Going by the many lists and polls floating across the Internet, the average music critic believes R&B died with the rise of disco, or shortly after the so-called death of disco, or maybe at some random point during the first half of the ’80s. These people are either crazy in the head or, to be less harsh, allow their musical preferences (and almost always age) to bleed into a flawed belief system. A quick, informal poll of one anonymous critic claims the slow death of R&B just happens to run parallel with the time line of a session maverick who “spiraled downward” from uncredited Motown and Invictus sessions and work with giants (Stevie, Herbie, Chaka, Barry, Marvin) to a “flagrantly pop-oriented” funk band (”when the soul was first squeezed out of the music”), then “money-grabbing soundtrack hackery” (”the point at which soul truly died”) and Saturday morning TV themes (”when soul’s headstone was spat upon and bowled over”). (Watch this space for a detailed defense of the artist in question.)

The sharp staff at SoulBounce is kicking against this type of mindset with an R&B countdown of their own. They are going by their favorites, so the odds are pretty strong that the Top Ten will not be filled out with ’60s classics like “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” and “Respect.” Even if it does turn out that way, you can bet the entries will not toss around adjectives like “authentic” and “worthy” as a way to disregard almost everything produced during the following decades. The entries thus far are from the ’80s and ’90s, and you can bet the picks from the past few years won’t be limited to big crossover hits like “Say My Name,” “Fallin’,” “Yeah!,” and “Crazy in Love.” Only six songs in, it is shaping up to what could be the greatest music list in the history of the Internet. If Loose Ends’ “Hangin’ on a String (Contemplating)” (YouTube) places somewhere in the Top 20, its stature will be indisputable.