| Soul Train | |
|---|---|
 Title screen | |
| Created by | Don Cornelius |
| Presented by | Don Cornelius (1970–1993; 734 episodes) Various celebrity hosts (1993–1997; 128 episodes) Mystro Clark (1997–1999; 76 episodes) Shemar Moore (2000–2003; 112 episodes) Dorian Gregory (2003–2006; 68 episodes) |
| Narrated by | Sid McCoy Joe Cobb Jim Maddox (substitute) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 1,117 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Production locations | WCIU-TV studios Chicago, Illinois (1970–1971) Metromedia Square Hollywood, California (1971–1981) A&M Studios Hollywood, California (1981–1984) Hollywood Center Studios Hollywood, California (1984–1993) Paramount Studios Hollywood, California (1993–2006) |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Don Cornelius Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | WCIU-TV (1970–1971) Syndication (1971–2006) |
| Release | October 2, 1971 – March 25, 2006 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Soul Train is an American musical variety television show. After airing locally on WCIU-TV in Chicago, Illinois, for a year, it aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series was created by Don Cornelius, who also served as its first and longest-serving host and executive producer.[1][2]
Production was suspended following the 2005–2006 season, with a rerun package under the moniker The Best of Soul Train airing for two years subsequently. As a nod to Soul Train's longevity, the show's opening sequence during later seasons contained a claim that it was the "longest-running first-run, nationally syndicated program in American television history", with more than 1,100 episodes produced from the show's debut through the 2005–2006 season. Despite the production hiatus, Soul Train held that superlative record until 2016, when Entertainment Tonight surpassed it in completing its 35th season. Among non-news programs, Wheel of Fortune surpassed that mark in 2018.
As of 2016, the rights to the Soul Train brand, library, and associated events, such as its cruises and annual awards show, the Soul Train Music Awards, are now under the ownership of Paramount Global, through BET Networks.
- ^ McBain, Liam (28 September 2021). "There Was Nothing Like 'Soul Train' On TV. There's Never Been Anything Like It Since". It's Been A Minute with Sam Sanders. NPR. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Soul Train (1970-2006)". Black Past. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2024.