Rhythmic oldies
Encyclopedia
Rhythmic Oldies is a radio format
that concentrates on the rhythmic
, disco or dance
genres of music. Playlists may span from the 1970s through the early 1990s. Depending on market conditions and playlist, the format may have a significant African-American or Hispanic
composition.
The format is also referred to as "Jammin' Oldies" or "Music From Back In The Day" by various radio stations.
radio station formerly known as KIBB began a new concept in radio. KCMG, which named itself Mega 100.3 after a listener contest, was "oldies with attitude".Chancellor Media, later to be called AMFM, developed the format with the intention of using it on other stations.
Just as radio in the 80s had the "urban
versus churban
" competition, R & B oldies radio was dividing into two camps—the straight urban oldies stations targeting African-Americans, and the "Jammin' Oldies" stations with a wider audience that included both blacks and whites. On Jammin' Oldies radio, Disc jockeys were often mostly white or a variety of racial groups. Many of the songs played had crossed over to top 40 radio, while R & B stations continued to play more hits, including ballads, not familiar to top 40 fans, especially if those songs were not singles
. Some of the rhythmic stations played songs completely unrelated to R & B; "Mony Mony
" by Tommy James
on the now defunct WFJO
in Tampa
was one example, though this station dropped such songs eventually.
Another version of the format was "Groovin' Oldies", as in the case of WGRV in Detroit
. This station switched from modern rock
in April 1999, calling itself "The Groove". This format lasted until a switch to adult contemporary in June 2001. The last song was "End of the Road
" by Boyz II Men
.
In April 1999, WGAY
in Washington, D.C.
, switched to "Jammin' Oldies", which had been successful in every market where it was tried. One reason was that the format was tailored to each specific market. In Los Angeles, the format leaned toward Latin music. Other markets included Fresno
, Chicago
, and New York City
. Listeners changed from urban contemporary
and other types of oldies
stations. Most of the music came from the 70s, but there were also 60s and 80s hits. Unlike most radio formats, Jammin' Oldies did not target one specific ethnic or gender group. Black and white artists were included, and a slight majority of listeners were female. WJMO "Jammin' Oldies 99.5" succeeded at first, but two years later fell victim to a declining economy. Another problem for "Jammin' Oldies" was that it was the "hot new format" in 1998, but there were other "hot new formats" in 2000.
In Chicago, it was rocker WRCX that changed—to WUBT "103-5 The Beat". The result was a significant ratings improvement that resulted from adding pop artists such as Madonna
, The Bee Gees and Tina Turner
to what had been old school urban oldies. But the deregulation of radio in 1996 made consolidation a priority. This meant companies were looking at operating groups of stations rather than at individual stations they owned. Clear Channel
bought AMFM, and in 2001 WUBT became top 40 WKSC-FM.
In New York City
it was WTJM
"Jammin' 105.1", formerly an adult contemporary station, that made the switch to the music. The difference from competitor WRKS was described this way by Airplay Monitor editor Sean Ross:
. By 2002, the station was playing newer R & B.
Early success stories included KMEZ
in Louisiana
, WRBO
in Memphis
, XHRM-FM
in San Diego
and KTXQ in Dallas
, as well as KFMK
in Austin
and KISQ and KNRX in San Francisco. Contrary to what one might expect, competition from oldies
and urban adult contemporary
had little effect on ratings.
The format proved to be little more than a "passing fad", one that stations got excited about but listeners did not—or when they did, not for very long.
In November 2000, WOCL
in Orlando
, KHZZ
in Sacramento
, and WBBT-FM in Richmond
changed several weeks after WGFX
in Nashville
left the format. But the format was still successful in some markets—KCMG in Los Angeles, WJJJ
in Pittsburgh
, KDJM
in Denver
, WMOJ
in Cincinnati
and KMGV
in Fresno all went up in the Summer 2000 ratings (in fact, KMGV was no. 1 with listeners in the 25-54 group). Joining the format was KMBX
in Seattle
.
Some in radio believed that Jammin' Oldies tried to target too many types of listeners. R & B oldies stations specifically targeting African-American listeners were doing better than Jammin' Oldies--WWSO
in Norfolk
, KMEZ, and WRBO. Other stations of this type included WNPL
in Nashville
and WPLZ
in Richmond
. Former KCMG program director Don Parker said a mass-appeal format would not do as well as one that targeted a specific ethnic group (his station went after Hispanics despite requests to add more disco
). Consultant Barry Mayo
also said targeting blacks was a good strategy.
