Genre: R&B/Soul/Urban
Decades Active: 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s
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 of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility,... [+] Read More
Genre: R&B/Soul/Urban
Decades Active: 70s, 90s, 00s
Perhaps more so than any other genre in the history of popular music, the '70s disco scene was littered with countless one-hit wonders, including Anita Ward. Born during 1957 in Memphis, TN, Ward developed an interest in music at an early age, although it was gospel and not the up-tempo dance style she'd become synonymous with years later. Ward... [+] Read More
Genre: R&B/Soul/Urban
Decades Active: 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s
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 rivaled in the disco world only by the Bee Gees. Summer was certainly a talented vocalist, trained as a powerful gospel belter, but then again, so were many of... [+] Read More
Genre: R&B/Soul/Urban
Decades Active: 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s
Perhaps second only to Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor has become one of the best-known female disco artists from the '70s due to the ongoing success of her monster 1979 hit (and subsequent "woman's anthem"), "I Will Survive." Born Gloria Fowles on September 7, 1949, in Newark, NJ, the singer (who began going by Gloria Gaynor by the early '70s),... [+] Read More
Genre: R&B/Soul/Urban
Decades Active: 70s, 80s
A Bronx group that effectively mixed East Coast disco and Chicago soul covers in the late '70s and early '80s, GQ began as Sabu & the Survivors in 1968. Lead vocalist Emanuel Rahiem Leblanc, Keith Crier, Herb Lane, and Paul Service were original members, but by 1980 GQ was a trio following Service's departure. They had two Top 10 R&B and Top 20... [+] Read More
Genre: R&B/Soul/Urban
Decades Active: 70s, 80s, 90s
Gwen Guthrie is best known for her number one R&B single "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent," a popular self-written bouncer. A prolific songwriter and a good pianist, she also penned "Supernatural Thing" for Ben E. King and "This Time I'll Be Sweeter" for Martha Reeves, which was later popularized by Angela Bofil and Issac Hayes. In all,... [+] Read More
Genre: R&B/Soul/Urban
Decades Active: 70s, 80s, 90s
It may surprise some that perennial dance diva Loleatta Holloway's highest charting solo record was a soulful ballad, "Cry to Me." Still, Holloway is best known for dancefloor workouts like "Love Sensation," "Hit and Run," and "Run Away." Born in Chicago in 1946, Holloway developed her throaty, full-bodied vocal style and dramatic presentation... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s
No popular music act of the '60s, '70s, '80s, or '90s has experienced more ups and downs in its popularity, or attracted a more varied audience across the decades than the Bee Gees. Beginning in the mid- to late '60s as a Beatlesque ensemble, they quickly developed as songwriters in their own right and style, perfecting in the process a... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s
No popular music act of the '60s, '70s, '80s, or '90s has experienced more ups and downs in its popularity, or attracted a more varied audience across the decades than the Bee Gees. Beginning in the mid- to late '60s as a Beatlesque ensemble, they quickly developed as songwriters in their own right and style, perfecting in the process a... [+] Read More
Genre: R&B/Soul/Urban
Decades Active: 70s, 80s
The music world's prime disco big band during the late '70s, the Salsoul Orchestra recorded several of the tightest, chunkiest disco themes of the 1970s, both on its own productions and as the backing group for several prime vocalists. Organized by Vincent Montana, Jr. in 1974, the band was an experiment in fusing funk, Philly soul, and Latin... [+] Read More
Genre: R&B/Soul/Urban
Decades Active: 70s
Disco's most soulful vocal group began in the '60s as the Volcanos, and were also called the Moods. Gene Faith was the original lead vocalist, with Earl Young, Jimmy Ellis, guitarist Dennis Harris, keyboardist Ron Kersey, organist John Hart, bassist Stanley Wade, and drummer Michael Thomas. But by the time they'd gone through various identities... [+] Read More