I have a reader to thank this Thanksgiving holiday for helping me take an important step toward further balancing coverage on this site. The truth is that I've avoided writing much about the expanse of '80s R&B because I feared my limited knowledge about the genre would render the task terribly difficult and time-consuming. I knew that to do justice to a list like the Top 10 R&B Artists of the '80s, I would have to research extensively in order to feel confident rating the music of this vast genre. After all, I'm a suburban Caucasian who grew up on Casey Kasem, classic rock, heavy metal, hair metal and early alternative rock. How would I know the key aspects of and differences between Evelyn "Champagne" King and Stephanie Mills?The answer to this question, of course, is simple time and effort, and although I would never claim to be an expert on quiet storm, old-school R&B, I feel thoroughly enriched by the knowledge and listening experience my recent study has produced. So please, consider the source as you check out my list, remembering always that I seek to explore the true giants of the R&B world of the '80s rather than merely offer repetitive glimpses into the well-worn histories of the era's biggest pop stars. Imperfections aside, I'm hoping that in this case success lies in the effort put forth.
Album Cover Image Courtesy of Island Def Jam
Comments