Top Soul/R&B Artists on Rhapsody Online

Michael Jackson

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:33 -0800

It doesn't really matter if Michael Jackson bullied the world's media into calling him the King of Pop in the early 1990s or if they just started using that sobriquet on their own. Either way, he earned it. Whether singing "I Want You Back" as the 11-year-old frontman of the Jackson 5, breaking the MTV color line with the explosive "Billie Jean" or defending the world's downtrodden and misunderstood (himself, that is), Jackson set the standard for pop singing, songwriting, dancing and, let's face it, weirdness for the better part of a quarter century. He came of age in the Jackson 5, then moonwalked out of the family's clutches and into his own universe with three groundbreaking albums made with producer Quincy Jones. Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad blended soul, funk and rock influences into a taut dance-pop that transformed the sound of radio for the rest of the century. Singers and producers from Madonna to Timbaland are still trying to catch up. Prosecutors and paparazzi have been playing catch-up, too, with some of Jackson's questionable life choices, and since the late 1990s, he has seemingly spent more time in the tabloids than on the pop charts. On June 25th, 2009, Michael Jackson passed away at the age of 50. - Matty Karas

Beyonce

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:38 -0800

Beyonce Knowles, the leader of Destiny's Child, always knew she wanted to be a star. She formed the first incarnation of Destiny's Child in 1990 -- when she was 9 years old. By 2001, the group began to dissolve. Knowles nabbed a lead role in Mike Myers' Austin Powers: Goldmember; an appearance in MTV's Carmen: A Hip Hopera cemented her reputation as a formidable entertainer. Her solo debut, Dangerously in Love, came out in 2003. The first single, "Crazy in Love," was a duet with beau Jay-Z that zoomed to the top of the charts. B'Day, her stunning 2006 sophomore turn, featured hits like "Deja Vu" and "Ring the Alarm." Later that year, Beyonce starred as Deena Jones in the Oscar-winning movie musical Dreamgirls. In 2007, Beyonce made a Latin-crossover attempt, dueting with Shakira on "Beautiful Liar" and releasing a deluxe edition of B'Day, featuring "Amor Gitano" with Mexican crooner Alejandro Fernandez and a Spanish version of the anthem "Irreplaceable." For her third studio album, I Am ... Sasha Fierce, Beyonce split herself into two personae -- the tender, traditional Beyonce and the club diva Sasha Fierce. - Linda Ryan

Pink

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:53 -0800

If cultivating an iconoclast status is a career, then Pink is one serious go-getter. Since her 2000 debut, the husky-voiced singer has overhauled her sound several times, changed her hair color even more, married motocross star Carey Hart and taken George Bush to task. Then there's "Stupid Girls," the 2006 single in which Pink skewered tabloid perennials like Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton. Born Alecia Moore, she started dancing and singing backup at club nights in Philadelphia at age 13 and eventually went solo with Can't Take Me Home. Pink recruited Linda Perry to co-write her second album, 2001's M!ssundaztood, a collection of soulful pop-rock that spawned the hit "Get the Party Started." She then collaborated with Rancid's Tim Armstrong on 2003's Try This. The album didn't do well, and Pink took some time off to regroup and get married, getting back to the business of spitfire sass with 2006's I'm Not Dead. She has produced many of her own albums, built side careers in both songwriting and horror-film acting, and won a pair of Grammy Awards -- experiences that all informed the outspoken Funhouse in 2008. - Rachel Devitt

Mariah Carey

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:39 -0800

Say what you may about her fashion sense or "diva-tude," but there is no doubt that Mariah Carey defined 1990s urban pop music. Carey ruled the charts during the Clinton decade -- her 1990 self-titled debut album alone spawned four No. 1 hit singles, and she would have 11 more before the new millennium. Over the years, artists from Christina Aguilera to Ciara would name her as an influence. Her albums are always expertly crafted and performed, making her MTV Unplugged EP a surprisingly warm change of pace. Her dominance of the charts in the 1990s earned her the title of Billboard's Artist of the Decade. Despite heavily publicized personal trials in the early part of the new century, Carey returned to the forefront of modern music with The Emancipation of Mimi, which spawned her 16th and 17th No. 1 hits. In 2008, Mariah returned with the hit single "Touch My Body" and the subsequent album, E=MC2. The single pushed her past Elvis into second place (behind the Beatles) for the most No. 1 singles for an artist in the modern era. - Rachel Landy

Van Morrison

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:51:43 -0800

Part Celtic bard, part soulster, and part ecstatically scatting mystical visionary, Van Morrison is a painfully introverted figure who rarely gives interviews and is often at a loss to explain his own lyrics. In the studio, Van Morrison can sing like a soul man getting the spirit; onstage, however, his brilliance can be undercut by whim or temper, and he has upon occasion alienated audiences by rushing through songs and remaining aloof between them. Nonetheless, his influence among rock singer/songwriters is unrivaled by any living artist outside of that other prickly legend, Bob Dylan. Echoes of Morrison's rugged literateness and his gruff, feverishly emotive vocal style can be heard in latter-day icons ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Elvis Costello, while the Irish artist's own restless muse has kept him prolific and engaging through the '90s.

Morrison's mother sang at social gatherings, and his father collected classic blues and jazz records. He learned guitar, saxophone, and harmonica while in school, and was playing with Belfast blues, jazz, and rock bands by his mid-teens. At 15, he quit school, joined an R&B band called the Monarchs, and toured Europe with them as saxophonist. While in Germany, a film director offered Morrison a role in a movie as a jazz saxophonist. The project was dropped, and Morrison returned to Belfast and opened an R&B club in the Maritime Hotel. He recruited some friends to form Them, which became an immediate local sensation as the club's house band.

Them recorded two singles in late 1964: "Don't Start Crying Now" (a local hit) and Big Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go" (which made the British Top 10 in early 1965). After the latter's success, the band moved to London and hooked up with producer Bert Berns. They recorded Berns' "Here Comes the Night," which went to Number Two in the U.K. and made the Top 30 in the U.S. Them's next two singles, "Gloria" (by Morrison) and "Mystic Eyes," were minor U.S. hits; "Gloria" was later covered by the Shadows of Knight (who took the song to Number 10 in 1966) and Patti Smith. Them's lineup underwent constant changes, and Berns brought in sessionmen, including Jimmy Page, for their albums. After a mostly unsuccessful U.S. tour in 1966, the group returned to England. Morrison disbanded Them, which soon re-formed with Ken McDowell as vocalist.

Morrison, meanwhile, grew frustrated by music-business manipulations (Them had wrongly been given a rough-kids image by their company), stopped performing, and moved back to Belfast. Meanwhile, Bert Berns (a.k.a. B. Russell) formed Bang Records in New York, and sent Morrison a plane ticket and an invitation to record four singles for his new label. One of them, "Brown Eyed Girl," reached Number 10 in the U.S. in 1967. Morrison toured America but was again disgruntled when Berns released the other singles &Number 8212; which Morrison considered demos &Number 8212; as Blowin' Your Mind. After Berns died of a sudden heart attack in December 1967, Morrison undertook an East Coast tour and wrote material for his next album. Warner Bros. president Joe Smith signed him in early 1968, and Morrison went into a New York studio that summer with numerous jazz musicians. In 48 hours he cut one of rock's least classifiable, most enduring albums, Astral Weeks, the first manifestation of Morrison's Irish-romantic mysticism. Though most of its cuts were meandering and impressionistic, with folky guitars over jazzy rhythms topped by Morrison's soul-styled vocals, critics raved; the album is still considered one of Morrison's richest, most powerful efforts.

His next album, Moondance (Number 29, 1970), traded the jazz-and-strings sound of Astral Weeks for a horn-section R&B bounce. The title tune and "Come Running" were chart singles, the latter in 1970 (Number 39), the former not until late 1977. The fittingly titled "Into the Mystic" became a minor hit for Johnny Rivers, while "Caravan" became an FM radio favorite. It was the first Morrison album to chart in the Top 100, and it eventually went platinum. His Band and the Street Choir (Number 32, 1970) yielded two uptempo R&B-flavored Top 40 hits in "Domino" (Number 9, 1970) and "Blue Money" (Number 23, 1971). By this time, Morrison had moved to Marin County, California, and married a woman who called herself Janet Planet.

Tupelo Honey (Number 27, 1971) reflected his new domestic contentment. It yielded a hit in "Wild Night" (Number 28) and went gold, thanks to progressive FM radio, which latched on to the lyrical title tune (featuring Modern Jazz Quartet drummer Connie Kay). St. Dominic's Preview (Number 15, 1972) included the minor hit single "Jackie Wilson Said" (Number 61) and contained two extended journeys into the mystic: "Listen to the Lion" and "Almost Independence Day." In 1972 Morrison guested on the John Lee Hooker–Charlie Musselwhite album Never Get Out of These Blues Alive.

By the time of Hard Nose the Highway (Number 27, 1973), Morrison had formed the 11-piece Caledonia Soul Orchestra, which was featured on the live LP It's Too Late to Stop Now. In 1973, though, Morrison suddenly divorced Janet Planet, disbanded the Caledonia Soul Orchestra, and returned to Belfast for the first time since 1966. There he began writing material for Veedon Fleece (Number 53, 1974).

Morrison took three years to produce a followup. He reportedly began sessions for an album four different times (one with jazz-funk band the Crusaders), but completed none. By 1976, he was living in California again. Late that year he appeared at the Band's farewell concert and in Martin Scorsese's film of the event, The Last Waltz. Finally, in 1977 came A Period of Transition (Number 43, 1977), which featured short jazz and R&B-oriented tunes and backup by pianist Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack. For Wavelength (Number 28, 1978), Morrison took on concert promoter Bill Graham as manager (they split in 1981); the album sold fairly well. Still, Morrison's chronic stage fright continued to plague him. At a 1979 show at New York's Palladium, he stormed off the stage midset without a word and didn't return.

The more serene Into the Music (Number 43, 1979) implied that Morrison had become a born-again Christian, and Common One (Number 73, 1980) delved more into extended mysticism. Beautiful Vision (Number 44, 1982) was more varied and concise, and it generated, as usual, sizable critical acclaim and respectable sales. It also included "Cleaning Windows," which contained references to such Morrison inspirations as Lead Belly, bluesmen Blind Lemon Jefferson, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, and Muddy Waters, as well as Beat author Jack Kerouac and country singer Jimmie Rodgers. Inarticulate Speech of the Heart (Number 116, 1983) offered "special thanks" to L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology.

With A Sense of Wonder (Number 61, 1985), Morrison continued on his spiritual journey and drew further on literary influences, incorporating the work of a favorite poet, William Blake, on the track "Let the Slave." Meanwhile, Morrison rediscovered his ethnic roots and wanderlust, leaving his California home to travel nomadlike through Dublin, Belfast, and London. On No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (Number 70, 1986), the singer shared this sense of rebirth, while the album's title sneered at critics who had tried to pigeonhole his religious beliefs.

Morrison delved deeper into Celtic imagery with Poetic Champions Compose (Number 90, 1987) and collaborated with Ireland's best-loved traditional band, the Chieftains, on Irish Heartbeat (Number 102, 1988). Avalon Sunset (Number 91, 1989) contained "Whenever God Shines His Light on Me," a duet with Cliff Richard that became Morrison's first British Top 20 single since his days with Them, and "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You," which in 1993 became a Number Five U.S. hit for Rod Stewart.

