This page lists the winners and nominees for the Soul Train Music Award for Best Song of the Year. The award was originally entitled Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Song of the Year and first awarded during the 1989 ceremony. It was later retitled to its current title in 1993, before being renamed again to R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year in 1995. The award was retired following the 1996 ceremony, seeing the separated categories for male, female and group artists returning in its place. The award returned in 2009, along with its current title.
Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.
| Year | Artist | Song | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | |||
| Anita Baker | "Giving You the Best That I Got" | [1] | |
| Alabama | "Winners l" | ||
| Michael Jackson | "Man in the Mirror" | ||
| Keith Sweat | "I Want Her" |
| Year | Artist | Song | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | |||
| Soul II Soul | "Keep On Movin'" | [2] | |
| Paula Abdul | "Straight Up" | ||
| Bobby Brown | "Every Little Step" | ||
| Luther Vandross | "Here and Now" | ||
| 1991 | |||
| MC Hammer | "U Can't Touch This" | [3] | |
| Mariah Carey | "Vision of Love" | ||
| En Vogue | "Hold On" | ||
| Johnny Gill | "My, My, My" | ||
| 1992 | |||
| Color Me Badd | "I Wanna Sex You Up" | [4] | |
| "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" | |||
| "Forever My Lady" | |||
| BeBe & CeCe Winans | "Addictive Love" | ||
| 1993 | |||
| Boyz II Men | "End of the Road" | [5] | |
| Arrested Development | "Tennessee" | ||
| En Vogue | "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" | ||
| Vanessa Williams | "Save the Best for Last" | ||
| 1994 | |||
| Whitney Houston | "I Will Always Love You" | [6] | |
| Toni Braxton | Breathe Again | ||
| Janet Jackson | That's the Way Love Goes | ||
| Tony! Toni! Toné! | Anniversary | ||
| 1995 | |||
| Barry White | "Practice What You Preach" | [7] | |
| 69 Boyz | "Tootsee Roll" | ||
| Boyz II Men | "I'll Make Love to You" | ||
| R. Kelly | "Bump n' Grind" | ||
| 1996 | |||
| The Notorious B.I.G. | "One More Chance" | [8] | |
| Whitney Houston | "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" | ||
| "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" | |||
| TLC | "Waterfalls" | ||
| 1997 – 1999 | |||
| Year | Artist | Song | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | |||
| Beyoncé | "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" | [9] | |
| "Turnin Me On" | |||
| Jennifer Hudson | "Spotlight" | ||
| Mary Mary | "God in Me" | ||
| Maxwell | "Pretty Wings" |
| Year | Artist | Song | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Chris Brown and Young Thug | '"Go Crazy"' | [20] |
| Beyoncé | "Black Parade" | ||
| Chloe x Halle | "Do It" | ||
| "Slide" | |||
| Summer Walker and Usher | "Come Thru" | ||
| "Don't Waste My Time" | |||
| 2021 | Bruno Mars, Anderson Paak, Silk Sonic | "Leave the Door Open" | [21] |
| "Chosen" | |||
| H.E.R. | "Damage" | ||
| Jazmine Sullivan | "Pick Up Your Feelings" | ||
| "Essence" | |||
| "You're Mines Still" | |||
| 2022 | Beyoncé | "Break My Soul" | [22] |
| Mary J. Blige | "Good Morning Gorgeous" | ||
| Burna Boy | "Last Last" | ||
| Steve Lacy | "Bad Habit" | ||
| Ari Lennox | "Pressure" | ||
| Lizzo | "About Damn Time" | ||
| Muni Long | "Hrs and Hrs" | ||
| 2023 | SZA | "Snooze" | [23] |
| Coco Jones | "ICU" | ||
| October London | "Back to Your Place" | ||
| Janelle Monáe | "Lipstick Lover" | ||
| Victoria Monét | "On My Mama" | ||
| SZA | "Kill Bill" | ||
| Toosii | "Favorite Song" | ||
| Usher, Summer Walker and 21 Savage | "Good Good" |