Blue Eyed Soul

Blue-eyed soul is rhythm and blues and soul music performed by white artists. The slang, coined in the mid-1960s, was invoked by music magazines in the 1960s such as Life who used it for the Righteous Brothers, Barry McGuire, Sonny & Cher; other times it meant style and mannerisms associated with soul music sung by white musicians.

With the popularity of soul music in the 1960s that came primarily from African-American singers, there was an offshoot called blue-eyed soul, which was the label given to white singers who were soul singers. While the name was controversial at the time, the genre has grown to singers in predominantly urban-centric genres like hip hop, R&B.

To hear and see examples of this you only need to go to YouTube and type in "Blue Eyed Soul". You'll find lots of examples an reaction videos. Singers that upon first listen were thought to be white but when you suddenly see them you find the voice not matching the face is shocking (at that time). Take the Righteous Brothers for example:

Originally being a blue-eyed soul singer meant someone would cover or rework a hit from an African-American artist and water it down for a white audience. Though controversial by nature, blue-eyed soul singers have evolved over the years and are seen in a more positive light by a widespread audience and some of the biggest names in music are blue-eyed soul artists.

So, that said, who are the best blue-eyed soul singers? If you're thinking about blue-eyed soul, might as well go back to the genre's beginnings with singers like the Righteous Brothers and Rod Stewart. Then there is Justin Timberlake and Adele. These singers, though also associated with other genres, are among the most well-known blue-eyed soul singers. These blue-eyed soul singers are some of the most recognizable music artists and with good reason. Their songs are catchy and incorporate different genres that relate to people across different cultures. The best blue-eyed soul band can connect with an audience and their music is catchy and familiar. All of the best blue-eyed soul artists have sold millions of records across the globe.

Need more examples to discover and listen to? Wikipedia has quite a list. Though I will say it is by no means complete. I could think of a few artists that qualify but are not included.