Morrison entered the '90s with the nostalgia-drenched Enlightenment (Number 62, 1990), on which he recalled first becoming acquainted with rock & roll and continued to explore the links between spiritual and romantic love. These themes carried over onto the similarly acclaimed double album Hymns to the Silence (Number 99, 1991), while on Too Long in Exile (Number 29, 1993), the singer brought things full circle, covering songs by some of his heroes &Number 8212; including Ray Charles and Sonny Boy Williamson &Number 8212; and duetting with John Lee Hooker on Them's "Gloria," with enough ardor to dispel any suspicions that age had mellowed him. Hooker, in fact, turned up as a surprise guest at some of Morrison's concerts in the early '90s, and Morrison would produce two of Hooker's albums in the late '90s. Morrison's spirited 1993 performances in San Francisco, documented on A Night in San Francisco (recorded December 18), were indicative of his renewed vigor onstage. That same year, Morrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A couple of years later, How Long Has This Been Going On (1996), a live jazz show recorded with Georgie Fame and Friends at Ronnie Scott's Club in London in 1995 also attested to his renewed energy. Nevertheless, Days Like This (Number 33, 1995) and The Healing Game (Number 32, 1997) were railed by critics as predictable, lackluster performances, especially Morrison's vocals; the former, however, included two duets with his daughter, Shana. Morrison took on an elder-statesman role when the song "Days Like This" was adopted as a peace anthem in Northern Ireland, and he received an Order of the British Empire title in 1996. A prolific artist, he continued his extraordinary output of an album nearly every year, and released The Philosopher's Stone, a two-disc set of previously unreleased material, in 1998. Back on Top, an album of new material, followed the next year. In 2000 Morrison was inspired by working with other musicians, and he released a concert recording of skiffle tunes performed with Lonnie Donegan, The Skiffle Sessions: Live in Belfast, 1998, and You Win Again, an album of country, rockabilly, and blues covers performed with singer/pianist Linda Gail Lewis, the sister of Jerry Lee Lewis.

from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001)

The Jackson 5

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:37 -0800

The Jackson 5's bubblegum-flavored soul helped Motown usher in the 1970s with a string of chart toppers that included hits such as "ABC," "I Want You Back" and "The Love You Save." Raised in Gary, Indiana by devout Jehovah's Witnesses, the brothers endured the kind of strict upbringing that groomed them perfectly for the "Motown machine." And what a well-oiled machine it was! The Jackson 5's likenesses could be found on everything from lunchboxes to dolls to Saturday Morning cartoons. But by 1974, the machine showed signs of wear and tear: songs weren't charting as highly as they had previously, and demand for Jackson 5 merchandise was drying up. The machine broke down completely when, frustrated by Motown's refusal to allow the brothers to write or choose their own material, the Jackson 5 parted ways with the label and signed with Epic. Motown won a breach of contract suit, thus retaining the rights to the name Jackson 5. The brothers changed their named to the Jacksons. The Jackson 5 were inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame in 1997. - Linda Ryan

Maxwell

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:37 -0800

A solo vocalist from Brooklyn, N.Y., Maxwell found massive critical and commercial success with his 1996 debut album Urban Hang Suite. Preferring to focus on romance and true love rather than conquests and player bravado, his blend of heartfelt lyricism and hip-hop-infused production proved a surefire hit. The record went Platinum, and Maxwell received a Grammy nomination as well as awards from Soul Train and Rolling Stone. He returned with Embrya in '98, and is slated to release his third LP in early 2001. - Brolin Winning

Jordin Sparks

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:05:11 -0700

You might call Jordin Sparks an amateur talent contest professional, although prodigy is perhaps more accurate. In 2007, the 17-year-old Sparks won American Idol. But before that, she appeared twice on America's Most Talented Kids, received two awards from the Gospel Music Association Academy and finished second at Music in the Rockies, a competition for aspiring contemporary Christian artists. The year before she won Idol, the multitalented Sparks also won Torrid's search for the "Next Plus Size Model" and appeared in a Seventeen magazine ad for the clothing line. So winning Idol was just the big, fat cherry on top of a talent show sundae -- and the culmination of a life spent working towards performance career.

The child of NFL player Phillippi Sparks (formerly of the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys), the baby-faced belter grew up singing and doing children's theater. She got a string of gigs singing the national anthem at professional sporting events in her home state of Arizona, toured with CCM star Michael W. Smith and recorded an EP (2003's For Now) at age 13. Despite all her experience, Sparks did not initially make the cut when she auditioned for Idol in Los Angeles. She did, however, win the local Arizona Idol contest, which earned her the right to audition again in Seattle and, eventually, to become the youngest ever American Idol. Following her win, she toured with the other Idols and began work on her debut album. - Rachel Devitt

Stevie Wonder

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:56 -0800

Groomed from an early age for Motown stardom, Stevie Wonder mastered that label's distinctive fusion of pop and soul and then went on to compose far more idiosyncratic music &Number 8212; an ambitious hybrid of sophisticated Tin Pan Alley chord changes and R&B energy, inflected with jazz, reggae, and African rhythms. A synthesizer and studio pioneer, Stevie Wonder is one of the few musicians to make records on which he plays virtually all the instruments, and does so with both convincing technique and abandon. A lifelong advocate of nonviolent political change patterned after Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, Wonder epitomizes '60s utopianism while remaining resolutely contemporary in his musical experiments.

Stevie Morris' prodigious musical talents were recognized when Ronnie White of the Miracles heard the 10-year-old boy, blind from infancy, playing the harmonica for his children, and introduced him to Berry Gordy Jr. of the Hitsville U.S.A. &Number 8212; soon Motown &Number 8212; organization. Gordy named him Little Stevie Wonder. His third single, "Fingertips (Part 2)" was a Number 1 pop and R&B hit eight months later. Both on records and in live shows he was featured playing harmonica, drums, piano, and organ, as well as singing &Number 8212; sometimes all in one number.

During his first three years in show business, Wonder was presented as an R&B screamer in the Ray Charles mold; much was made of the fact that both were blind. In 1964 he appeared on the screen in Muscle Beach Party and Bikini Beach. Uptight (Number Three, 1966) included "I Was Made to Love Her" (Number Two, 1967), "For Once in My Life" (Number Two, 1968), and "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" (Number Nine, 1968). The Wonder style broadened to include Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" (Number Nine, 1966), the optimistic "A Place in the Sun" (Number Nine, 1968), and an instrumental version of Burt Bacharach's "Alfie." In 1969 he hit the upper reaches of the charts with the ballads "My Cherie Amour" (Number 4) and "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" (Number 7).

As his adolescence came to an end, Wonder took charge of his career. By the time of Signed Sealed & Delivered (Number 25, 1970), he was virtually self-sufficient in the studio, serving as his own producer and arranger, playing most of the instruments himself, and writing material with his wife, Syreeta Wright. In this phase, he scored three more hit singles: "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" (Number Three, 1970), "Heaven Help Us All" (Number Nine, 1970), and "If You Really Love Me" (Number Eight, 1971).

When he reached his 21st birthday in 1971, he negotiated a new contract with Motown that made him the label's first artist to win complete artistic control (also at 21 he was due the money he had made as a minor; despite earning over $30 million, he received only $1 million). While his singles upheld the company tradition of hook-happy radio fare, they distinguished themselves with such socially conscious subjects as ghetto hardship and political disenfranchisement, especially in evidence in "Living for the City" (Number Eight, 1973). His albums, beginning with Music of My Mind (Number 21, 1972), on which he played most of the instruments, were devoted to his more exotic musical ideas (which incorporated gospel, rock & roll, jazz, and African and Latin rhythms). To his panoply of instruments, he added synthesizers; played with rare invention and funk, they became the signature of his sound.

Wonder's 1972 tour of the United States with the Rolling Stones helped make Number 1 hits of two singles released within the next year &Number 8212; "Superstition" (written for Jeff Beck) and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" &Number 8212; from Talking Book (Number Three, 1972). The period was difficult personally for Wonder: In 1972 his marriage to Wright ended after only a year (later, with companion Yolanda Simmons, he had two children, as well as a third child by vocalist Melody McCulley). In 1973 he was in a serious car crash that left him in a coma for four days.

In the four years and three albums following Talking Book, Wonder made three more Number 1 singles ("You Haven't Done Nothin'," "I Wish," and "Sir Duke"), sold millions of each, and received 15 Grammy Awards. Innervisions (Number Four, 1973) also included "Higher Ground" (Number Four, 1973), while Fulfillingness' First Finale (Number One, 1974) yielded "Boogie On Reggae Woman" (Number Three, 1974). His songs were covered widely, and he was an acknowledged influence on musicians from Jeff Beck to George Benson to Bob Marley. Working with B.B. King, the Jacksons, the Supremes, Minnie Ripperton, Rufus, and Syreeta Wright, he established himself as a major songwriter and producer. Songs in the Key of Life (Number One, 1976) (a double album released after he had signed a $13-million contract with Motown) was a tour de force and topped the charts for 14 weeks.

Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants (Number Four, 1979) three years in the making, was ostensibly the soundtrack to an unreleased film of the same name. Predominantly instrumental, it failed to catch on in a big way at the time but can be seen as a precursor to New Age music. Hotter Than July (Number Three, 1980) returned to the street-dancing spirit of earlier periods (updated in contemporary idioms such as reggae and rap). It yielded "Master Blaster (Jammin')" (Number Five, 1980) and Wonder's plea for an international holiday in memory of Martin Luther King Jr., "Happy Birthday." In 1982 fans still waiting for an album of new material were placated with hit singles: "That Girl" (Number 4), "Do I Do" (Number 13), "Ebony and Ivory"(Number 1) &Number 8212; a duet with Paul McCartney &Number 8212; and the greatest-hits package Musiquarium (Number Four, 1982).

The '80s saw Wonder drastically curtailing studio work but continuing to tour (by the end of the decade becoming Motown's first artist to play the Eastern bloc). In 1982, with Bob Dylan and Jackson Browne, he played the "Peace Sunday" antinuclear rally at the Rose Bowl. In 1984 Detroit gave him the key to the city (he later considered a run for mayor of Detroit), and he played harmonica on Elton John's "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues." Participating in the recording of USA for Africa's "We Are the World" in 1985, he won that year's Oscar for Best Song for "I Just Called to Say I Love You," (Number One, 1984) off The Woman in Red (Number Four, 1984) soundtrack. Dedicating the award to Nelson Mandela, he angered South African radio stations, which then banned all his music.

"Part-Time Lover" (Number One, 1985) became the first single simultaneously to top the pop, R&B, Adult Contemporary, and dance/disco charts; its parent album, In Square Circle, reached Number 5 and won the Grammy for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance. Singing with Elton John and Gladys Knight on Dionne Warwick's "That's What Friends Are For" (Number One, 1986) gained Wonder another hit, but, deemed relatively lightweight, neither Characters (Number 17, 1987) nor the soundtrack for Spike Lee's Jungle Fever (Number 24, 1991) were greeted with the almost universal acclaim his '70s work had generated.

In 1988 duets with Michael Jackson ("Get It") and Julio Iglesias ("My Love") kept Wonder's name before the public. And, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and earning a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, Stevie Wonder continued to enjoy an ultimately unassailable critical reputation even while his recording output was slender. In 1995, four years after receiving the Nelson Mandela Courage Award, he released Conversation Peace, an intended epic he'd been working on since the late '80s. Critics greeted the 74-minute long work with mixed reviews but were heartened by his return to recording after an eight-year absence. In 1999 Wonder performed at the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXIII and was among the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors. He also made a rare hour-long appearance on Donny & Marie, where he performed a number of his hits, mostly accompanying himself on keyboards.