By 2000, Jammin' Oldies stations had different approaches, with some playing only 60s and 70s music, and others focusing more on the 80s, with still others such as WMOJ playing early rap. KMBX played no 60s music, while WJJJ (which was co-owned with oldies WWSW) added songs from the 80s and 90s and de-emphasized Motown. WUBT program director Jay Beau Jones said stations that ventured into the 90s probably should not be considered oldies.
WEJM
in Philadelphia
was one of the stations with older music dominant. Still, some radio program directors did not like using the term "oldies" even for these stations.
Other stations emphasizing older music were WJMO and WZJM
in Cleveland
. By contrast, WFJO played nothing from the 1960s, and WZMX
in Hartford
played few songs from before 1970.
In some markets, Jammin' Oldies should never have been tried, in the opinion of Infinity Broadcasting senior vice president John Gehron. Former AMFM Chief Programming Officer Steve Rivers said the format was tried when conventional oldies was not succeeding, but this turned out to be a mistake. Rivers also said that with the format's phenomenal success, expectations might have been too high, but some stations experienced success like they had not in the past.
Smaller-market stations such as KHZZ found it hard to achieve the numbers found in the big cities. KHZZ experienced competition from former oldies station KHYL
, but both stations ended up giving up the format, with KHZZ turning to oldies.
By 2002, numerous stations were changing to R & B and dance music
. In addition to WTJM, format pioneer KCMG (which became KHHT) was playing newer hits, along with WJMR in Milwaukee
and KMJK
in Kansas City, Missouri
. Greg Love, the program director
in charge of switching KMJK to Jammin' Oldies, said the format began to lose its appeal because people got excited to hear the songs, and then they were no longer special. Wayne Mayo said hits were chosen from too narrow a time period. WJMR program director Lauri Jones said people listened to several stations, and that when she worked in Minneapolis, she observed that her station was no longer the primary choice of many listeners.
KHHT program director Michelle Santosousso said many R & B stations were focusing on rap, and the more adult hits were hard to find. This led to a change not only in musical style but also target audience. Jones said Jammin' Oldies stations went from 70 percent white and 30 percent black to 70 percent black and 30 percent white. Love and Mayo both said there were black listeners, and now the stations had to focus on that audience. Santosousso, on the other hand, said the number of ethnic groups in Los Angeles required a different approach. Jones said the term "old school" replaced "classic soul", while Love said "old school" had to go. Love also said The Isley Brothers
, Barry White
and The Temptations
were recording new music, and an oldies station could not play those. But listeners wanted to hear them.
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
that concentrates on the rhythmic
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
, disco or dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
genres of music. Playlists may span from the 1970s through the early 1990s. Depending on market conditions and playlist, the format may have a significant African-American or Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
composition.
The format is also referred to as "Jammin' Oldies" or "Music From Back In The Day" by various radio stations.
History
On November 19, 1997, the Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
radio station formerly known as KIBB began a new concept in radio. KCMG, which named itself Mega 100.3 after a listener contest, was "oldies with attitude".Chancellor Media, later to be called AMFM, developed the format with the intention of using it on other stations.
Just as radio in the 80s had the "urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
versus churban
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
" competition, R & B oldies radio was dividing into two camps—the straight urban oldies stations targeting African-Americans, and the "Jammin' Oldies" stations with a wider audience that included both blacks and whites. On Jammin' Oldies radio, Disc jockeys were often mostly white or a variety of racial groups. Many of the songs played had crossed over to top 40 radio, while R & B stations continued to play more hits, including ballads, not familiar to top 40 fans, especially if those songs were not singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. Some of the rhythmic stations played songs completely unrelated to R & B; "Mony Mony
Mony Mony
"Mony Mony" is a 1968 single by Tommy James & the Shondells, that reached #1 in the UK charts.-History:"Mony Mony" was credited to Tommy James, Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell, and Bobby Bloom. The hook in the song is said to have been inspired by James' view of a MONY sign atop the Mutual of New York...
