A perennial bronze medalist in the 1960s soul olympics behind Detroit and Memphis, the Windy City was nevertheless a major contributor to the artistic development of soul's commercial rise during the '60s and beyond. R&B hit-maker Jackie Wilson spearheaded the city's soul identity beginning with 1956's "Reet Petite," eventually passing the torch to Chicago soul pillar Curtis Mayfield. Mayfield's doo-wop-turned-soul outfit, the Impressions, would in time cast the longest shadow over a scene that boasted a list of staggeringly talented, yet underappreciated soul singers: Major Lance, Gene ("Duke of Earl") Chandler, and Tyrone Davis, among many others. Other Chicago soul stalwarts included Jerry Butler, a founding member of the Impressions who scored a string of hits between the late '50s and the early '70s, and late-bloomers the Chi-Lites, whose four-part harmonies could have powered the whole of Illinois had they been electrically harnessed.

Notable Artists: Jackie Wilson; Curtis Mayfield & the Impressions; Jerry Butler