Wonder's extensive humanitarian work has concentrated on AIDS awareness; antiapartheid efforts; crusades against drunk driving and drug abuse; and fund-raising for blind and retarded children and the homeless.

from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster)

Rihanna

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:56 -0800

Talent and a dose of good luck got Barbados-born Rihanna signed to Def Jam when she was 16 years old. She was discovered by producer Evan Rogers during his island visit in 2003, and went on to impress Def Jam CEO Jay-Z so much that he grabbed her for a multi-album contract. The singer's first single, "Pon de Replay," was released in June 2005, with the full album Music of the Sun dropping a month later. But her big break came in 2006 with the release of the single "S.O.S." and the subsequent album A Girl Like Me. The single, which sampled Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," was one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially popular songs of that year. Though Rihanna had basically moved away from dancehall, she was moving toward a new aesthetic that married R&B, synth-pop and hip-hop. She continued in this direction with 2007's Good Girl Gone Bad, which featured the infectious singles "Umbrella" and "Shut Up and Drive." In early 2009, she was assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown en route to a pre-Grammys party; that November, she released Rated R, a highly personal album with an unmistakable darkness. - Sam Chennault

Earth, Wind & Fire

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:34 -0800

One of the premier soul groups of the 1970s, Earth Wind & Fire fused a deep knowledge of the African-American musical tradition with an uplifting, spiritual idealism. To sum up the breadth of their sound is impossible, simply because the group's versatility was awe-inspiring. They played powerhouse Funk anthems, Latin-inflected R&B grooves, shimmering Pop-Soul, and ballads that tugged the heartstrings while sending the spirit soaring across the sky. Their impeccable horn harmonies rivaled the JB's (James Brown's backing band) while Johnny Graham's sweet R&B stylings conveyed worlds of emotion. Bandleader, drummer, and premier songwriter Maurice White infused the music with African rhythm, often featuring the kalimba, or thumb-piano, while the band brought jazz and Latin polyrhythms to the heart of deep funk territory. And their three distinctive vocalists inspired near-religious adoration: Philip Bailey's soaring falsetto, Maurice White's soulful growl, and Jessica Cleaves' natural, unadorned alto. This is music for the mind, the body, and the soul. - Jessy Terry

R. Kelly

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:37 -0800

Let's just put it this way: R. Kelly's voice is smooth. His songs are so sensual that he's turned into a virtual relationship soundtrack, from your first meeting to your first night together, to a broken heart and through a tearful breakup. He's got a song for each stage, touching the depths of your soul with his acrobatic voice that glides from a sultry whisper to a high falsetto wail. Hints of Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson peak through his soul-tinged voice, but his production and style are all his own, from bass-heavy hip-hop to crisp romantic ballads. Kelly is a talented multi-instrumentalist and arranger, not to mention a certified hit maker; see the chart-topping "Ignition (Remix)" and "I Believe I Can Fly" as well as his writing and production credits for other singers. Not many R&B singers could get away with "Trapped in the Closet," his 35-minute pop opera that defies dramatic structure, radio formatting and just plain good sense. Kels not only pulled it off, but he made it one of the biggest singles of that 2005 summer. After 15 years and 10 albums, including the 2007 offering Double Up and another thrilling (and equally bewildering) 10 chapters of "Trapped in the Closet," there is little doubt that R. Kelly is one of the most accomplished R&B singers of his generation. - Jessy Terry

Prince

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:52 -0800

In this age of musical genre ghetto-ization, Prince stands alone. The Artist can get funky, he can rock up a storm, he can croon a soulful ballad, he can spin out webs of jazz piano, he can hip and he can hop. He can do it all, often brilliantly. Prince takes chances and often fails -- especially on the (hopefully abandoned) film front -- but every one of his albums is chock full of gems. Prince hasn't sustained the massive popularity he earned in the Purple Rain-crazed '80s, but that seems due more to bad publicity surrounding his tabloid lifestyle than his musical output. He can't hide the fact that he is an odd, fuzzy little man, but genius doesn't come in perfect packages. While legions of Prince's contemporaries crash and burn, he sits in his Minneapolis tower and continues to expand the boundaries of popular music. - Nick Dedina

Marvin Gaye

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:55 -0800

With a career that exemplified the maturation of romantic black pop into a sophisticated form spanning social and sexual politics, Marvin Gaye was one of the most consistent and enigmatic of the Motown hitmakers. Certainly among the most gifted composers and singers, with a mellifluous tenor and a three-octave vocal range, Marvin Gaye was also moody — avoiding TV, rarely performing live, and sometimes not showing up for the few concerts he did schedule. From "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" to "Heard It Through the Grapevine," from "What's Going On" to "Sexual Healing," Gaye sang some of the most memorable black pop of the '60s, '70s, and '80s. He was nominated for eight Grammys before winning one in 1983. His life ended tragically one year later — and one day before his 45th birthday — when he was shot to death by his father, an Apostolic preacher, after a violent argument. In many respects, Gaye was, as his friend, the cowriter of "Sexual Healing," and author David Ritz titled his biography of him, a divided soul.

Gaye started singing at age three in church and was soon playing the organ as well. After a stint in the Air Force, he returned to DC and started singing in streetcorner doo-wop groups, including a top local group, the Rainbows. He formed his own group, the Marquees, in 1957. Under the auspices of supporter Bo Diddley, they cut "Wyatt Earp" for the Okeh label. In 1958 Harvey Fuqua heard the group and enlisted it to become the latest version of his ever-changing backing ensemble, the Moonglows [see entry]. As such, Gaye was heard on "Mama Loocie" and other songs for the Chess label in 1959.

By 1961, the group was touring widely. Detroit impresario Berry Gordy Jr. heard the group and quickly signed Gaye to his fledgling Motown organization later that year. Soon after, Gaye married Gordy's sister Anna. Gaye's first duties with the label were as a session drummer (he played on all the early hits by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles).

Gaye got his first hit with his fourth release, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow," in 1962. Over the next 10 years, working with nearly every producer at Motown (including the team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, Smokey Robinson, and Norman Whitfield), he enjoyed over 20 big hits. Although he specialized in midtempo ballads, he also had dance hits: "Hitch Hike" (Number 30, 1963), the 12-bar blues "Can I Get a Witness" (Number 22, 1963), which became a virtual anthem among the British mods), and "Baby Don't You Do It" (Number 27, 1964). But by and large he favored romantic, sometimes sensual ballads. He felt that his desire to move into a more mainstream, sophisticated style was hindered by Motown's emphasis on hits. For a performer as unenthusiastic about some of his material as Gaye later claimed to be, he gave almost every song he ever recorded an inspired reading. His Top 10 hits included "Pride and Joy" (Number 10, 1963), "I'll Be Doggone" (Number Eight, 1965), "Ain't That Peculiar" (Number Eight, 1965), and "How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You" (Number Six, 1965). Among his 39 Top 40 singles of the period were also such unlikely hits as "Try It Baby" (Number 15, 1964, with background vocals by the Temptations), "You're a Wonderful One" (Number 15, 1964, with backing vocals by the Supremes), "One More Heartache" (Number 29, 1966), "Chained" (Number 32, 1968), and "You" (Number 34, 1968).

Beginning in 1964 Gaye was teamed with Mary Wells [see entry] for a couple of hits, "Once Upon a Time" (Number 19, 1964) and "What's the Matter With You" (Number 17, 1964), and with Kim Weston for "It Takes Two" (Number 17, 1967). But his greatest duets were with Tammi Terrell: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (Number 19, 1967), "Your Precious Love" (Number Five, 1967), "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (Number Eight, 1968), and "You're All I Need to Get By" (Number Seven, 1968), all penned and produced by Nicholas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. In a 1967 concert Terrell collapsed into Gaye's arms onstage, the first sign of the brain tumor that killed her three years later. Although, contrary to popular belief, Gaye and Terrell were not romantically involved (she was involved with Temptation David Ruffin), he was deeply affected by her illness and death. Shortly thereafter Gaye had his biggest solo hit of the '60s with a dejected, paranoid reading of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Number One, 1968), a song that had already been given a fiery treatment by another Motown act, Gladys Knight and the Pips.

The second, quite distinct phase of Gaye's career — and black popular music — began in 1971 with What's Going On. Along with Stevie Wonder, Gaye was one of the first Motown artists to gain complete artistic control of his records. What's Going On was a self-composed and produced song cycle that could rightfully be called a concept album. Berry Gordy Jr., who still maintains that he didn't understand the record, was reluctant to release it. Gaye was vindicated when the album hit Number 6 and spun off three Top 10 singles: "What's Going On" (Number Two, 1971), "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" (Number Nine, 1971), and "Mercy Mercy Me (the Ecology)" (Number Four, 1971) were impassioned, timeless statements on Vietnam, civil rights, and the state of the world. "What's Going On" has been covered many times in the ensuing years, including a Top 20 version by Cyndi Lauper in 1986.

In 1972 Gaye scored the 20th Century–Fox film Trouble Man, and the dark, minimalist title track gave him yet another Top 10 hit (Number Seven, 1973). By 1973, he had shifted his attention to pure eroticism with Let's Get It On, the title track of which went to Number 1. His late-1973 album with Diana Ross, Diana and Marvin, produced three fairly successful singles: "You're a Special Part of Me" (Number 12, 1973), "Don't Knock My Love" (Number 46, 1974), and "My Mistake (Was to Love You)" (Number 19, 1974), but this project was one of many things Gaye did with Motown that he felt were forced upon him.

Gaye's rocky marriage of 14 years to Anna Gordy Gaye was the subject of Here, My Dear as the '70s closed, with Gaye still reeling from the divorce settlement. He filed for bankruptcy, and his ex-wife later considered suing him for invasion of privacy over the content of Here, My Dear. (The album had been precipitated by court hearings in 1976, when a judge instructed Gaye to make good on overdue alimony payments by recording an album and giving his wife $600,000 in royalties.) With Gordy he fathered a son, Marvin Gaye III. He married his second wife, Janice, in 1977 and that year had a Number 1 hit, "Got to Give It Up, Pt. 1." They had two children: Nona, who has since become a recording artist in her own right, and Frankie. Janice was Gaye's muse, but he was also obsessed with her, and the relationship was tumultuous.

Under pressure from the Internal Revenue Service, Gaye moved to Europe to record his 1981 release, In Our Lifetime, which concentrated on his philosophies of love, art, and death. The next year, he left Motown for Columbia. His first album for the label, Midnight Love, sold 2 million copies and included the hit "Sexual Healing," which won a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. He sang live on the Grammy broadcast and, in 1983, in concert at Radio City Music Hall. During his Sexual Healing Tour, Gaye closed the show singing his hit in a silk robe, often stripping down to bikini underwear. Fan reaction was mixed. Also in 1983 he appeared in one of the more memorable segments of Motown's 25th-anniversary television special, obviously somewhat disoriented but riveting nonetheless. His a cappella version of "The Star-Spangled Banner," performed before the 1983 NBA All-Star game that year, became an instant bootlegged classic and is included on The Marvin Gaye Collection.

Gaye's comeback was one for the record books. But even with the recognition he longed for, Gaye was depressed, and his cocaine abuse was escalating, despite several attempts to clean up. He returned to the U.S. and moved into his parents' home — where he often quarreled with his father, with whom he'd been at odds since his teenage years. As Gaye later confessed to David Ritz, his internal life was marked by what Gaye viewed as an irreconcilable conflict between good (as represented by his strict religious upbringing) and evil (sex, drugs). In early 1984 Gaye reportedly threatened suicide several times and had become paranoid and irrational. Following a Sunday morning shouting match in his parents' home, Gaye's father shot him to death at point-blank range, he later claimed, in self-defense. Gaye's father was charged with and convicted of involuntary manslaughter. He was found to have a brain tumor, and was given a six-year suspended prison sentence.

