable's line-up in Southern California when those franchises transitioned from Adelphia and Comcast. However, all three channels returned to that line-up within a couple of months, under a new, specialized tier of service. To date however, the three networks remain conspicuously absent from many of Time Warner and Brighthouse Networks' systems, most notably in New York City, as well as both major satellite TV providers (DirecTV and DISH Network, respectively).
Though the channel still specialises mainly in playing music videos, VH1
's The Salt-n-Pepa Show
has aired recently on the network. In February 2009, VH1 Soul aired VH1's Black to the Future
as part of its Black History Month celebration.
In 2008, VH1 Soul began dedicating more of its airtime to commercials and programs, and began playing fewer music videos, alienating a segment of its audience that watched the channel specifically for its focus on music rather than program content. Programs such as the VH1 Hip Hop Honors Show, VH1 Rock Docs, and other programs from the VH1
channel line-up began to regularly supplant airtime which had previously been dedicated to music videos, in a pattern similar to the First Format Evolution which occurred on the MTV
channel in the late 1980s. As of Late 2009, the non-music programming has been dropped from the station, along with the commercials. The channel today features a non-stop blend of all music videos new and old across all theme blocks.
The network was commercial free until January 1, 2011.
Digital cable
Digital cable is a generic term for any type of cable television distribution using digital video compression or distribution. The technology was originally developed by Motorola.-Background:...
and satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
television channel
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...
and is the sister network to VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
. It showcases R&B, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, and Motown music from various periods.
The channel debuted in 2000 as part of the "MTV Suite" line-up of digital/satellite channels that included new MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and VH1 channels. They played non-stop music videos, as well as several new Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
spin-off channels, such as Nick GAS
Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids
Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids was an American cable television network that was part of MTV Networks's suite of digital cable channels. The channel was available to all Digital cable providers and satellite provider Dish Network...
, NickToons Network
NickToons Network
Nicktoons is an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by Viacom. It is a sister service of the Nickelodeon cable channel...
, The N, Noggin, VH1 Classic
VH1 Classic
VH1 Classic is a television network, launched on May 8, 2000. It is operated as part of MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom and primarily features music videos and concert footage from the 1970s through the mid-1990s, though it formerly included a wider range of genres and time periods...
, CMT Pure Country
CMT Pure Country
CMT Pure Country is a digital cable and satellite television channel, it is the sister network to CMT. It showcases country music videos all day from the 1980s to the current day, using the same 8-hour programming wheel schedule repeated three times daily as sister networks MTV Hits and MTV Jams...
, MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
, and MTVX
MTVX
MTVX was a Viacom-owned American rock music video channel. MTVX was available exclusively on digital cable packages or satellite TV providers, being the first network of the "MTV Networks Digital Suite".- Format :...
. The "MTV Suite" package was sold to cable companies and satellite providers as a bundle, so they could either choose to offer their customers all the channels or none of them.
In its early years, VH1 Soul's main focus was on R&B and soul videos of the late 70s, 80s and 90s, along with live performance clips from even earlier years. Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, Prince, TLC, Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, Tony Toni Tone, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, and Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
were some of the channel's main staples. By 2003, the channel had stopped showing most of the pre-90s videos that it had once played, since they were often played on VH1 Classic's Classic Soul
Classic soul
Classic soul is a radio format focusing on soul music from the 1950s-1970s, occasionally venturing into the 1980s.-Genres:*1950s rhythm and blues- artists such as Fats Domino and Ray Charles*Motown- artists such as The Temptations and The Supremes...
program. The channel then gradually began to focus more on underground, alternative, and old school
Old school hip hop
Old school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music , and the music in the period preceding it from which it was directly descended . Old school hip hop is said to end around 1983 or 1984 with the emergence of Run–D.M.C., the first new school hip hop group...
hip-hop videos, whilst continuing to feature new R&B musicians.
Presently, a selection of R&B hits from the past ten years, as well as several 80s and early 90s hip-hop videos, can be seen on VH1 Soul. Several of the more R&B-influenced modern-day rappers and their newest videos can also be regularly seen in heavy rotation on VH1 Soul; for example: The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
, and Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
. However, VH1 Soul still occasionally airs older 80s or early 90s R&B/soul hits, such as Prince's "Kiss", Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
's "Vision Of Love", Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", or Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
's "I Feel For You".
On February 1, 2006, VH1 Soul revamped its format, doing away with the model of random videos and instead allocating music videos to different TV shows, each catering to a particular musical style. In November 2007, the network also had their first event program, airing the Vibe Awards, which moved from the now-defunct UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
network and did not take place in 2006 due to the new CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
network declining to air the program.
In the spring of 2007 VH1 Soul, along with its sister networks MTV Jams and MTV Hits, were briefly dropped from Time Warner Cable's line-up in Southern California when those franchises transitioned from Adelphia and Comcast. However, all three channels returned to that line-up within a couple of months, under a new, specialized tier of service. To date however, the three networks remain conspicuously absent from many of Time Warner and Brighthouse Networks' systems, most notably in New York City, as well as both major satellite TV providers (DirecTV and DISH Network, respectively).
Though the channel still specialises mainly in playing music videos, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's The Salt-n-Pepa Show
The Salt-N-Pepa Show
The Salt-N-Pepa Show, which premiered on October 14, 2007 on VH1, is a reality show documenting the events from the life of Salt-n-Pepa, several years after their breakup.-Season one:...
has aired recently on the network. In February 2009, VH1 Soul aired VH1's Black to the Future
Black to the Future
Black to the Future is a 2009 television mini-series produced by VH1, that talks about history of events and trends about black people, for Black History Month...
as part of its Black History Month celebration.
In 2008, VH1 Soul began dedicating more of its airtime to commercials and programs, and began playing fewer music videos, alienating a segment of its audience that watched the channel specifically for its focus on music rather than program content. Programs such as the VH1 Hip Hop Honors Show, VH1 Rock Docs, and other programs from the VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
channel line-up began to regularly supplant airtime which had previously been dedicated to music videos, in a pattern similar to the First Format Evolution which occurred on the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
channel in the late 1980s. As of Late 2009, the non-music programming has been dropped from the station, along with the commercials. The channel today features a non-stop blend of all music videos new and old across all theme blocks.
Shows currently airing on VH1 Soul
- VH1 Soul Player – A random rotation of videos. The format is similar to the how the channel was before February 1, 2006.
- The Soul Story – A block of videos by a single artist or group that are mostly shown in chronological order.
- Soul Squared – A block of old and current videos by various artists which airs two videos from the same artist back-to-back, in a similar fashion to VH1 Classic's Classic/Current Show.
- Sub Soul – This show features videos by Underground Soul artists.
- Soul School – This show features old school hip-hop and R&B music videos.
- Island Soul – This show features music videos by dance hall and reggae artists.
- Speak Your Soul – A viewer-requested video block. Viewers can make requests on the channel's official website.
- Live Soul – This show features live performance clips by soul artists.
- Top 10 Best in Soul – This show features videos by the most popular artists in R&B and hip-hop music. The format is similar to MTV's Big 10.
- Soulprodisiac – A Quiet StormQuiet stormQuiet storm is a late-night radio format, featuring soulful slow jams, pioneered in the mid-1970s by then-station-intern Melvin Lindsey at WHUR-FM, in Washington, D.C. Smokey Robinson's like-titled hit single, released in 1975 as the title track to his third solo album, lent its name to the format...
formatted show. The show primarily plays love songs and slow jams, and is similar to BET After Dark or Midnight Love. - One Planet, One Soul (Added Feb '07) – This show features international artists. It is now rarely aired.
The network was commercial free until January 1, 2011.