Although not as well-known as other New York hip-hop acts of the early '80s, Staten Island's Force M.D.'s were a vital crew in the early history of street hip-hop and one of the first vocal groups to fuse doo wop-influenced harmonies with hip-hop beats. Originally a street troupe known as the LD's, the group sang and danced on Greenwich Village... [+] Read More

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This seminal R&B trio was the first group to sport the new jack swing sound, essentially traditional soul vocals melded to hip-hop beats, with credit for the genre's invention going to founder, multi-instrumentalist, and super-producer Teddy Riley. Riley formed his first band, Wreckx-N-Effect, while still a teenager, with brothers Markell Riley... [+] Read More

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Pre-teenage R&B sensations in the early '90s, Immature were formed in Los Angeles by producer/mentor Chris Stokes around barely ten-year-olds Marques "Batman" Houston, Jerome "Romeo" Jones, and Kelton "LDB" Kessee. The trio recorded their debut album, On Our Worst Behavior, for Virgin in 1992 and scored a modest R&B hit with "Tear It Up" (from... [+] Read More

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Born in Washington, D.C., Johnny Gill was discovered by singer Stacy Lattisaw after singing in his family's group Wings of Faith from age five. His solo career began in 1983 with the Top 30 R&B single "Super Love." In duo with Lattisaw, he scored an R&B Top Ten hit in 1984 with "Perfect Combination." In 1988, Gill joined New Edition, replacing... [+] Read More

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Singer/songwriter Junior sparked the British R&B/pop invasion of the '80s with his classic "Mama Used to Say." Though Sade Loose Ends, Soul II Soul, and Billy Ocean had more hits, it's worth noting that Junior was a pioneer when he created and presented British-based R&B/pop music to audiences outside the U.K. some ten years earlier. Many of his... [+] Read More

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After his success with New Edition, producer Maurice Starr decided to replicate the group, substituting suburban white kids for the young black teenagers. The result was New Kids on the Block, which quickly eclipsed the popularity of Starr's previous group. Comprising Boston-area singers Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jon Knight, Danny Wood,... [+] Read More

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Ralph Tresvant sang lead on New Edition's hits and had his own gold number one R&B hit with the silky "Sensitivity." He was the last member to release a solo project of his own. All of the group's previous members had number one R&B hits: Bobby Brown with "Girlfriend " and Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronald DeVoe as Bell Biv DeVoe (aka BBD)... [+] Read More

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There's some dispute over who actually discovered Texas child sensation Tevin Campbell. Some accounts credit flutist Bobbi Humphrey, while much of the publicity material credits Quincy Jones. It's assured that Campbell first came to the notice of music fans just after his 11th birthday in late 1989 when he appeared on Jones' LP Back on the Block... [+] Read More

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A product of the first wave of British punk, the Boys formed in London in 1976. The group was founded by guitarist "Honest" John Plain, a factory worker who recruited fellow employees Duncan "Kid" Reid on vocals and bass and Jack Black on drums; they were later joined by guitarist Matt Dangerfield and keyboardist Casino Steel, a onetime member... [+] Read More

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Troop was a California teen band that got its start by winning $1000 in a talent show in the mid-'80s. The Pasadena, California group were then signed to Atlantic, and their debut single, "Mamacita," reached number two on the R&B charts in 1989. It was modeled after their inspiration, New Edition, whose "Cool It Now" they had lip synched to win... [+] Read More

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