After his death Motown and Columbia collaborated to produce Dream of a Lifetime and Romantically Yours, both based on unfinished recordings from the Sexual Healing sessions; among the tracks on the first album were the ribald, "Savage in the Sack" and "Masochistic Beauty," and some questioned whether Gaye had intended to release them at all. Since then, Gaye's work has been repackaged in a steady stream of new compilations. In addition, his work has been the subject of several tribute projects. In 1987 Gaye was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001)

Sade

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:09:58 -0800

Sade hit the Day-Glo mid-1980s like a cool, monochromatic breeze. The singer updated the classic continental style of Audrey Hepburn and married it with a vocal approach that was more whisper than growl. It's always worked, though, since Sade's icy vocal style brings out the stoic yet emotionally scarred nature of her well-crafted torch songs. Much of the credit goes to her ever-tight, streamlined band, who have a knack for seamlessly mixing smooth jazz and soul styles. After a fine debut and the excellent Promise (1985), her approach shifted as she began to mix overly repetitive light funk workouts with darker mood pieces; so while Stronger Than Pride and Love Deluxe each contain a bit of filler, strong tracks abound. Lover's Rock (2000) is her best since Promise, and it proves that Sade doesn't have to compete with changing fashion or styles. She is a genre of one. - Nick Dedina

Bee Gees

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:58 -0800

The Bee Gees made whiney falsetto hip, wide polyester collars the height of high-rolling fashion, and defined cool for an entire generation. A '70s supergroup who actually began as a brothers act in 1959, the Bee Gees have proven remarkably versatile throughout their long career, unafraid to experiment with everything from country to R&B to straight pop balladry. They scored a number of hits during the 1960s and early '70s with shimmering hits like "I've Got to Get a Message to You" and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart." Some of the Bee Gees' most memorable tracks stemmed from the height of the disco era, culminating in 1977's Saturday Night Fever soundtrack with tunes like "Night Fever," "How Deep is Your Love," and of course, "Stayin' Alive." Lush harmonies, symphonic arrangements, and a tendency to reinvent themselves when the going gets tough have made this band one of the longest-running pop acts around. - Sarah Bardeen

Ne-Yo

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:34 -0800

Considering his gorgeous voice and boyish good looks, it's surprising that Ne-Yo started his career as a songwriter for some of the biggest names in R&B. But after years of paying his dues under Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans and B2K, the Las Vegas singer finally branched out on his own in late 2005 with the single "Stay," featuring Peedi Peedi. In early 2006 he dropped his subsequent Def Jam debut, In My Own Words, yielding three Top 40 singles, the most popular of which was "So Sick." In 2006 Ne-Yo was R&B's King Midas, writing songs for Beyonce (the smash hit "Irreplaceable") as well as working on new projects by Usher, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Chris Brown and Whitney Houston. It's amazing that he found time to work on his sophomore solo album, but 2007's Because of You was every bit as irresistible as his freshman effort. His success granted him license to get melancholy on 2008's Year of the Gentleman -- it was his party, after all, and he could cry if he wanted to. - Sam Chennault

Akon

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:33 -0800

When R&B crooner Akon shot to fame in 2004 with his hit "Locked Up" (Number Eight), he became the go-to star for pop and hip-hop artists wanting a silky voice to sing their hooks. So prolific in his output, Akon twice in a five month period between December 2006 and April 2007 simultaneously owned the Number One and Number Two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart.

The son of Senegalese jazz percussionist Mor Thiam, Akon was born Aliaune Thiam in St. Louis, MO, but lived in Senegal until he was seven. His family moved back to the United States and lived in both Jersey City, NJ, and Atlanta, GA. He began making music at 15, becoming part of the Fugees' extended group of musicians, but he reportedly ran into trouble with the law and was incarcerated for stealing a car. Upon his release in 2002 he began making home recordings, which in 2003 led to him signing with SRC/Universal.

The following year he released his debut album, Trouble (Number 11 R&B/Hop-hop, Number 18 Pop, 2004), a set of autobiographical songs featuring his mix of African-style R&B vocals with hip-hop beats. After his 2004 success with "Locked Up," he released the eerily melodic ballad "Lonely" (Number 4, 2005), which features a sped-up, Chipmunks-like sample of the hook from Bobby Vinton's 1964 hit "Mr. Lonely," and the bouncy "Belly Dancer (Bananza)" (Number 30, 2005). A remixed version of his single "Ghetto" by Green Lantern included the voices of slain rappers Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. That year Akon also sang on Young Jeezy's Top Five single "Soul Survivor," a collaboration that has since led to many subsequent guest spots including appearances with Eminem, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, R. Kelly and even Gwen Stefani and Elton John.

Akon's sophomore release, Konvicted (Number Two Pop, Number Two R&B/Hip-Hop, 2006), spawned a string of Top Five hits: "Smack That" (Number Two pop, Number 34 R&B/Hip-Hop, 2006), with Eminem; "I Wanna Love You" (Number One pop, Number Three R&B/Hip-Hop, 2006), with Snoop Dogg and "Don't Matter" (Number One pop, Number Five R&B/Hip-Hop, 2007). Konvicted remained in the Top Twenty for 28 consecutive weeks and within a year was certified triple platinum in the U.S. and sold four million copies worldwide. His collaboration with Gwen Stefani on her ubiquitous summer hit "The Sweet Escape" (Number Two pop) helped Akon have the nation's top two pop hits twice in five months.

Akon's career has not, however, been without its share of controversies: In 2006 he purchased a South African diamond mine; in 2007 he was widely denounced for simulating sex on stage with the underage daughter of a pastor in Trinidad and Tobago; and in the same year misdemeanor harassment charges were filed against him for throwing a concert goer off a Fishkill, New York stage and injuring a bystander.

In November 2007, the singer appeared on a remix of Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" for the 25th anniversary reissue of Thriller. His third album, originally due out in the spring of 2008, is reportedly titled Acquitted and said to feature a collaboration with Michael Jackson.

Usher

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:33 -0800

By the time he entered puberty, Usher had a record deal and a gold album. By the time he graduated high school, he was one of the most visible artists in R&B. Armed with a smooth voice, Usher specializes in saccharine-sweet profusions of love and desire; pop melodramatic ballads; and floor-rattling club jams. Between 1994 and 2004, he released six albums, appeared in several films, earned multiple platinum records and collaborated with a wide variety of top-shelf artists. However, 2004 was the year he reached the upper echelons of superstardom, thanks to the infectious, chart-topping single "Yeah" produced by Lil' Jon. His subsequent album, Confessions, netted him three Grammys and sold 11 million copies worldwide. In the four years that followed Confessions' release, Usher found himself embroiled in a series of minor though widely publicized controversies surrounding his mother, who was also his manager until Usher "resigned her." This effectively kept the singer in the spotlight, and his 2008 single "Love in the Club," which promoted public sex, was a ubiquitous summer jam. The following album, Hear I Stand, didn't reflect much artistic growth, banking instead on the themes and sounds that have made Usher one of the world's biggest pop stars. - Kali Holloway

Mary J. Blige

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:44 -0800

Mary J. Blige has rightfully earned her royal appellation "The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul." With a powerful croon and smooth flow, the Queen has sold over 40 million albums since her debut in the early-1990s, won eight Grammys, and collaborated with legends like U2, Aretha Franklin, and Elton John.

Blige was born in the Bronx but spent her early years in Savannah, Georgia, where she sang in a Pentecostal church. Her family moved to suburban Yonkers, New York, where Blige continued to sing. Her first demo (recorded at a karaoke studio in a shopping mall) was a version of Anita Baker's "Caught Up in the Rapture," which eventually got her signed by Andre Harrell to Uptown Records.

Blige's debut, What's the 411? (Number Six Pop, Number One R&B, 1992), mixed her affinity for classic soul (she covered Chaka Khan's "Sweet Thing") with a contemporary urban edge. The album includes cameos by rappers Grand Puba, Heavy D., C.L. Smooth, De La Soul's Mase, and EPMD's Erick Sermon. Blige first charted with "You Remind Me" (Number 29 Pop, Number One R&B, 1992), from the film Strictly Business, but it was her debut album's single "Real Love" (Number Seven Pop, Number 1 R&B, 1992) made Blige one of the biggest crossover artists of the year. In 1993 a remix album of 411 was released and the "Sweet Thing" single peaked at Number 28 on the Pop charts.

Blige's 1994 album, My Life, reached Number Seven on the Top 200 (Number One R&B) and yielded a Number Six single, "Be Happy." In 1995 Blige and the Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man [see Wu-Tang Clan entry] had a Grammy-winning smash hit with a medley of Ashford and Simpson songs, "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" (Number Three Pop, Number One R&B). The track was mixed by frequent Blige collaborator and budding hip-hop kingpin Sean Combs [see entry]. In 1996 Blige's "Not Gon' Cry" (Number Two Pop, Number One R&B) was featured in the film adaptation of the Terry McMillan novel Waiting to Exhale. The single also appeared on Share My World (Number One Pop and R&B, 1997). The album yielded seven R&B hits, including "It's On" (Number Eight), featuring R. Kelly, and found Blige's music stressing the soul side of her hip-hop/soul hybrid

In 1999 Blige sang on the R&B hits of Kirk Franklin and George Michael and released Mary (Number One R&B/Hip-Hop, Number Two Pop, 1999), her fourth and most pop-leaning album. Focusing less on hard times and heartache than its predecessors, the record features uplifting music and explores themes of spirituality and self-worth. It also sports a sweeping supporting cast, including Aretha Franklin, Babyface, Eric Clapton and Elton John. "All That I Can Say" (Number Six R&B) was written and produced by hip-hop diva Lauryn Hill.

No More Drama (Number One R&B/Hip-Hop, Number Two Pop, 2001) was another chapter in her hybrid soul approach and yielded the Dr. Dre-produced dance hit "Family Affair" (Number One Pop and R&B/Hip-Hop, 2001) and the title song (Number 16 R&B/Hip-Hop, Number 15 pop, 2001). After a 2002 album of remixes, Dance for Me, Blige returned in collaboration with P. Diddy on Love & Life (Number One Pop and R&B/Hip-Hop, 2004). Despite high expectations, the album received tepid reviews.

Her 2005 album The Breakthrough (Number One R&B/Hip-Hop, 2005; Number One Pop, 2006) lived up to its title, giving Blige a string of hits including "Be Without You" (Number One R&B/Hip-Hop, Number Three Pop, 2005), "Enough Cryin'" (Number Two R&B/Hip-Hop, Number 32 pop, 2006) and a lower charting duet with U2 on the band's song "One." The Breakthrough won Blige three Grammys in 2007: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song ("Be Without You") and Best R&B Album.

As of 2008, Blige's late-2007 album Growing Pains (Number One, R&B/Hip-Hop and Pop, 2008) yielded the hit "Just Fine" (Number Three R&B/Hip-Hop, Number 22 Pop, 2008).

Blige began an acting career in the late Nineties and has since made numerous appearances on TV (The Jamie Foxx Show, Strong Medicine, Ghost Whisperer, Entourage), as wall as roles in the independent film Prison Song and off-Broadway play The Exonerated. She is slated to portray the late jazz/blues/soul singer Nina Simone in a 2009 MTV-produced biopic.

In 2003, after spending much of the Nineties in a turbulent, high-profile relationship with Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey of Jodeci, Blige married her manager Martin Kendu Isaacs, whom she has said helped her overcome drugs and alcohol. In 2006, the singer, whose songs often are of a confessional nature, appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in an interview in which she talked frankly about her traumatic childhood and battles with substance abuse. That year, Blige released the anthology Reflections (A Retrospective) (Number Two R&B/Hip-Hop).

