Motown Music is a genre of popular music that originated in Detroit, Michigan in the late 1950s. It is characterized by a blend of SOUL, rhythm and blues, and pop music styles. The term 'MOTOWN' is derived from the city's nickname, Motor City. SOUL and R&B are two of the most prominent genres within MOTOWN Music, with SOUL being a style of music that originated in the African-American community in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, and R&B being a genre of popular music that originated in the 1940s and 1950s. Both genres have been heavily influenced by gospel music and blues.