" by Tommy James
Tommy James
Tommy James is an American pop-rock musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as leader of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells.-Early life and career:...
on the now defunct WFJO
WPOI
WPOI, "Hot 101.5", is an FM radio station in Tampa, Florida broadcasting a CHR format.The station's HD-2 channel is known as "Star 101.5" and airs a Modern AC format.The station's main rivals are WFLZ, WSJT, and, to a lesser extent, WMTX and WLLD....
in Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
was one example, though this station dropped such songs eventually.
Another version of the format was "Groovin' Oldies", as in the case of WGRV in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. This station switched from modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
in April 1999, calling itself "The Groove". This format lasted until a switch to adult contemporary in June 2001. The last song was "End of the Road
End of the Road
"End of the Road" is a 1992 Grammy Award-winning, number-one song recorded in May 1992 by Boyz II Men for the Motown label. Written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Daryl Simmons. It is Boyz II Men's most successful single and replaced Diana Ross and Lionel...
" by Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
.
In April 1999, WGAY
WIHT
WIHT is a Top 40 formatted radio station that serves the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day. WIHT is licensed to and owned by Clear Channel Communications...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, switched to "Jammin' Oldies", which had been successful in every market where it was tried. One reason was that the format was tailored to each specific market. In Los Angeles, the format leaned toward Latin music. Other markets included Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Listeners changed from urban contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
and other types of oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
stations. Most of the music came from the 70s, but there were also 60s and 80s hits. Unlike most radio formats, Jammin' Oldies did not target one specific ethnic or gender group. Black and white artists were included, and a slight majority of listeners were female. WJMO "Jammin' Oldies 99.5" succeeded at first, but two years later fell victim to a declining economy. Another problem for "Jammin' Oldies" was that it was the "hot new format" in 1998, but there were other "hot new formats" in 2000.
In Chicago, it was rocker WRCX that changed—to WUBT "103-5 The Beat". The result was a significant ratings improvement that resulted from adding pop artists such as Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, The Bee Gees and Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
to what had been old school urban oldies. But the deregulation of radio in 1996 made consolidation a priority. This meant companies were looking at operating groups of stations rather than at individual stations they owned. Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
bought AMFM, and in 2001 WUBT became top 40 WKSC-FM.
In New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
it was WTJM
WWPR-FM
WWPR-FM, also known as "Power 105.1", is an urban contemporary radio station that features hip hop and R&B licensed to New York City that serves the Greater New York area....
"Jammin' 105.1", formerly an adult contemporary station, that made the switch to the music. The difference from competitor WRKS was described this way by Airplay Monitor editor Sean Ross:
TV spots feature former New York mayor Ed KochMusic director Wayne Mayo had held the same job at WRKS in New York City and at KISQ in San FranciscoEd KochEdward Irving "Ed" Koch is an American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989...
, not exactly someone you expect to emerge from the P-FunkP-FunkP-Funk is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic collective and the distinctive style of funk music they performed...
mother ship.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. By 2002, the station was playing newer R & B.
Early success stories included KMEZ
KMEZ
KMEZ, is a radio station serving the New Orleans area. The Cumulus Media station is licensed to Port Sulphur, Louisiana and broadcasts at 106.7 MHz with an ERP of 98 kW...
in Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, WRBO
WRBO
WRBO is a radio station serving the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area with an Urban Oldies format. It is under ownership of Cumulus Media....
in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, XHRM-FM
XHRM-FM
XHRM-FM is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio format licensed in the Mexican state of Baja California, broadcasting at 92.5 MHz...
in San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
and KTXQ in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, as well as KFMK
KFMK
KFMK is an Austin, Texas radio station operating a Contemporary Christian format. It is licensed to Round Rock, Texas with an ERP of 4,500 watts from a transmitter site near West Lake Hills, TX, and is currently owned by CRISTA Broadcasting after being owned by Clear Channel Communications and the...
in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and KISQ and KNRX in San Francisco. Contrary to what one might expect, competition from oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
and urban adult contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
had little effect on ratings.
The format proved to be little more than a "passing fad", one that stations got excited about but listeners did not—or when they did, not for very long.
