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      • As disco faded into ash, the 1980s saw the rise of a new soul/R&B sound dominated by synthesizers and drum machines. Rick James, Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston capitalized on the new sound, as Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Tina Turner adapted thusly. With his pop-oriented soul, Michael Jackson was of course the biggest star of the decade.
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  2. May 15, 2024 · From George Michael to Janet Jackson, many prominent artists rose to superstardom during this time. On this list of 80's R&B hits, you'll have the chance to slow dance to some of the smoothest jams ever made. Which track do you think deserves the top spot? The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, made numerous R&B dance hits you will be able to choose ...

    • New Edition
    • The Gap Band
    • Debarge
    • Cameo
    • Atlantic Starr
    • Mary Jane Girls
    • The Time
    • Full Force/Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis/Babyface
    • Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
    • Kool & The Gang

    When, in 1978, it set out to be a modern version of The Jackson 5, New Edition couldn’t have known the indelible mark it would leave on pop culture. The boy band from Boston with the bubblegum beats burst onto the scene with their 1983 single “Candy Girl,” and hits like “Count Me Out” and “Mr. Telephone Man” soon followed. The groups’s influence wa...

    If Earth, Wind & Fire formed a biker band, the result would be The Gap Band. In the early 80s, the group produced a string of hits with merciless beats like “You Dropped a Bomb on Me,” “Outstanding” and “Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)”. The leather cowboys’ backslap-hard funk impressed artists from Robert Palmer, who covered “Early in the Morn...

    In 1980, an all-in-the-family group from Detroit caught the ear of Berry Gordy. Following the floundering release of The DeBarges in 1981, the group added more family members and lost a few letters in its name. It struck gold the second time around with All This Love (1982) producing the hits “I Like It” and “All This Love”. Led by singer El’s slee...

    Cameo was one of the most eclectic R&B groups of the 80s. Its’ fundamental funk sound included elements of disco, pop and jazz. The video for “Shake Your Pants”(1980)–a celebration of outlandish outfits, serpentine dance moves, and a horn section that doubles as a choir–gives an idea of its phenomenal musicianship. By the time its’ first number-one...

    Atlantic Starr’s band member roster reads like a frenzied game of musical chairs (it went through three lead female singersin the 80s alone). Yet, amidst all this chaos, it maintained a consistent vibe, delighting audiences with its polished harmonies, cloying lyrics and hygienic soul arrangements with just a touch of funk. The group won the hearts...

    In the world of the Prince/Rick James rivalry, the question of “Who had the idea to create a girl group first?” still provides for lively debate. However, in addition to spawning more hits than Prince’s Vanity 6, the Mary Jane Girls were an innovative template for group composition. James’s vision to cast singers as characters (a ruffian, a model, ...

    The litany of disputes between mad scientist Prince and his Frankenstein outfit The Time reads like a list of charges incurred by an extra on an episode of “Night Court”. The drama was surpassed only by the brilliance of its output. Driven by irresistible synth-funk beats and bass lines, and led by singer Morris Day’s colossal personality, the band...

    I would be remiss in not mentioning the groups behind some of the biggest triumphs of the decade. New York’s Full Force is widely believed to have created new jack swing with its 1985 single “Alice, I Want You Just for Me!” The group also wrote and produced for artists like Samantha Fox, James Brown and Patti Labelle. Following their departure from...

    A product of the Full Force hit factory, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam was one of the few R&B groups–that wasn’t a girl group–led by a woman. Singer Lisa Velez’s ability to shape shift from ingénue to vocal vixen lent an intriguing personality to the singular syncopation of the rhythm. The debut single from its’ 1985 self-titled album, “I Wonder If I Take Y...

    Jersey City’s Kool & The Gang formed in 1964 as an instrumental funk jazz venture. The group first saw success in 1973 with the singles “Jungle Boogie” and “Hollywood Swinging” but its subsequent attempt to dabble in disco left fans and critics cold. It would take another four years, the addition of a lead singer, and the help of Brazilian producer...

    • Michael Jackson. A dynamic force as the pre-teen frontman of chart-topping family group The Jackson 5, Michael Jackson moonwalked his way into solo superstardom.
    • Stevie Wonder. Over the course of his five-decade career, Steveland Morris has often been dubbed the eighth wonder of the world. Blind since birth but blessed with natural gifts as a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Stevie Wonder is one of the few artists able to successfully transition from teen to adult stardom.
    • Smokey Robinson. With his piercing green eyes, sweet falsetto and prolific pen, William “Smokey” Robinson has kept females swooning since the ‘60s when he and his group The Miracles helped put Motown on the map with such love-charged hits as “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” and “Ooo Baby Baby.”
    • Ray Charles. Nicknamed “The Genius” for his skills as a singer, songwriter, musician and composer, Ray Charles set off a firestorm in 1955. That’s when he scored his first No. 1 single, “I’ve Got a Woman” — and simultaneously pioneered the soul genre with his game-changing combination of R&B, gospel and blues.
    • Whitney Houston. Whitney Houston was one of the most iconic stars during the 1980s and 1990s, becoming known for her powerful vocals and starring in several box offic hits, like The Bodyguard and The Preacher’s Wife.
    • Tina Turner. Tina Turner, often referred to as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” is one of America’s all-time best singer, songwriter, and actress. With her distinctive raspy voice and energetic performances, Turner became a symbol of female empowerment and resilience.
    • Janet Jackson. Janet Jackson is widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative artists in contemporary music. With her groundbreaking albums such as Control and Rhythm Nation 1814, Jackson pushed boundaries and blended various musical genres, including pop, R&B, and dance.
    • Aretha Franklin. Aretha Franklin, also known as the “Queen of Soul,” rose to fame in the 1960s, becoming one of the most iconic figures in American popular music.
  3. Jun 26, 2019 · Updated on 06/26/19. Setting aside highly mainstream R&B artists of the '80s that enjoyed at least as much success on Billboard's pop charts as on the niche R&B charts ( Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Prince, Lionel Richie and Whitney Houston are the most obvious examples), the decade still harbored numerous important purveyors of urban ...

  4. Preview. The ‘80s were an interesting time for R&B. The genre initially stayed close to its post-disco sound with a prevalence of boogie/electro-funk. But classic soul artists soon had to make room for a new wave of performers. Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston emerged as new idols with their brand of pop-friendly R&B, while Luther Vandross ...

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