50 Best Soul Songs for IG Reels & Stories

Best Soul Tracks for Instagram Reels and Stories

There’s a particular kind of mood soul music nails when it slips into an IG reel. It isn’t loud in the way pop, rock, country, and R&B songs might rush in, but it hits with that slow burn that makes people pause their scrolling for a second. The groove catches in your chest, the lyrics cut sideways into something personal, and suddenly a thirty-second clip feels heavier than it should. Some tracks weren’t written with social media in mind, but when they show up under a clip of late-night drives, quiet mornings, or even messy living rooms, they land perfectly.

What works best isn’t the obvious polished stuff. It’s the grit, the echo, the rawness that makes a reel feel like it has a pulse. Think voices that carry a crack, horns that rattle, bass lines that lean too hard into a moment until it tips into something cinematic. Soul songs bring that texture, the kind of backdrop where you don’t need much happening in the video itself because the track carries the weight. Some picks here may not literally be tied to soul themes, but they still slide into that vibe and work without needing to explain why.

These are the reels that don’t beg for attention but stick in your head later, like the way a random chorus gets stuck in your teeth after hearing it once. The right track has a way of making even the most throwaway post feel like it matters for a second. Here are the best soul songs for Instagram reels and stories.

1. 'Let's Stay Together' by Al Green

2. 'Sitting On the Dock of the Bay' by Otis Redding

3. 'A Change Is Gonna Come' by Sam Cooke

4. 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley

5. 'Lovely Day' by Bill Withers

6. 'The Rubberband Man' by The Spinners

7. 'If I Ain't Got You' by Alicia Keys

8. 'At Your Best (You Are Love)' by Aaliyah

9. 'Feel' by Beneld & BURY

10. 'Put Your Records On' by Corinne Bailey Rae

11. 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

12. 'Home' by Matthew Hall

13. 'I Can't Get Over You' by The Dramatics

14. 'Take Me Where Your Heart Is' by Q

15. 'Snooze' by SZA

16. 'Come Go With Me' by Teddy Pendergrass

17. 'You Send Me' by Roy Ayers

18. 'Smokin Out The Window' by Silk Sonic

19. 'Let It Burn' by Jazmine Sullivan

20. 'Tell Me' by Dru Hill

21. 'Distant Lover' by Marvin Gaye

22. 'You Don't Know My Name' by Alicia Keys

23. 'Happy Feelings' by Maze and Frankie Beverly

24. 'Kiss of Life' by Sade

25. 'What You Won't Do for Love' by Bobby Caldwell

26. 'Between the Sheets' by The Isley Brothers

27. 'Free Mind' by Tems

28. 'Umi Says' by Mos Def

29. 'I Want You Around' by Snoh Aalegra

30. 'Redemption Song' by Leon Bridges

31. 'Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)' by Alicia Keys

32. 'Ascension' by Maxwell

33. 'Where I Go' by NxWorries featuring H.E.R.

34. 'The Most Beautiful Girl' by The Isley Brothers

35. 'The Best Of Myself' by Daniel Gunnarsson

36. 'Love is Stronger Than Pride' by Sade

37. 'Tryin' Times' by Donny Hathaway

38. 'Cranes in the Sky' by Solange

39. 'Golden' by Jill Scott

40. 'Let's Get Married' by Jagged Edge

41. 'One On One' by Wildson

42. 'By Your Side' by Sade

43. 'You're The Only One' by Eric Benét

44. 'So In Love' by Jill Scott featuring Anthony Hamilton

45. 'Say That' by Leela James featuring Anthony Hamilton

46. 'I'll Be Waiting' by Astyn Turr

47. 'My Love Is Your Love' by Whitney Houston

48. 'Wait on You' by L.M. Styles

49. 'You Got My Mind' by J SOUL BROTHERS III

50. 'Find Myself In You' by Brian McKnight