Prince　

Few artists have created a body of work as rich and varied as Prince. During the ’80s, he emerged as one of the most singular talents of the rock ＆ roll era, capable of seamlessly tying together po ..more

Michael Jackson　

Michael Jackson was unquestionably the biggest pop star of the ’80s, and certainly one of the most popular recording artists of all time. In his prime, Jackson was an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed ..more

Stevie Wonder　

Stevie Wonder is a much-beloved American icon and an indisputable genius not only of R＆B but popular music in general. Blind virtually since birth, Wonder’s heightened awareness of sound help ..more

Aretha Franklin　

For nearly 40 years, Aretha Franklin has been an icon of contemporary pop music, known around the world as the Queen of Soul. With her extraordinary range and incendiary gospel-inspired phrasing, Fr ..more

Marvin Gaye　

One of the most gifted, visionary, and enduring talents ever launched into orbit by the Motown hit machine, Marvin Gaye blazed the trail for the continued evolution of popular black music. Movin ..more

Earth, Wind & Fire　

Earth, Wind ＆ Fire were one of the most musically accomplished, critically acclaimed, and commercially popular funk bands of the ’70s. Conceived by drummer, bandleader, songwriter, kalimba player, ..more

The Isley Brothers　

First formed in the early ’50s, the Isley Brothers enjoyed one of the longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music -- over the course of nearly a half-centur ..more

Donna Summer　

Donna Summer’s title as the Queen of Disco wasn’t mere hype -- she was one of the very few disco performers to enjoy a measure of career longevity, and her consistent chart success was riva ..more

Chic　

There can be little argument that Chic was disco’s greatest band; and, working in a heavily producer-dominated field, they were most definitely a band. By the time Chic appeared in the la ..more

James Brown　

Soul Brother Number One, the Godfather of Soul, the Hardest Working Man in Show Business, Mr. Dynamite -- those are mighty titles, but no one can question that James Brown earned them more ..more

Cleo Sol　

Average White Band　

Their self-effacing name to the contrary, Average White Band was anything but -- one of the few white groups to cross the color line and achieve success and credibility playing funk, with their tig ..more

Curtis Mayfield　

Perhaps because he didn’t cross over to the pop audience as heavily as Motown’s stars, it may be that the scope of Curtis Mayfield’s talents and contributions have yet to be fully recognized. ..more

Chaka Khan　

Best known in the mainstream for her superb 1984 cover of Prince’s I Feel for You, R＆B singer Chaka Khan enjoyed solo success as well as popularity as a member of the group Rufus. Bor ..more

Candi Staton　

Born March 13, 1940, in Hanceville, AL, Candi Stanton sang with the Jewell Gospel Trio as a teenager. They toured the traditional gospel circuit in the 1950s with the Soul Stirrers, C.L. ..more

Bill Withers　

Songwriter/singer/guitarist Bill Withers is best remembered for the classic Lean on Me and his other million-selling singles Ain’t No Sunshine and Use Me, but he has a sizable cache ..more

Al Green　

Al Green was the first great soul singer of the ’70s and arguably the last great Southern soul singer. With his seductive singles for Hi Records in the early ’70s, Green bridged the gap ..more

Rockie Robbins　

Born Edward W. Robbins, Jr. in Minneapolis, balladeer Rockie Robbins began singing at an early age. Working with famed arranger/producers Richard Evans (Natalie Cole, Peabo Bryson) and ..more

Sly & The Family Stone　

Sly ＆ the Family Stone harnessed all of the disparate musical and social trends of the late ’60s, creating a wild, brilliant fusion of soul, rock, R＆B, psychedelia, and funk that bro ..more

Sheila E　

During the mid-’80s, Sheila E. was the biggest and brightest of Prince’s protegees, unique in seeming that she could stand toe to toe with the Purple One. Certainly during his post-Revoluti ..more