When rhythm & blues--or, as it is more commonly called, R&B, was first born, it did not even have a name. Prior to 1949, all black popular music, including jazz, blues, and gospel, was known as "race music." But by the end of the 1940s, the music had become so successful that it gained a new-found respect--and Billboard magazine, realizing that the designation "race music" was not acceptable, changed the name to "rhythm & blues." The term has been applied to all black popular music ever since, and today, R&B is used as a "one size fits all" phrase for everything from hip-hop to rap to dance music and classic soul. This article briefly discusses the history of R&B.