In November 2000, WOCL
WOCL
WOCL is a radio station broadcasting in Orlando, Florida. The station airs a Classic hits format, focusing on music from 1964-1989 with the core being the 1970s. It is similar to the format used by sister station WCBS-FM in New York...
in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, KHZZ
KXSE
KXSE is a commercial radio station located in Davis, California, broadcasting to the Sacramento, California, area. The station offers a Spanish adult hits music format, and is the satellite station of the "Jose" radio network...
in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, and WBBT-FM in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
changed several weeks after WGFX
WGFX
WGFX is a radio station broadcasting on the FM band at 104.5 MHz licensed to the city of Gallatin, Tennessee, but serving the Nashville market as a whole. It is currently branded as 104.5 The Zone, broadcasting a sports talk format. It is owned by Cumulus Media and operates out of studios on Second...
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
left the format. But the format was still successful in some markets—KCMG in Los Angeles, WJJJ
WJJJ
WJJJ is a Religious formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Beckley, West Virginia, serving the Beckley/Princeton/Hinton area. WJJJ is owned and operated by Shofar Broadcasting Corporation....
in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, KDJM
KWLI
KWOF is a commercial radio station located in Denver, transmitting from Broomfield, Colorado, broadcasting to the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area on 92.5 FM. KWOF airs a country music format branded as "The Wolf"...
in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, WMOJ
WMOJ
WMOJ-FM is a rhythmic oldies radio station licensed to Norwood, Ohio.On September 2, 2006, Radio One, Inc. acquired the intellectual property and call letters of the station from Cumulus Media Partners, and moved it from 94.9 FM to 100.3 FM...
in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and KMGV
KMGV
KMGV is located in the Fresno, California area and broadcasts at 97.9 FM. It is owned by Peak Broadcasting, which acquired KMGV, and several other Fresno market stations, in November 2006 from CBS Radio....
in Fresno all went up in the Summer 2000 ratings (in fact, KMGV was no. 1 with listeners in the 25-54 group). Joining the format was KMBX
KJR-FM
KJR-FM is a Seattle, Washington,radio station that is broadcasting a classic hits format. It operates at 95.7 MHz at 98 kW, and also on the Internet via streaming audio. KJR-FM is owned by Clear Channel Communications, Inc.- KJR :...
in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.
Some in radio believed that Jammin' Oldies tried to target too many types of listeners. R & B oldies stations specifically targeting African-American listeners were doing better than Jammin' Oldies--WWSO
WVBW
WVBW is a Classic Hits formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Suffolk, Virginia, serving Hampton Roads. WVBW is owned and operated by Max Broadcast Group Holdings, LLC.-History:...
in Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, KMEZ, and WRBO. Other stations of this type included WNPL
WNFN
WNFN is a Top 40 formatted radio station in the Nashville, Tennessee market, broadcasting a Top 40 format.Previously licensed to the affluent Nashville suburb of Belle Meade, and recently obtaining a permit for an increased signal, with a new license based in nearby Millersville, WNFN was...
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and WPLZ
WKJS
WKJM and WKJS are Urban Adult Contemporary formatted broadcast radio stations.WKJM is licensed to Petersburg, Virginia, serving the Petersburg/Colonial Heights area.WKJS is licensed to Richmond, Virginia, serving the Metro Richmond area....
in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. Former KCMG program director Don Parker said a mass-appeal format would not do as well as one that targeted a specific ethnic group (his station went after Hispanics despite requests to add more disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
). Consultant Barry Mayo
Barry Mayo
Barry Mayo is a United States radio executive. In 1981 he helped launch WRKS-FM in New York as the first station to play rap music on a regular basis. The station's success led him to be promoted as the first black general manager of RKO General....
also said targeting blacks was a good strategy.
By 2000, Jammin' Oldies stations had different approaches, with some playing only 60s and 70s music, and others focusing more on the 80s, with still others such as WMOJ playing early rap. KMBX played no 60s music, while WJJJ (which was co-owned with oldies WWSW) added songs from the 80s and 90s and de-emphasized Motown. WUBT program director Jay Beau Jones said stations that ventured into the 90s probably should not be considered oldies.
WEJM
WBEN-FM
WBEN-FM, known as "95.7 Ben FM," is an adult hits station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station plays a mix of 1970s, 1980s and 1990s hits, with some current hot adult contemporary rock singles. Named after Benjamin Franklin, the station pioneered a "Playing Anything We Feel Like" radio...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
was one of the stations with older music dominant. Still, some radio program directors did not like using the term "oldies" even for these stations.