Lily Allen

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:47 -0800

Lily Allen is the precocious daughter of actor/comedian Keith Allen and film producer mom, Alison Owen. Despite a privileged background, Allen was somewhat of a handful growing up, often running away and getting expelled from various schools. By 15, Allen knew school wasn't for her, so she dropped out and eventually started working on music. Lily's sound draws on her parent's music collection, which included such groundbreaking, female-fronted acts as Rip, Rig and Panic, the Slits and Blondie. But her fondness for hip-hop and urban storytellers also shines through both in her style of delivery and in her rock steady beats. Allen's reputation as a formidable voice from the street grew via her myspace page, and that led to her deal with Parlaphone. In late 2006, Allen's single "Smile" hit No. 1 on the UK charts. In 2007, Allen's debut album, Alright, Still, was released in the U.S., followed by It's Not Me, It's You in February 2009. - Linda Ryan

Pussycat Dolls

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:56 -0800

Pussycat Dolls began as the stars of a burlesque show in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, swelling their ranks and polishing their rep with guest appearances from the likes of Christina Aguilera, Carmen Electra and Gwen Stefani. They burst onto the national scene in 2005, after recruiting ex-Eden's Crush member Nicole Scherzinger and unleashing the instantly ubiquitous single "Don't Cha" (previously recorded by Cee-Lo and Tori Alamaze), featuring a verse from Busta Rhymes. They kept up the sassy, saucy act with their full-length debut, PCD, produced by industry heavyweights Timbaland and will.i.am. After Scherzinger flirted with a solo career that never quite took off, the Dolls regrouped for 2008's Doll Domination. - Philip Sherburne

Keri Hilson

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:35 -0800

Keri Hilson may be a new name to most of us, but this Atlanta native has been working her way up to being a key player behind the scenes in R&B, pop and hip-hop for years. A member of the Clutch collective of writers and producers, Hilson has been racking up songwriting credits for other artists since 2001, including Ciara ("Ooh Baby"), Usher ("Love in this Club, Part II") and Mary J. Blige ("Take Me as I Am"). Along the way, she also got quite a reputation as a backup singer, finally breaking out from the background in 2004 with a featured guest spot on Xzibit's "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)." Hilson had a banner year in 2006-2007: She appeared in the video for Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous," co-wrote and sang backup on most of Britney Spears's Blackout, appeared on and helped write Timbaland's Shock Value and signed with Timbaland's Mosley Music Group. Hilson released her debut album on Interscope in December 2008. - Rachel Devitt

Sean Kingston

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:56 -0800

One of the newest generation of celebrities to generate buzz before their first single is even released, Sean Kingston (born Kisean Anderson) got his first break on MySpace. The 17-year-old was visiting Dr. Dre's page one day and saw that American producer J.R. Rotem had started a new label and was looking to sign artists. Several instances of online harassment later, Kinsgston had secured an audition with Rotem, who found himself impressed by Kingston's croon and his heartfelt, G-rated lyrics. He signed him on the spot. Kingston's bicultural upbringing informs his sound: born in Miami and raised both there and in Jamaica, the singer is equally versed in mainstream rap and dancehall, though his first hit owes a debt, amazingly, to doo-wop. But Kingston, for all his fresh-faced appearance, isn't without connections: his grandfather was Jamaican producer Jack Ruby. Despite his pedigree, Kingston has seen his share of difficulties as well: his mother and sister were thrown in jail for tax evasion when he was just 14-years-old, leaving the boy temporarily homeless. - Sarah Bardeen

The Temptations

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:51 -0800

The Supremes may have moved more product, but it was the Temptations who showed that a Motown act could do anything they set their pitch-perfect pipes to. Who else but the Temptations could release the peerless teen love ballad "My Girl" and the cinematic, psychedelic funk of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone"? They could be soft and sensual, gruff and grounded, or raw and rocking -- and pull each off beautifully. The grim reaper and drugs have not been kind to the Temptations, and only one original member carries on in their name. Their last few recordings can't match the brilliance of their 1960s to mid-1970s releases, but the band's sound remains more soulful than any young, ultraslick vocal group out there. - Nick Dedina

Justin Timberlake

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:35 -0800

From his adolescence on Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club through his coming of age in the hugely popular boy band *NSYNC, Justin Timberlake became one of the 1990s' biggest heartthrobs, and everything from his romance with Britney Spears to his love of fast cars turned into headline fodder. Unlike so many ex-boy band boys before (and after) him, *NSYNC's most popular member managed to parlay his teen-idol status into credible adult stardom. And how: Two phenomenally successful albums and four Grammys into his solo career, Justin Timberlake is arguably the world's most celebrated pop star; his frequent collaborations with super-producers like the Neptunes and Timbaland and his undeniable knack for white-hot blue-eyed soul-pop have earned the respect of the hip-hop community, while his dreamy looks and wounded-puppy falsetto still make the little girls ... and their sisters ... and their mothers swoon. Wardrobe malfunctions? Messy breakups? JT skates past them all, a designer fedora cocked to one side. Not too shabby for a former child star from Millington, Tennessee, who got his start singing country (and losing) on Star Search. - Rachel Devitt

Ray Charles

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:54 -0800

Heaven and earth battle it out in the music of Ray Charles, who combined gospel with the best of secular music and helped give birth to soul, rock, and hard bop. His early work showed the silky influences of the Nat "King" Cole trio and the piano blues great Charles Brown. Charles combined their sophisticated styles with R&B and gritty gospel to create his signature sound: hard, snappy piano combined with exquisite vocals that fall somewhere between a preacher gone bad and a yearning romantic balladeer. Charles absorbed styles like a sponge: big band jazz, country and pop were all added to his musical arsenal, and he built up a musical empire that kept him in the public eye for decades up until his untimely death, at the age of 73, in June 2004. Just prior to his passing, Charles cut his first duets record with such fans as Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, and Elton John, which illustrates a multi-generational sampling of the artists who list him as a prime influence. An American institution, Ray Charles' rendition of "Georgia on My Mind" has even become that state's anthem. If only the other 49 states could be as fortunate. - Nick Dedina

John Legend

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:49:01 -0800

An accomplished singer, musician, songwriter and producer, John Legend (ne Stephens) has been making music since his early childhood. Influenced by a musical family, the young Legend embraced gospel, classic soul and hip-hop, and the fusion of all three epitomizes his unique sound. His first major break came from erstwhile Fugee Lauryn Hill, when he played piano on her mega-hit single "Everything Is Everything." But it was Kanye West who really put him on the map, recruiting him to play and sing on the multiplatinum album The College Dropout. After releasing several self-made CDs, Legend dropped his highly anticipated major label debut Get Lifted in early 2005. The single "Ordinary People" is the sort of sweet lovers' lullaby that will haunt Valentine's Day for years to come, and it solidified Legend's status as one of R&B's most promising young talents. For his next project, 2006's Once Again, Legend refined his brand of martini soul, plucking elements of classic pop and '70s soul for an album that was every bit as popular and as satisfying as its predecessor. The 2008 release Evolver found the singer employing a more modern sound. - Sam Chennault

Alicia Keys

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:37 -0800

Alicia Keys seemingly came out of nowhere in the summer of 2001, storming up the charts with her braids and heaping servings of soul. But Keys is no pre-fab diva; she's been studying music since age five and began writing songs at age 14. She wrote (or co-wrote) and produced most of the songs on her debut, Songs in a Minor, and subsequent singles have proven she's no one-hit wonder. She took home five Grammy Awards in 2002 (including Best New Artist and Song of the Year), and returned triumphantly with The Diary of Alicia Keys the following year, racking up more hit singles ("You Don't Know My Name," "If I Ain't Got You"), and winning four more Grammys. 2007's As I Am spawned the unstoppable "No One" and the Prince-infused "Like You'll Never See Me Again." One of the most talented and likeable R&B superstars in the game today, Keys shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Whitney Houston

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:33 -0800

As the daughter of renowned gospel and soul singer Cissy Houston, and the cousin of Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston was better connected than most young vocalists when she embarked on a recording career in the mid-1980s. But neither genes nor industry contacts can account for the level of superstardom to which Houston quickly ascended. Blessed with a sublimely creamy, agile voice and picture-perfect looks, she delivered the sort of buoyant dance tunes and smooth, hummable ballads that are equally at home on the pop, R&B, and Adult Contemporary charts. For years critics carped that her supple singing would be better served by more soulful, less commercially ingratiating material; when she finally did emerge with a more urban sound, the media homed in on her increasingly irresponsible personal behavior. But where America's record-buying public was concerned, Houston became a star of the highest order, one whose appeal crossed races, cultures, and generations.

As a child, Houston sang in her family's church choir. At 15 she began performing in her mother's nightclub act. While attending a Catholic high school, the lithe beauty signed with a modeling agency and posed for magazines including Glamour and Vogue. After graduating, she continued to model and sing, backing up Lou Rawls and Chaka Khan, then at 19 was spotted by Arista president Clive Davis &Number 8212; who had previously steered the careers of Warwick and Houston family friend Aretha Franklin &Number 8212; while giving a showcase in Manhattan. Davis signed Houston, and started choosing songs for her debut album, which featured duets with established stars Teddy Pendergrass (her first hit, "Hold Me") and Jermaine Jackson, and cost Arista an extraordinarily hefty sum of $250,000.

Released in 1985, Whitney Houston proved a worthwhile investment, shooting to Number One and generating the smash singles "You Give Good Love" (Number Three pop, Number One R&B, 1985), "Saving All My Love for You" (Number One pop, Number One R&B, 1985), "How Will I Know" (Number One pop, Number One R&B, 1985), and "Greatest Love of All" (Number One pop, Number Three R&B, 1986). Whitney solidified Houston's success, reaching Number One and spawning "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Number One pop, Number Two R&B, 1987), "Didn't We Almost Have It All" (Number One pop, Number Two R&B, 1987), "So Emotional" (Number One pop, Number Five R&B, 1987), "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" (Number One pop, Number Two R&B, 1988), and "Love Will Save the Day" (Number Nine pop, Number Five R&B, 1988). Also in 1988, Houston recorded "One Moment in Time," NBC-TV's theme song for the Summer Olympics (Number Five pop). In 1989 she teamed up with Aretha Franklin on the Number Five R&B hit "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be."

In 1990 I'm Your Baby Tonight's title track topped the pop and R&B charts, as did "All the Man That I Need." There were more hits in 1991 — "Miracle" (Number Nine pop, Number Two R&B), "My Name Is Not Susan" (Number 20 pop, Number Eight R&B), and "I Belong to You" (Number 10 R&B) — but, peaking at Number Three, Baby proved disappointing after its predecessors. Houston bounced back in a big way, though, with the 1992 film The Bodyguard, in which she made her acting debut (as a singing star, opposite Kevin Costner), to mixed reviews and huge box office success. The movie's soundtrack — with six tracks sung by Houston — proved even more successful, hitting Number One and producing a monster single, Houston's cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" (1992), which remained at the top of the chart for an unprecedented 14 weeks, as well as a cover of Chaka Khan's 1978 hit "I'm Every Woman" (Number Four pop, Number Five R&B, 1993) and "I Have Nothing" (Number Four pop, Number Four R&B, 1993). In 1992 Houston married singer Bobby Brown; their first child, Bobbi Kristina, was born the next year.

Houston's next career move was to attempt to duplicate the success of the movie/soundtrack combination of The Bodyguard with 1995's black-female friendship film Waiting to Exhale, in which the singer costarred alongside Angela Bassett. The movie was popular with audiences, and resulted in a few more hit singles for Houston, most notably "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" (Number One pop and R&B) and a duet with CeCe Winans, "Count on Me" (Number Eight pop, Number Seven R&B, 1996). In 1996 Houston starred with Denzel Washington and Courtney B. Vance in The Preacher's Wife, a box-office disappointment whose soundtrack nevertheless gave her another charting ballad, "I Believe in You and Me" (Number Four pop, Number Four R&B).

