British rhythm and blues British rhythm and blues British rhythm and blues (or R&B) was a musical movement that developed in the United Kingdom between the late 1950s and the early 1960s, and reached a peak in the mid-1960s. It overlapped with, but was distinct from, the broader British beat and more purist British blues scenes, attempting to emulate the music of African American blues and rock and roll pioneers, such as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. It often placed greater emphasis on guitars and was often played with greater energy. The origins of the movement were in the
Rhythm and blues performers and standard forms, particularly blues rock musician Alexis Korner, who acted as a mentor to members of the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, Manfred Mann, the Graham Bond Organisation and the Kinks. Although this "purist" interest in the blues would influence major British rock musicians, including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Peter Green and Jimmy Page, other artists adopted an interest in a wider range of rhythm and blues styles. Most successful were the Rolling Stones, whose first eponymously titled album in 1964 largely consisted of rhythm and blues songs. They soon established themselves as the second most popular UK band