Other stations emphasizing older music were WJMO and WZJM
WKRK-FM
WKRK-FM — branded Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio, WKRK-FM is owned by CBS Radio and broadcasts a sports format...
in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. By contrast, WFJO played nothing from the 1960s, and WZMX
WZMX
WZMX, better known as "Hot 93.7" is a Rhythmic Contemporary station licensed to Hartford, Connecticut. The CBS Radio owned outlet broadcasts at 93.7 megahertz. The station's current slogan is Hartford's #1 Station For Hip-Hop and R&B...
in Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
played few songs from before 1970.
In some markets, Jammin' Oldies should never have been tried, in the opinion of Infinity Broadcasting senior vice president John Gehron. Former AMFM Chief Programming Officer Steve Rivers said the format was tried when conventional oldies was not succeeding, but this turned out to be a mistake. Rivers also said that with the format's phenomenal success, expectations might have been too high, but some stations experienced success like they had not in the past.
Smaller-market stations such as KHZZ found it hard to achieve the numbers found in the big cities. KHZZ experienced competition from former oldies station KHYL
KHYL
KHYL is a Rhythmic Adult Contemporary serving the Sacramento, California area and broadcasts at 101.1 FM. They are owned by Clear Channel Communications and is licensed to Auburn, California...
, but both stations ended up giving up the format, with KHZZ turning to oldies.
By 2002, numerous stations were changing to R & B and dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. In addition to WTJM, format pioneer KCMG (which became KHHT) was playing newer hits, along with WJMR in Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
and KMJK
KMJK
KMJK is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station serving the Kansas City metropolitan area with studios located in Merriam, Kansas. Licensed to North Kansas City, Missouri, the Cumulus Broadcasting outlet operates at 107.3 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW.KMJK was launched in 2001 as an Urban...
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. Greg Love, the program director
Program director
In service industries, such as education, a program director or programme director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services...
in charge of switching KMJK to Jammin' Oldies, said the format began to lose its appeal because people got excited to hear the songs, and then they were no longer special. Wayne Mayo said hits were chosen from too narrow a time period. WJMR program director Lauri Jones said people listened to several stations, and that when she worked in Minneapolis, she observed that her station was no longer the primary choice of many listeners.
KHHT program director Michelle Santosousso said many R & B stations were focusing on rap, and the more adult hits were hard to find. This led to a change not only in musical style but also target audience. Jones said Jammin' Oldies stations went from 70 percent white and 30 percent black to 70 percent black and 30 percent white. Love and Mayo both said there were black listeners, and now the stations had to focus on that audience. Santosousso, on the other hand, said the number of ethnic groups in Los Angeles required a different approach. Jones said the term "old school" replaced "classic soul", while Love said "old school" had to go. Love also said The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
, Barry White
Barry White
Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter , was an American composer and singer-songwriter.A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring...
and The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
were recording new music, and an oldies station could not play those. But listeners wanted to hear them.
Artists and Songs
- Paula AbdulPaula AbdulPaula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
- "Cold Hearted", "Forever Your Girl", "Rush Rush", "Straight Up" - After 7After 7After 7 is an R&B group founded in 1988 by brothers Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, and Keith Mitchell. The Edmonds brothers are the siblings of popular pop and R&B singer-songwriter-producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds"...
- "Can't Stop", "Ready Or Not" - AlishaAlishaAlisha is a female given name. There are several meanings in different languages for it. Some are 'Protected by God', 'Trustworthy', and 'Noble.'-People with this name:* Alisha , a U.S...
- "Bounce Back" - AnimotionAnimotionAnimotion is a 1980s U.S. New Wave/synthpop band from Los Angeles, California best known for their songs "Obsession" , "Let Him Go", "I Engineer" and "Room to Move"...
- "Obsession" - Apollonia 6Apollonia 6Apollonia 6 was a 1980s female singing trio created by Prince as a continuation/succession of a previous group, Vanity 6.-Formation and Purple Rain:...
- "Sex Shooter" - Ashford & SimpsonAshford & SimpsonNickolas Ashford , and Valerie Simpson , were a husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists....