She tried the small screen in 1997, producing and playing the Fairy Godmother to Brandy's Cinderella in a Wonderful World of Disney remake of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. In 1998 Houston released her first studio album since 1990, the uncharacteristic My Love Is Your Love (Number 13 pop, Number Seven R&B). Aside from a handful of ballads, including her Oscar-winning duet with fellow diva Mariah Carey, "When You Believe" (Number 15 pop, Number 33 R&B, 1998–99), from The Prince of Egypt, and the Diane Warren–penned torch song "I Learned From the Best" (Number 13 R&B, 1999), the album showcased a new, savvy street credibility that had previously come through only in Houston's later interviews and her private life with Brown. Hip-hop personalities and producers such as Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, Rodney Jerkins, Missy Elliott, and Faith Evans collaborated with the vocalist on various tracks. The public still loved the new Whitney, giving her hits with the sultry "Heartbreak Hotel" (Number Two pop, Number One R&B), the kick-him-out anthem "It's Not Right But It's Okay" (Number Four pop, Number Seven R&B, 1999), and the reggae-inflected title track (Number Four pop, Number Two R&B, 1999).

While Houston was back in the spotlight, reports of her already notorious prima donna behavior became more prevalent in 1999 and 2000: She was often hours late for interviews, photo shoots, and rehearsals; canceled concerts and talk-show appearances; and in what would be the start of a string of tabloid stories questioning her state of mind, dodged arrest for marijuana possession at a Hawaii airport in January 2000 (charges were later dismissed). In the months that followed that incident, Houston was a surprising no-show at her mentor Clive Davis' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and was allegedly booted out of Academy Awards rehearsals for an all-star tribute to Burt Bacharach. Rumors about her tumultuous marriage to Brown resurfaced, particularly when he was briefly imprisoned in mid-2000 for a parole violation. Yet Houston attempted to have the last laugh with a powerful performance at an Arista Records anniversary party that also served as a tribute to Davis, plus the release of a two-disc greatest-hits collection that equally highlighted her ballads and dance-club remixes and featured four new songs, three of which were duets with Deborah Cox, Enrique Iglesias, and George Michael

It turned out Houston had been struggling with a drug problem. After renewing her Arista contract with the biggest record deal in history ($100 million for a promise of six new albums), she performed on Michael Jackson's Thirtieth Anniversary television special looking thin and frail. The following year, Houston spoke frankly about her drug problems in a special edition of ABC's Primetime with Diane Sawyer that coincided with the release of her comeback album, Just Whitney (Number Three R&B/Hip-Hop, Number Nine pop, 2002). The album — which included production work by her husband, Missy Elliott and Babyface — was Houston's first work without the involvement of Davis. Just Whitney was not well received: critics bashed it, the singles failed to reach the Top Forty and sales of the album were lower than any of her previous works. She followed up with a holiday disc, One Wish: The Holiday Album (Number 14 R&B/Hip-Hop, Number 49 pop, 2002), which sold even fewer copies. In spring of 2004 Houston entered rehab for the first time; later that year, she toured as part of the Soul Divas along with her cousin Dionne Warwick and Natalie Cole. That September, Houston received a standing ovation when she sang a tribute to Davis at the World Music Awards. She and Davis subsequently announced they would be working together on a new album, although as of 2008 their plans had not yet materialized. Houston returned to rehab in 2005 and the following year filed for divorce from Brown (after some of the couple's trails and travails were aired on the MTV reality show "Being Bobby Brown" in 2005). In 2007 Davis reiterated that the two were working on a new album and had lined up a string of hip producers including John Legend and will.i.am. That April Houston's divorce from Brown was finalized with her winning sole custody of the couple's daughter. In December 2007 an apparently sober Houston performed an entire show before a crowd of 10,000 at the Live and Loud Festival in Malaysia.

Hall & Oates

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:04:03 -0800

There was a time in the early 1980s when the breezy pop of Hall and Oates was inescapable. Next to The Righteous Brothers, the duo is probably the most famous Blue-Eyed Soul group in the world. They hold the record for most Top-40 hits as a duo with twenty-nine -- as many as the number of years the group has been around. The band started in the late 1960s in Philadelphia with a sound that drew from folk and rock, but especially from Soul, particularly from the sounds of Gamble and Huff's Philly International Records. Based around Daryl Hall's sweet expressive tenor and John Oates' backup vocals and guitar work, their early hits "She's Gone" and "Sarah Smile" didn't give any real indication of the chart dominance the band would have begin in 1980 when their album Voices started a string of hits that didn't diminish for another five years. - Tom Heyman

Janet Jackson

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:38:14 -0800

As the baby of pop music's best-known family, Janet Jackson (b. Janet Damita Jo Jackson, May 16, 1966, Gary, Indiana) could have spent her career in the shadow of her eight siblings, particularly brother Michael. Instead, with the help of some savvy creative and professional advisers outside the family, Janet established herself as the preeminent pop-funk diva of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Her wispy voice was a pale echo of Michael's, but on Janet's albums — and in her videos and live performances, which revealed a crisp, athletic dance technique not unlike her brother's — singing wasn't the point. Her slamming beats, infectious hooks, and impeccable production values were perfectly suited to the breezy zeal with which she declared her social and sexual independence.

As a young child, Jackson was a tomboy who aspired to be a jockey. When she was seven, though, her father, Joseph, encouraged her to join her brothers — by then famous as the Jackson 5 — in their music and variety act. (Sister La Toya joined them for several shows in 1974; the following year, La Toya, eldest sister Rebbie, and brother Randy were all in on the act, while brother Jermaine bowed out.) Shows in Las Vegas resulted in a summer-replacement TV show in 1976 (on CBS), which led Janet to roles on the popular sitcoms Good Times and Diff'rent Strokes.

Next, Jackson secured a contract with A&M Records, and in 1982, while still managed and creatively guided by her father, she released a forgettable debut album, Janet Jackson. The album did yield a Number Six R&B single, "Young Love." Another TV role, on the series Fame, followed, as did another unremarkable album, 1984's Dream Street, and another R&B hit, "Don't Stand Another Chance" (Number Nine). Also in 1984, at the age of 18, Jackson defied her family by marrying singer James DeBarge, whose fledgling R&B sibling act DeBarge was being hyped as a successor to the Jacksons. The marriage was annulled after less than a year; but the seeds of Jackson's independence from the family dynasty, and her father in particular, were firmly planted.

Then John McClain, an A&M executive and family friend, suggested that Jackson work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis of the Time. Collaborating with these musician/writer/producers, Jackson recorded her breakthrough album, 1986's Control, which topped the pop and R&B album charts and spawned numerous hits: "What Have You Done for Me Lately" (Number Four pop, Number One R&B), "Nasty" (Number Three pop, Number One R&B), "When I Think of You" (Number One pop, Number three R&B), and, in 1987, "Control" (Number Five pop, Number one R&B), "Let's Wait Awhile" (Number Two pop, Number 1 R&B), and "The Pleasure Principle" (Number 14 pop, Number One R&B). Helping fuel these singles were Jackson's highly energized, elaborately staged videos, most of which featured movie-musical-inspired choreography by Paula Abdul, who was discovered by Jackie Jackson, Abdul's boyfriend during her L.A. Lakers cheerleading days.

Having asserted her adulthood and self-reliance with Control, by 1987 Jackson had dismissed her father as manager (as other siblings had done before her) before recording Rhythm Nation 1814. Control's successor dealt with larger social issues, like the need for tolerance, and found Jam and Lewis assuming more of the songwriting duties. (Years later, Jackson would also credit her boyfriend, Rene Elizondo Jr., for contributing ideas to many of her songs beginning with this album; it was known that he helped choreograph, and eventually directed, some of her videos.) Rhythm Nation hit Number One in the pop and R&B categories in 1989, and generated the smash singles "Miss You Much" (Number One pop and R&B) and, in 1990, "Rhythm Nation" (Number Two pop, Number One R&B), "Escapade" (Number One pop, Number One R&B), "Alright" (Number Four pop, Number Two R&B), "Come Back to Me" (Number Two pop, Number Two R&B), "Black Cat" (Number One pop, Number Ten R&B), and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" (Number One pop, Number Three R&B). To promote the album, Jackson embarked on her first major tour, which matched the energy and spectacle of her videos.

In 1991 Virgin Records owner Richard Branson lured Jackson away from A&M with a contract worth more than $30 million. Her last original hit with A&M was a 1992 duet with Luther Vandross, "The Best Things in Life Are Free" (Number Ten pop, Number One R&B), recorded for the soundtrack to the film Mo' Money. In 1993 Jackson made her own movie debut as the heroine (opposite rapper Tupac Shakur) of director/screenwriter John Singleton's Poetic Justice, for which she received lukewarm reviews but an Oscar nomination for the song "Again."

That same year, Jackson's Virgin album janet. shot to the top of the pop and R&B charts, as did the single "That's the Way Love Goes." More Top 10 singles followed, including "If" (Number Four pop, Number Three R&B, 1993) and "Again" (Number one pop, Number Seven R&B, 1994). Her new material was just as confrontational, and more aggressively sexual, than her previous work had been; ditto for the accompanying tour, which featured Jackson in midriff-baring costumes, interacting suggestively with male dancers — indeed, more reminiscent of Madonna than Michael. While Janet's once squeaky-clean image wasn't shattered by scandal as her brother's was, it was clear by the early 1990s that the littlest Jackson was nobody's baby, and very much her own woman.

Jackson's status as a hitmaker led her to help her brother Michael regain some credibility by collaborating with him on the duet and elaborate video for "Scream" (Number Five pop, Number Two R&B) in 1995. The same year, she also had a solo hit with "Runaway" (Number Three pop, Number six R&B). She'd continue to please her fans with her next album, The Velvet Rope (Number One pop, Number Two R&B), in 1997. At times still sensual in nature — including a cover of Rod Stewart's seduction song "Tonight's the Night," without a change in the gender of the woman being sung to — much of the album had a melancholy feel and self-doubting lyrics. While doing interviews to promote the album and its tour, Jackson admitted to dealing with depression and long-standing self-esteem issues while working on the album. It did produce its share of hits, including "Got 'Til It's Gone" (Number Three R&B, 1997), based around a sample of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" and featuring the rapper Q-Tip, "Together Again" (Number One pop, Number Eight R&B, 1997), and "I Get Lonely" (Number Three pop, Number 1 R&B, 1998), featuring the group BLACKstreet. In 1999 she enjoyed a hit with Busta Rhymes, "What's It Gonna Be?!," which hit the top of the R&B singles chart.

But Jackson's life wasn't everything it appeared to be. Fans were surprised when, in 2000, Jackson's longtime creative and romantic partner, Elizondo, filed for divorce from the singer after nine years of marriage. Although Elizondo was seen as a loving, stable presence in Jackson's life, it had not been public knowledge that the couple had ever married. Jackson explained that she'd wanted to protect the union from media scrutiny. Also in 2000 Jackson returned to acting, costarring with Eddie Murphy in Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, which featured Jackson's "Doesn't Really Matter" (Number One, 2000). The following year she released the double-platinum All for You (Number 1, 2001), featuring the Grammy-winning Number One title track, as well as "Someone to Call My Lover" (Number Three, 2001), which included a loop of America's "Ventura Highway," and "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)," a Missy Elliott remix featuring the vocals of Carly Simon from her Seventies hit "You're So Vain."

