Billboard OMITS Chris Brown, Gladys Knight, Diana Ross, Anita Baker, Brandy, & Toni Braxton from the Top 25 of Their ‘Best R&B Artists of All Time’ List

From their eye-popping ‘Best Rap Albums‘ tally to their stan-war inducing ‘Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century‘ index, Billboard is no stranger to making tongues wag and jaws drop over the years for their polarizing “best-ever” lists.

Undoubtedly continuing the trend with their latest list, ‘The 75 Best R&B Artists of All Time,’ the Music Bible’s staff composed a countdown in honor of Black Music Month with their top pick set to be unveiled on Juneteenth (June 19).

Ranked by “vocal prowess, body of work, career longevity, industry achievements, game-changing influence, and enduring generational/cultural impact,” the placement of some of the genre’s most prized acts certainly evoked some spirited discussions (to stay the least)

Ahead of the reveal of the top 25, look inside to see some of the entries that have really gotten fans chatting so far.

Billboard’s ’75 Best R&B Artists of All Time’

(Highlights)

#74 – Summer Walker

#73 – Etta James

#71 – Keyshia Cole

#65 – Teena Marie

#61 – Ashanti

#59 – Fantasia

#54 – Jazmine Sullivan

#53 – Jill Scott

#51 – Rick James

#46 – Rihanna

#44 – SZA

#41 – Brandy

#40 – Aaliyah

#36 – Toni Braxton

#33 – Alicia Keys

#31 – Anita Baker

#30 – Gladys Knight

#29 – Diana Ross

#27 – Chaka Khan

#26 – Chris Brown

See the full list (so far) here.