Album of the Day

A decade before there was a Queen of Soul, there was a Queen of R&B, and that crown belonged to Ruth Brown. Though the Virginia-born singer grew up on pop and jazz, Atlantic Records' Ahmet Ertegun convinced her to try rhythm and blues, and her recordings were among the fledgling label's most popular (to the point that Atlantic was sometimes called “the house that Ruth built”). Every one of the dozen tracks on THE ESSENTIALS: RUTH BROWN was a Top 10 Billboard R&B hit, and such classic as “(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean,” “Teardrops from My Eyes” and the Leiber/Stoller-penned “Lucky Lips” helped pave the way for rock 'n' roll. Ruth Brown was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and this vibrant collection shows why she is one of THE ESSENTIALS.