C+C Music Factory, formed in 1989 in New York City by David Cole and Robert Clivillés, pioneered an infectious blend of house, hip hop, and pop. Known for hits like "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)," they earned 35 awards, including five American Music Awards. Their influential sound featured vocalists such as Freedom Williams and Martha Wash.
Born in New York City, Lisa Velez led the 1980s supergroup Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, pioneering freestyle music into the mainstream. She became the first Puerto Rican/Latino artist to top pop and R&B charts with multi-platinum albums featuring hits like Head to Toe.
The Mary Jane Girls, formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by Rick James, were an R&B, soul, and funk group. Known for their glamorous image, soulful harmonies, and infectious grooves, they delivered hits like "In My House," "All Night Long," and "Candy Man." They earned a gold album with "Only Four You" and were inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2019. Their sound has been sampled by numerous artists.
Exposé is an American dance-pop and freestyle girl group formed in the mid-1980s by Ann Curless, Jeanette Jurado, and Gioia Bruno. Their multi-platinum debut album Exposure made history with four Billboard top-ten hits, including the chart-topping ballad Seasons Change.
Atlanta's Tag Team duo, known for the '90s hit "Whoomp! There It Is," sold over 4 million copies. Known for high-energy party rap, their work includes hits like "U Go From" and albums with massive singles.
Harlem rapper Rob Base (Robert Ginyard) rose with DJ E-Z Rock on the 1988 multi-platinum hit It Takes Two, a hip-house touchstone. The single and album went platinum, earning Spin Single of the Year. His 1989 solo LP was The Incredible Base.
The Jets, a band of 8 siblings from a Tongan family in Minneapolis, hit fame in 1986-89 with songs like "Crush on You." Known for dance-pop, they achieved gold albums before shifting to gospel in the '90s.
Evelyn “Champagne” King is a Philadelphia singer best known for disco and R&B hits “Shame” (1977), “I’m in Love” (1981) and “Love Come Down” (1982). Her debut LP Smooth Talk was gold, and “The Dance” (2008) extended her Billboard dance chart run across three decades.
Color Me Badd is an American contemporary R&B group formed in 1985 in Oklahoma City. Best known for “I Wanna Sex You Up,” “I Adore Mi Amor” and “All 4 Love,” they’ve sold 12M+ records, earned 2 Grammy noms, and won Soul Train and AMAs.
