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

Mavis Staples　

Born in 1939 in Chicago, Mavis Staples achieved wide recognition as lead singer for the Staple Singers. She first recorded solo for Stax subsidiary Volt in 1969. Subsequent efforts include ..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

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

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

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

Roberta Flack　

Classy, urbane, reserved, smooth, and sophisticated -- all of these terms have been used to describe the music of Roberta Flack, particularly her string of romantic, light jazz ballad hits in ..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

War　

One of the most popular funk groups of the ’70s, War were also one of the most eclectic, freely melding soul, Latin, jazz, blues, reggae, and rock influences into an effortless ..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

Tower Of Power　

The renowned horn-driven funk outfit Tower of Power has been issuing albums and touring the world steadily since the early ’70s, in addition to backing up countless other musicians. The group’s ..more

Donny Hathaway　

Donny Hathaway was one of the brightest new voices in soul music at the dawn of the ’70s, possessed of a smooth, gospel-inflected romantic croon that was also at home on fiery protest materia ..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

Vulfpeck　

Vulfpeck is a primarily instrumental, Los Angeles-based band inspired by the classic R＆B rhythms recorded by the Funk Brothers, the Meters, and quite possibly Booker T. ＆ the MG’s. The fou ..more

Sam Cooke　

Sam Cooke was the most important soul singer in history -- he was also the inventor of soul music, and its most popular and beloved performer in both the black and white communities. Equally ..more

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