A slow jam is an umbrella term for music with rhythm and blues and soul influences. Slow jams are commonly R&B ballads or downtempo songs. The term is most commonly reserved for soft-sounding songs with heavily emotional or romantic lyrical content. This definition has led to intense debate over whether particular songs should be classified as a "slow jam", e.g. Ginuwine's 1996 hit single "Pony". The common use and possible origin of this term traces back to 1983 when Solar Records group Midnight Star recorded the song "Slow Jam" on their album No Parking on the Dance Floor.
The Slow Jam moniker was introduced to radio in 1984 by utilizing the name Slow Jam from Midnight Star's LP "No Parking On The Dance Floor". This radio format was introduced by Kevin "Slow Jammin" James of WKYS Radio in Washington, D.C. WKYS registered the trademark. Years later, James acquired the trademark. James hosts the Original Slow Jam with Snoop Dogg on Cadillacc Music thru Dash Radio.
Below is an incomplete list of slow jam songs, omitting many songs and performers from the 1960s, 1970s, and much of the 1980s.