Train of Souls was an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 27, 2006. Throughout its 35-year run, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, dance/pop, country, and hip hop artists, with occasional appearances from funk, jazz, disco, and gospel acts. The series was created and initially hosted by Don Cornelius, who also served as its executive producer.
After the 2005-2006 season, production was halted, and reruns of the show were aired under the title “Best of Soul Train” for the next two years. The show’s opening sequence in later seasons claimed that it was the “longest-running first-run program in American television history” with over 1,100 episodes produced from its debut until the 2005-2006 season.
Despite the end of production, Soul Train held this distinction until 2016, when Entertainment Tonight surpassed it by completing its 35th season. Among non-news programs, Wheel of Fortune later broke this record in 2018.
Since 2016, the rights to the Soul Train brand, library, and associated events, such as cruises and the annual Soul Train Music Awards, are owned by ViacomCBS through BET Networks.
Take a look at these vintage photos to see memorable moments from the 1970s Soul Train
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| Ike & Tina Turner, aired April 22, 1972 |
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| The Sylvers, aired September 22, 1973 |
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| The Jackson 5, aired October 27, 1973 |
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| Marvin Gaye, aired February 16, 1974 |
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| Sylvia Robinson and The Moments, aired May 11, 1974 |
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| Billy Preston, aired September 7, 1974 |
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| LaBelle, aired December 7, 1974 |
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| Chaka Khan, aired February 15, 1975 |
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| BB King, James Brown and Bobby “Blue” Bland, aired March 15, 1975 |
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| Donna Summer, aired March 20, 1976 |