On February 1, 2004, Jackson returned to the public eye with a halftime performance with Justin Timberlake at Super Bowl XXXVIII. The duet on his song "Rock Your Body" created huge controversy when the bustier Jackson was wearing tore open and exposed her right breast just as Timberlake sang the lyrics, "gonna have you naked by the end of this song." Jackson apologized for the incident, claiming it was a "wardrobe malfunction," and the three producers of the show — CBS, sister network MTV and the National Football League — all denied previous knowledge of the incident and abdicated responsibility for it. The display became the most-searched event in the history of the Internet, according to the Guinness World Records. And its ramifications were far-reaching. When Jackson declined to apologize to the network without claiming the incident was a wardrobe malfunction, she was denied a performance at the 2004 Grammy Awards. Record producer Jermaine Dupri, with whom Jackson had begun a relationship, resigned his position on the Grammy Awards committee. ABC stopped plans for Jackson to star in a made-for-television biopic on the life of Lena Horne when Horne expressed displeasure with the Super Bowl incident.

When Jackson's new album, Damita Jo (Number Two, 2004), arrived three months later, its highly sexual theme revealed what some interpreted to have been an elaborate marketing plan that began with the Super Bowl incident. In a soft-spoken remark at the end of the song "Sexhibition," Jackson says, "Relax, it's just sex." If it was a marketing ploy, though, it was a failure. Damita Jo produced no Top Forty pop singles — although "I Want You" reached Number 18 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart — and MTV aired none of its video. The album also met with vicious reviews, one critic calling it "the aural equivalent of hardcore pornography."

Two years later, Jackson rebounded slightly with one of the least sexual albums of her career, 20 Y.O. (Number One R&B/Hip-Hop, Number Two pop, 2006). One of its singles, "Call on Me," a duet with rapper Nelly, sold moderately, charting respectably at Number 25 pop and Number One R&B/Hip-Hop, but other singles were less successful. However, when she appeared on the cover of US Weekly that June, the issue was the magazine's biggest seller ever. In late 2007 Jackson appeared alongside Tyler Perry in the film Why Did I Get Married?, which opened at Number One at the box office, grossing $55 million. With her Virgin Records contract fulfilled, Jackson moved to Island Records for 2008's Discipline, which topped both the pop and R&B/Hip-Hop album charts and produced a hit in its first single, "Feedback" (Number 19 R&B/Hip-Hop).

Chris Brown

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:35 -0800

In 2005, a 16-year-old Chris Brown stormed the pop and R&B charts with his self-titled debut album (Number One R&B, Number Two Pop) and smash hit "Run It!" (Number One R&B, Number 1 Pop). The album presented trendy electronic production techniques and updated homages to Brown's heroes Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Usher.

Born Christopher Maurice Brown on May 5th, 1989, in the small town of Tappahannock, in Virginia's Northern Neck, he began dancing at age 2 and singing at 11, but initially aspired to be a rapper. Around that time, his father met a record producer while working his gas station job. Brown eventually signed with Jive Records, which teamed him with a string of name songwriters and producers including Jermaine Dupri and Scott Storch. In addition to the jaunty "Run It!" (featuring rapper Juelz Santana and a video that showed off Brown's plentiful dancing skills), Chris Brown yielded hits with the smooth bubblegum R&B of "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" (Number Two R&B; Number Seven Pop, 2005) and the R&B/hip-hop tracks "Gimme That" (Number Five R&B; Number 15 Pop, 2006) with Lil Wayne, and "Poppin'" (Number Five R&B; Number 42 Pop, 2006). The album won the young singer with the boyish face a string of awards in 2006 including Soul Train's Best R&B Soul New Artist, BET's Best New Artist, Teen Choice's Male Breakout Artist and Billboard's Male Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year and overall Artist of the Year.

Before releasing his second album, Brown headlined the Up Close and Personal Tour (which also included Bow Wow, Ne-Yo and Lil Wayne) and stole the show at 2007's MTV Video Music Awards, performing a tightly choreographed medley that included Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." Exclusive (Number Two R&B; Number Four Pop, 2007) arrived in November 2007 and broadened his musical palette with help from collaborators Will.i.am, Big Boi and Kanye West. The album yielded a blockbuster hit with rapper T-Pain, "Kiss Kiss" (Number One Pop; Number Two R&B, 2007), as well as the acoustic-based R&B/pop ballad "With You" (Number Two Pop; Number Five R&B, 2007). Shortly after the album came out, Brown made his second big-screen appearance in the holiday film This Christmas (he previously starred in the college dance film Stomp the Yard and made several television appearances). "Kiss Kiss" was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 50th Grammy Awards.

Adele

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:05:22 -0800

British soul-pop chanteuse Adele (nee Adele Laurie Blue Adkins) is a stunning young talent with a huge voice. After she recorded a few songs, a friend set up a MySpace page for her in early 2005; record execs discovered her there in their hunt for the "next Lily Allen." After signing to XL, she suffered from a terribly ill-timed case of writer's block -- that is until she fell in and out of love. A breakup opened the floodgates of emotion and creativity, resulting in her debut album 19. Inspired by great soul dames like Etta James and Billie Holiday and other singers such as Bjork, Jeff Buckley, Dusty Springfield and Jill Scott, Adele's sense of staggering, heartbreaking honesty and artistry are evidence of her superwoman resilience and everywoman experiences. - Angela Bruno

Ray LaMontagne

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:05:58 -0800

Musical epiphanies often happen to people at the most random moments. Dave Matthews once confessed that his came when he was eating a hot dog at the legendary Pink's in Hollywood when a Paul Williams song came on the radio and from then on he knew what he was going to do with the rest of his life. Roger McGuinn of the Byrds admits that after watching George Harrison play an electric 12-string guitar in A Hard Day's Night, that he suddenly knew that the magic sounding, jangly chime was gong to be his trademark sound. For Ray LaMontagne, the calling came over the speakers of a shoe factory he was working in. More specifically, it was "Tree Top Flyer" by Stephen Stills that stopped him dead in his tracks when he knew that he had to leave his job and pursue a singing/songwriting career. Having grown up in a nomadic family, it wasn't too unfamiliar for LaMontagne to suddenly pick up and start over, which is exactly what he did. Ten recorded demo songs later, he was inking a deal with Chrysalis Music Publishing before teaming up with Hollywood producer Ethan Johns to cut his debut album Trouble which was almost instantly nabbed by RCA Records in 2004. Although LaMontagne is often compared to Tim Buckley, his voice sounds not unlike a young Van Morrison or even Ryan Adams. - Eric Shea

Christina Aguilera

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:14:28 -0800

A former star of The New Mickey Mouse Club who hit it big with an innuendo-laden single, then traded in her implicitly not-so-good-girl image for an explicitly not-so-good-girl image. Where have we heard this one before? The child of an Ecuadorian-American father and a Caucasian mother, Christina Aguilera started her career as a professional performer at age ten with a 1990 appearance on Star Search. Her subsequent Mickey Mouse Club stint led to Disney using her "Reflection" on the 1998 Mulan soundtrack, and RCA released her self-titled debut in 1999. Dance-pop smashes like "Genie in a Bottle" and "What a Girl Wants" showcased her big voice, which, along with her Spanish-language version of the album (Mi Reflejo), set her apart from the late-'90s crowd of pop-star ingenues.

Yet Aguilera was still coming in second to Britney. Her appearance on the sexy 2001 remake of "Lady Marmalade" suggested a way into the spotlight. She radically altered her image for 2002's Stripped and became Xtina, widely mocked for her look even as her voice proved soulful and mature. But in 2006 she released the acclaimed Back to Basics, a tribute to the jazz and soul she says inspires her, and cemented her status as a grown-up diva. - Rachel Devitt

Aretha Franklin

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:42:36 -0800

More than any other Soul performer (or such Jazz-Blues belters as Dinah Washington), Aretha Franklin brought impassioned Gospel singing to American popular music. Never as subdued as the subtler Sam Cooke, Franklin belts out profane R&B songs with enough sacred lung power to send the sound waves all the way up to the heavens. Franklin doesn't go over the top, though, always staying in the realm of good taste and sensitive delivery. As she proved during her greatest period, the late '60 Atlantic Recordings, Franklin blows the roof off your house with so much class that you don't want her to stop until she has reduced your love shack to a pile of splinters. Who else could outdo Otis Redding and turn "Respect" into an eternal anthem of racial and sexual pride that even middle-class white men embrace? Franklin's voice has weathered the decades very well but her arrangements and material are often beneath her. You can't go wrong with any of her recent Gospel recordings and 1998's A Rose is Still A Rose embraced hip-hop production with great success. Aretha Franklin remains a vital part of the modern music scene. - Nick Dedina

Jeremih

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:38 -0800

In 2009, R&B crooner Jeremih made a startling discovery. What most people really want for their birthday is the same thing they want on the other 364 days of the year: hot, passionate sex. The, err, thrust of "Birthday Sex" seems like a no-brainer, and Jeremih's discovery quickly reverberated throughout the urban music world. Soon R. Kelly, Fabolous, and Teairra Mari were offering their considerable talents for remixes. Star material or just a novelty, the 21-year-old still owned the airwaves for some time. - Sam Chennault

Lionel Richie

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:33 -0800

Whether singing solo or with the Commodores, Lionel Richie has a warm and instantly recognizable voice that's known mostly for romantic ballads along the lines of "Truly," "Endless Love" and "Hello." His consecutive string of hits (nine years straight authoring at least one No. 1 single) remains a pop phenomenon challenged only by songwriter Irving Berlin and singer Mariah Carey. After releasing several hugely successful solo albums in the 1980s, Richie kept a low profile for most of the '90s before attempting a comeback of sorts with the '98 album Time, and again with Renaissance in '01, though neither album ignited much interest from the public. - Linda Ryan

Kristinia DeBarge

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:03:43 -0800

Everything is in place for Kristinia Debarge to be a huge pop star. She's got the pedigree: her dad (James DeBarge) and his siblings made up hit '80s R&B outfit DeBarge. She's got the right formula for a sizzling debut: Babyface (who discovered the young singer and helped her win a Def Jam contract) wrote and produced much of it. And most of all, if her debut single is any indication, she's got the talent: "Goodbye" is a burning hot, dance-pop kiss-off that borrows from Steam's 1969 classic "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye." - Rachel Devitt

Al Green

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:54 -0800

Hailing from a background steeped in Gospel, Al Green came onto the scene in the early 1970s. A consistent hitmaker and the embodiment of all that is both holy and secular, Green's career marked a popular return to grassroots soul music. The simple arrangements put the musical focus squarely on Green's silky cries, sensuous moans and breathtaking falsetto. In the late '70s a series of events led Green to reevaluate his career and his faith, and he decided to leave the world of secular music. He turned to preaching and became an ordained pastor. With a few exceptions, Green's music has since become hymn-related and formulaic. But hits like "Let's Stay Together" and a reworked "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" helped define pure soul music. - Jon Pruett

Amy Winehouse

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:42:38 -0800

If you like your chanteuses liberally doused in Chartreuse, Amy Winehouse is someone to raise a salutatory snifter to. As renowned for her boozing exploits and plunging dress sizes as for her marked musical abilities, the Londoner has risen to prominence on the back of gritty, often bleak autobiographical work. Winehouse readily admits that she writes from direct experience, and with songs that revolve around doomed relationships ("Stronger than Me"), drink ("Rehab") and recreational drugs ("Addicted"), you soon get the picture. But that aside, it's Winehouse's voice -- which saw her welcomed with open arms by Britain's two premier performance schools -- that forms the foundation of her appeal. By turns as knowing and vulnerable as Billie Holiday's and as streetwise as Ms Dynamite's, it reflects her fluctuating musical fixations (jazz, hip-hop and latterly Motown) and is a perfect tool to deliver her wry and affecting observations on the pratfalls and pain inherent in the pursuit of love. As Winehouse puts it: "I told you I was trouble/ You know that I'm no good" ("You Know I'm No Good"). - Jamie Dolling

Luther Vandross

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:32 -0800

The 1980s were a period of unchecked greed and decadence, when the world donned rose-colored glasses that filtered out the homeless and made the hole in the ozone layer seem patched. All those good feelings and denial of social woes meant that romance was back in style, and while the glasses clinked and millionaires' bankrolls flourished, so too did music to love by. Luther Vandross was the primary voice who provided the soundtrack for romantic rendezvous in the Reagan era, and by the mid-1980s, merely mentioning his name conjured up images of happy couples sipping Merlot in dimly lit rooms and chuckling at inside jokes -- and, alternately, jilted lovers consoling themselves. Blessed with a voice that was warm and soulful, Vandross' songs dripped with romance, promised love on the horizon, or turned a teary eye towards duos fading into solitude. When things came crashing in and bleak reality reared its ugly head in the mid-1990s, florid R&B gave way to less sentimental music . Even so, Vandross could always be counted on as the perfect complement to a night spent with a "friend" or the first few nights spent sleeping alone. He passed away on July 2, 2005, at the age of 54.

Seal

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:07:24 -0800

In this age when marketers prefer to direct music at narrow audiences, Seal combines pop, R&B, hip-hop and moody rock with a down-tempo dance vibe. The wide appeal and wide range of his sound is, in many ways, a product of the British singer's multifaceted background. Born Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Ongowe' Bongota Adelo Samuel to a Nigerian father and Brazilian mother, Seal earned a degree in architecture and worked as a leather clothing designer before joining the English funk band Push in the 1980s and, later, a blues band in Thailand. His most fortuitous collaboration was with house and techno producer Adamski, with whom Seal created 1990's "Killer." The No. 1 hit earned him a solo record contract. His eponymous 1991 debut produced the smash hit "Crazy," as well as a fruitful partnership between Seal and famed producer Trevor Horn. Over the next 16 years, Seal released four more albums, including his (also eponymous) 1994 sophomore effort (which featured Batman Forever hit "Kiss from a Rose") and 2007's System (which featured a duet with wife Heidi Klum). Like Sade, his fellow uni-named Brit, Seal takes long breaks between recordings, letting his hits build over time. - Rachel Devitt

George Michael

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:09:52 -0800

Few could have guessed the transition from teenybopper idol to serious singer/songwriter would go as smoothly as it did for George Michael, who became famous as half of the British pop duo Wham! before ascending to pop superstardom with his solo debut, Faith. Whereas in Wham! Michael used his cherubic good looks and uncanny knack for a melodic hook to create ingratiating but disposable pop, his solo work reveals an earnest effort to achieve deeper musical and emotional resonance. His radiant ballads, insidious dance tracks, and blue-eyed soul singing established him as a top international artist.

Michael's popularity never waned in the U.K. — all of his albums have reached either Number One or Number Two on the album charts there — but subsequent efforts have been able to match his early solo successes in the U.S. Michael's first post-Wham! outing was "I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)," a duet with Aretha Franklin that hit Number One in 1987 and earned Michael a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo. Shortly afterward, Michael released the funky first single off Faith, "I Want Your Sex," which, bolstered by a sexy video, quickly soared to Number Two. The album would eventually spin off four Number One hits: "Faith" (1987), the shimmering "Father Figure" (1988), the romantic ballad "One More Try" (1988), and "Monkey" (1988). "Kissing a Fool" hit Number Five, further boosting the 14 million–selling Faith. 1988's smash album and Grammy winner for Album of the Year.

In his videos and media appearances, Michael cultivated a sex-symbol image, albeit a more rugged — leather, chin stubble, sneer — and mature one than he had nurtured in Wham! But with the release of his second solo effort, Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1, in 1990, Michael surprised fans and industry insiders by shunning the press and saying that he wouldn't make videos. The album peaked at Number Two nonetheless, and there was a chart-topping hit, the somber "Praying for Time" (Number One, 1990). The danceable second single, "Freedom 90" — whose lyrics spelled out Michael's decision to abandon his rock-star persona — went to Number Eight (1990) and was made into a video, albeit without Michael's presence. (Instead, a bevy of supermodels lip-synched his vocals.) In late 1991 Michael was back on the charts with a Number One version of Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," recorded live with John.

A year later, Michael announced that he would take legal action to terminate his contract with Sony Music, the corporation that took over his label, Columbia Records. He charged that Sony, still wishing to package Michael as a sex symbol, lacked respect for his artistic expression and that it only halfheartedly supported his projects benefiting AIDS research and prevention, among them his duet with Elton John and his three-track contribution to a compilation album called Red Hot + Dance. In 1993, Sony grudgingly granted Hollywood Records permission to release Five Live, an EP of two cover songs performed by Michael on his 1991–92 tour and three from his appearance at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in 1992, during which he sang Queen songs with surviving members of that band. All proceeds from the record went to the Phoenix Trust, an AIDS charity set up in Mercury's memory.

In June 1994 a London court rejected Michael's claim that his contract with Sony amounted to "restraint of trade" and upheld the $12 million contract the singer had signed with the company in 1988. At the time, Michael owed the label six more albums on a contract that could run to 2003. Two months later, Michael filed an appeal of the verdict. As the legal battle continued, Michael was unable to release new product. Under a special arrangement, however, Michael performed his song "Jesus to a Child" on television as part of an annual appeal to raise funds for needy children. After hearing the six-minute song, listeners pledged $32,000 to the charity.

In 1995, though Michael lost the appeal he filed, he signed new contracts with DreamWorks in the U.S. and Virgin in the rest of the world. He released his first album of new material in six years, Older, in 1996 (Number Six), featuring "Jesus to a Child" (Number Seven) and the dance track "Fastlove" (Number Eight), but the release sold just 900,000 copies in the U.S.

Michael's profile was heightened again in 1998, but for a more notorious reason: In April of that year, he was arrested for lewd conduct in the men's room of a public park in Beverly Hills. Michael subsequently outted himself on CNN, and though the court fined him and ordered him to perform community service, he seemed somewhat relieved to reveal the truth to the media and his fans. That fall, he even set the scene for his video for "Outside" (one of two new songs from Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael) in a public restroom; it featured dancing men dressed in leather and male actors portraying police officers kissing. Unfortunately, this was no joke to Michael's real-life arresting officer, who filed a lawsuit against him, claiming slander; the judge dismissed the case.

In late 1999 Michael put the embarrassing events of the previous year behind him with the release of Songs From the Last Century, an album of cover songs co-produced by Phil Ramone that ran the gamut from the Depression-era "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" to the Police's "Roxanne." In 2000 Michael participated in Equality Rocks, a concert in Washington, DC, organized by the Human Rights Campaign that highlighted the issue of gay rights.

Michael's next studio album, Patience (Number 12, 2004), achieved mild chart success overseas, but achieved its greatest notoriety in the U.S. with the inclusion of "Shoot the Dog," a tepid dance track whose video poked fun at Tony Blair and George H.W. Bush. A double-disc best-of, Twenty Five, followed in 2006. That same year, Michael launched an extensive European tour, his first in fifteen years. In September of 2008 Michael was again arrested in a public lavatory in London's Hampstead Heath area for drug possession. In a statement, an embarrassed Michael said: "I want to apologize to my fans for screwing up again, and to promise them I'll sort myself out. And to say sorry to everybody else, just for boring them."

Leona Lewis

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:35 -0800

The age when televised talent contests were popular kingmakers has no better poster child than Leona Lewis, an English neo-soul singer and songwriter who won the third series of a British TV talent show called The X Factor and became a huge international pop star nearly overnight. Lewis began writing songs at 12 and winning local talent contests around London a few years later. Her big pipes earned her an instant following in the UK (here toothsome good looks probably didn't hurt either) before she even released her first single, "A Moment Like This," in December of 2006. That single set records by being downloaded over 50,000 times in 30 minutes and was followed the next year by her debut LP, Spirit, which had its songs and producers selected jointly by record moguls Simon Cowell and Clive Davis. - Nate Cavalieri

Jamie Foxx

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:07:25 -0800

Born in small town Texas and raised by his grandparents, Jamie Foxx found early success on the comedy club circuit, before joining the cast of the Wayans brothers' sketch TV show In Living Color. He then starred in his own self-titled sitcom for several years before making the switch to feature films. Despite being known primarily as an actor/comedian, his first love was always music, and he actually released a little-heard debut album entitled Peep This back in 1994. In 2004, he sang the hook on Twista's smash hit "Slow Jamz," and people everywhere took note of his smooth vocal abilities. That same year he dazzled audiences with his turn as Ray Charles in the biopic Ray, where he flexed his pipes again, singing all of the songs in the film and taking home a Best Actor Oscar for his performance. One of his tunes from the film was sampled by Kanye West as the basis for "Gold Digger," another No. 1 hit. In late 2005, he released Unpredictable, a collection of glossy R&B tracks featuring collabos with Kanye West and Ludacris among others. The album debuted at No. 2 on the charts, and soon rose to the top spot. - Brolin Winning

T-Pain

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:34 -0800

Coming out of Tallahassee, Fla., T-Pain started recording four-track keyboard beats and rhyming over them beginning at the age of 10. As a teenager, he rolled with a crew called Nappy Headz, finding local success with rowdy street records like "Robbery" and "F.L.A." After the group's shine began to dim, T-Pain switched his focus to singing. In 2004, he reworked Akon's hit single "Locked Up" into his own tune entitled "F*ck*d Up," and the song took off regionally. Akon himself was so impressed by the cut that he signed the young singer to his Konvict Records imprint. In the fall of 2005, T-Pain dropped his first major label single, the Zapp-flavored "I'm Sprung," in anticipation of his debut album Rappa Ternt Sanga. In 2007, T-Pain staked his claim on hip-hop and R&B with Epiphany, spawning the ubiquitous club joints "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" and "Bartender." With vocoder in tow, T-Pain himself became ubiquitous, collaborating with Chris Brown, R. Kelly, Huey, DJ Khaled and every Florida rapper in existence. In 2008, he released his third album, the circus-themed Thr33 Ringz, which featured the hit single "Can't Believe It." - Brolin Winning

Zero 7

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:54 -0800

Studio assistants turned superstars, London's Henry Bins and Sam Hardaker are now finding their cool and sexy tunes played all over the world. Prior to their highly acclaimed debut album, Simple Things, Zero 7 started making waves with a series of EPs and remixes, including Radiohead's "Climbing Up The Walls" and Lenny Kravitz's "If You Can't Say No." Soul vocalists Mozez, Sia Fuller, and Sophie Barker take their downtempo sound into the mainstream, yet their music shows no inclination to sell out. - Nicholas Baker

The Isley Brothers

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:34 -0800

The Isleys have had success in many genres since their beginnings in the 1950s, arguably hitting their peak and writing some of their tightest music in the '70s. From "Who's That Lady" to "It's Your Thing," they've produced numerous hits that are still blaring on radios (and commercials) across the land. Centered for most of their career on the vocal talents of Ronald, Rudolph and Vernon, in their 3 + 3 era the Isleys benefited from the addition of a couple more brothers to the backing band: bassist Marvin and fiery guitar player Ernie (plus a brother-in-law on keyboards). Some of their best work can be found on the album Brother, Brother, Brother, but the seminal "Footsteps in the Dark" is not to be missed either. Among other accomplishments, they toured with a young guitarist named Jimmy James (later known as Jimi Hendrix -- his work can be heard on the single "Testify"). From Doo-Wop songs to Soul tracks, Funk grooves to Disco beats, the Isley Brothers have always remembered how to inject a memorable melody into every number they record. - Jessy Terry