Quiet storm

Quiet storm is a radio format and genre of R&B, performed in a smooth, romantic, jazz-influenced style. It was named after the title track of Smokey Robinson's 1975 album A Quiet Storm.

The radio format was pioneered in 1976 by Melvin Lindsey, while he was a student intern at the Washington, D.C. radio station WHUR-FM operated by Howard University. The format eventually became regarded as an identifiable subgenre of R&B. Quiet storm was marketed primarily to upscale mature African-American audiences. It peaked in popularity during the 1980s, but fell out of favor with young listeners in the golden age of hip hop.