Billboard ranks best R&B artists of all time, and guess who’s No. 1

It’s Black Music Month, and Billboard, the music biz bible, has come up with its list of the 75 best R&B artists of all time. Our own Prince ranked No. 7.

Before we get into debates (how could Aretha Franklin not be No. 1?), let’s look at the criteria. First, the list was limited to solo artists, not groups. Hence, no Temptations, Four Tops, Sly & the Family Stone or Earth, Wind & Fire.

A dozen Billboard staffers weighed vocal prowess, body of work, career longevity, industry achievements, game-changing influence and enduring generational/cultural impact. Songwriting was not a major consideration.

As for Prince checking in at No. 7 (his favorite number), Mackenzie Cummings-Grady wrote: “With his extraordinary vocal range, genre-defying catalog and well-heeled dance moves, Prince quickly became one of R&B’s game-changing legends, and the driving force behind what became known as the Minneapolis Sound.”

No arguments there, but — and it’s a big but — Cummings-Grady says Prince’s “must-listen to” song is “Wanna Be Your Lover.” A peppy early ditty that lays a blueprint of what’s to come, it’s hardly quintessential Prince.

Billboard reports that there were raucous debates, especially pitting old school vs. new school. That might explain how Mariah Carey and R. Kelly, at No. 8 and 9 respectively, ranked ahead of Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Al Green, among others.

Stevie Wonder was named No. 1. He checks all the boxes, though Aretha is my No. 1 singer. Period.

Billboard calls this a teaching moment. Amen to that. For better or worse, the list provides a sense of history about the many great Black artists, old and newer, throughout the decades — as well as fodder for passionate discourse.

Here is the Top 10: