R&B as a distinct musical style began to develop in the beginning of the early 50's. Earlier it was known as rhythm and blues, and was mainly developed by African American musicians. This music was derived from blues and early rock 'n' roll styles equally, with a lot of inter-exchange between all three. Over time, non-Black people began to adapt the style, and with time began to incorporate further changes. In the fifties, under the influence of Muddy Waters, Black guitarists and pianists, made a revolution in rhythm and blues by creating a quick-moving melody that had a frenzied, energetic rhythm. This further characterized the genre as its own unique identity.

In the 60's British rhythm and blues began to develop, and the central spot where the popular groups gathered was London. R&B had already gained a foothold in the United States and in Europe in prior years, and thus had a huge number of fans. Other developments included the emergence of soul music, which was a development of emotional balladry within R&B music. In the 70's, R&B was revitalized and became more danceable. The first records of this type belonged to James Brown. The mid 70's has opened a more modern period in the history of this style. In the 80's, successful singers, such as Luther Vandross, became famous due to romantic ballads, while Michael Jackson made soul and R&B music that was more modern, rock-inspired and even aggressive.

Nowadays, R&B has evolved into a particular style known as contemporary R&B, which is a music genre of western popular music at large. Although the acronym “R&B” originates from its association with traditional rhythm and blues music, the term R&B is today most often used to define a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in the 1980's. This newer style combines elements of soul, funk, dance, and, from 1986 on with the advent of New Jack Swing branded R&B, hip hop.
The abbreviation R&B is almost always used instead of the full rhythm and blues term, although some sources refer to the style as urban contemporary (the name of the radio format that plays hip hop and contemporary R&B).

Contemporary R&B has a slick, electronic record production style, drum machine-backed rhythms, the occasional guitar riff to give the song a rock feel, the occasional saxophone solo to give a jazz feel (mostly common in R&B songs prior to the year 1993), and a smooth, lush style of vocal arrangement. Uses of hip hop-inspired beats are typical, although the roughness and grit inherent in hip hop is usually reduced and smoothed out. R&B vocalists are often known for their use of melisma, popularized by vocalists such as Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, and Mariah Carey.