New Book Explores How the Quiet Storm Shaped Modern R&B

New Book Explores How the Quiet Storm Shaped Modern R&B In The Quiet Storm, Berklee Online alumnus Amani Roberts explores how the radio format defined American music-and changed his life along the way.

By

Colette Greenstein

March 11, 2025

Detail from the cover art for The Quiet Storm by Amani Roberts

Image courtesy of the author

Author and Berklee Online alumnus Amani Roberts.

Image courtesy of Amani Roberts

For Amani Roberts MA '21, the quiet storm was more than a radio format; it was the soundtrack to his life. Growing up in Silver Spring, Maryland, he heard the Isley Brothers, the Gap Band, Luther Vandross, and Rick James on a loop, whether from the basement stereo or on long drives to soccer tournaments along the East Coast. Those formative experiences inspired him to write The Quiet Storm: A Historical and Cultural Analysis of the Power, Passion, and Pain of R&B Groups, his new book and a love letter to his father, Albert, who passed away in 2004.

The quiet storm format was created in the mid-1970s by radio pioneer Cathy Hughes and on-air personality Melvin Lindsey at Howard University's WHUR-FM in Washington, DC. It featured love songs and ballads by Black artists from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, and Lindsey and Jack Shuler were tapped to host the program, borrowing its name from Smokey Robinson's 1975 album, A Quiet Storm. The format quickly took hold at radio stations across the country, drawing a core Black, urban audience.

Listen to a selection of songs from the quiet storm format:

Roberts's book delves into the sweeping history of R&B from the 1950s to the early 2000s, spotlighting more than 60 iconic groups, from the Drifters to Destiny's Child, and examining their lasting influence. It also reveals the untold stories behind the hits and the hidden struggles these groups faced, from the rise of hip-hop to the shift to music streaming and its transformative impact on the genre.

We spoke with Roberts, an alumnus of both Howard University and Berklee Online, about the inspiration behind his book, the impact of the Quiet Storm format, and how earning his master's degree propelled him into the next stage of his career.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

R&B has played a pivotal role in your life. What meaning does the music hold for you personally?Amani Roberts: R&B, to me, is like: it's an emotion, its an experience, it's a way of life. It is the soundtrack to my life-it's gotten me through the toughest of times, and it's been there in the best of times. It's something that I draw upon daily, and I'm a forever fan of it. I acknowledge its history, and I see how it impacts current music. I love it.

In the previous question, you mentioned how you see the impact that R&B has had on current music. Can you elaborate on that? Roberts: The emergence and success of K-pop groups show the impact that R&B groups had on that genre. The formula that those groups are using is from the same playbook that R&B groups used in the past to dominate the charts. From the types of songs these groups sing to the look, feel, and production of the music videos, it is precisely what R&B groups of the past produced during the golden era of R&B groups. Also, artists of today consistently sample from R&B groups of the past, exposing new audiences to music of the past and paying tribute to legacy groups.

What would you say is the broader impact of the quiet storm on American culture?Roberts: The quiet storm format dominated airwaves for over two decades and was how several musical groups and individuals hit the mainstream outside of the R&B stations. Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men, and other legendary R&B artists dominated this format, allowing other audiences to discover and eventually fall in love with these groups. The late-night format, which included dedications and low-tempo music, was more palatable for different people to experience the music and grow their passion for the artists. Several famous songs, such as Easy by the Commodores, End of the Road by Boyz II Men, and Always by Atlantic Starr, were on heavy rotation across the world during the quiet storm programs-these helped the songs with their popularity and longevity.

In the introduction of The Quiet Storm, you write that you were tasked with choosing a research topic when you were getting your master's degree through Berklee Online. How did that turn into writing the book? Roberts: I think what happened is that when I did my thesis work for my master's degree it was sitting right there in front of me. It occurred to me that I should really take this and make it a book. It was very daunting at first, because to do it right I had to go through each decade, analyze the groups, and write about the groups, all while timing personal reflections. It's a very scary project because it's a lot of writing. It's a lot of being transparent and vulnerable and putting myself up to how certain songs and groups impacted me and how I learned about the groups. I didn't really believe I could do it until I did the thesis.

You started writing the book in 2020 during the pandemic. What kept you motivated to see the project through? Roberts: That's an excellent question because it was hard. Not just the pandemic but life happens whether you're working or you get distracted-maybe there are people who are around you who aren't the best people for your creative motivation. I believed in the project and I knew it could be impactful. There's not really a book out like this, and I just really believed [in the idea]. What really helped me to finish it was once I was able to acquire the photos to put in the book, they gave it more context and more life. That was what really helped push me over the finish line.

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