- Soul Train originated in Chicago
- Similar to American Bandstand
- Weekly dance music show focused on black styles of music and dance
- Debuted on August 17, 1970, on the independent Chicago TV station WCIU
- Independently produced, nationally distributed
- First nationally syndicated season 1971-1972
- Created in 1969 by Don Cornelius
- Chicago-based disk-jockey and sports anchor
- Cornelius produced a pilot episode and found the first sponsors
- Cornelius hosted until 1993, succeeded by guest hosts and other regulars
- The format of the show
- Young people having a good time
- Young men and women dancing to current hits mixed with special elements
- Two to three live performers
- Occasional comedy monologues
- Celebrity cameos
- Dance contests
- Music videos
- Has always mixed established styles with newer and traditional ones
- Staples Singers
- Al Green
- Bill Withers
- Little Richard
- Jackie Wilson
- B. B. King
- Ohio Players
- Bar-Kays
- Much of the focus of the show is on the individual dancers
- Some dancers went on to big entertainment careers
- Pebbles
- Jody Watley
- Rosie Perez
- Focus on black culture but not exclusively black artists
- Performers are drawn from black music styles
- Performers were not necessarily black—an important distinction
- Often featured dance hits by white artists
- Hall & Oates
- Sheena Easton
- Elton John
- Culture Club
- Even Don Henley
- Important role in the popularity of Philly soul and disco
- Gamble and Huff or Thorn Bell artists were regularly featured
- Overtly sexual material was allowed
- Two early disco songs with notoriously sexual lyrics were featured on April 10, 1976
- Johnny Taylor's "Disco Lady" (r1 p1, 1976)
- Donna Summer's "I Love to Love You Baby" (r3 p2, 1976)
- Show is still broadcast today
- The current season has included some hip-hop acts
- More conservative artists are mainly featured
- Brian McKnight
- Usher
- Alicia Keys
- Boyz II Men
- Occasional videos feature more popular artists