- "Solid" - Average White Band - "Pick Up The Pieces", "Cut The Cake"
- Phillip Bailey - "Easy Lover", "Walking On The Chinese Wall"
- BaltimoraBaltimoraBaltimora were an Italian New Wave dance outfit active in the mid to late 1980s. The group comprised Jimmy McShane , Maurizio Bassi , Giorgio Cocilovo , Claudio Bazzari , Pier Michelatti and Gabriele Melotti...
- "Tarzan Boy" - Bay City RollersBay City RollersThe Bay City Rollers were a Scottish pop band who were most popular in the 1970s. The British Hit Singles & Albums noted that they were "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh", and were "the first of many acts heralded as the 'Biggest Group since The Beatles' and one of the most screamed-at...
- "Saturday Night" - The Bee Gees - "Jive Talkin'", "You Should Be Dancing", "Stayin' Alive", "Night Fever", "Tragedy"
- Bell Biv DevoeBell Biv DeVoeBell Biv DeVoe is an American R&B musical group which branched off from New Edition. It consists of three of New Edition's previous members, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe...
- "Poison" - Kurtis BlowKurtis BlowKurt Walker , better known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the first commercially successful rappers and the first to sign with a major record label...
- "The Breaks", "Basketball" - Brass ConstructionBrass ConstructionBrass Construction was an American funk group formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1968. They were originally known as Dynamic Soul, and went on to record a string of hit singles and albums through to 1985.-Career:...
- "Movin'" - BrickBrickA brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
- "Dazz", "Dusic" - Alicia BridgesAlicia BridgesAlicia Bridges is an American singer who co-wrote and performed her international hit "I Love the Nightlife " in 1978.-Early years:...
- "I Love The Nightlife" - The Brothers Johnson "I'll Be Good To You", "Strawberry Letter 23", "Stomp", "The Real Thing"
- Bobby BrownBobby BrownRobert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a...
- "Don'T Be Cruel", "Every Little Step", "My Prerogative", "Roni" - James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
- "It's A Man's Man's Man's World", "Cold Sweat", "Get On The Good Foot", "Living In America" - Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
- "Vision Of Love", "I'll Be There" - Chic (band)Chic (band)Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
- "I Want Your Love", "Le Freak", "Good Times" - CommodoresCommodoresThe Commodores are an American funk/soul band of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour...
- "Machine Gun", "Brick House", "Oh No", "Nightshift" - Con Funk ShunCon Funk ShunCon Funk Shun is an American R&B and funk band popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Influences include James Brown and Sly & the Family Stone.-History:...
- "Ffun", "Too Tight" - Corona (band) - "Rhythm Of The Night"
- Terence Trent D'Arby - "Wishing Well"
- Dawn (band) - "Knock Three Times"
- Morris DayMorris DayMorris E. Day is an American musician and composer. He is best known as the lead singer of The Time.-1970s and 1980s:...
- "Fishnet" - The Dazz Band - "Let It WhipLet it Whip"Let It Whip" is a 1982 hit single by the Dazz Band and their biggest hit, peaking at number one on the R&B chart for five non-consecutive weeks. The single also reached number two on the Dance chart and number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
", "JoystickJoystick (song)"Joystick" is a 1983 hit single by the Dazz Band, their second biggest hit of three Top 100 singles, reaching #61 on the Hot 100 and #9 on the Black Singles Chart. Co-written by the singer and guitarist of the group, the title of the song is double entendre for the male phallus...
" - DebargeDeBargeDeBarge was a sibling music group of American origin whose repertoire included R&B, soul, funk, and later gospel. Active as a professional recording group from 1979 and 1989, the group was one of the few recording acts to bring success to the Motown label during the 1980s.-Background:Hailing from...
- "Time Will Reveal", "Rhythm Of The Night" - Deee-LiteDeee-LiteDeee-Lite was an American house and club/dance group, formed in New York City, United States. The group's best-known single was "Groove Is in the Heart", from their 1990 debut album, World Clique. However, Deee-Lite achieved longer lasting success on the U.S...
- "Groove Is In The Heart" - The DeeleThe DeeleThe Deele is an American 80s R&B band from Cincinnati, Ohio, originally consisting of Indianapolis native Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds along with Antonio "L.A." Reid, Carlos "Satin" Greene, Darnell "Dee" Bristol, Stanley Burke, and Kevin "Kayo" Roberson...
- "Body Talk", "Two Occasions" - Deodato - "Also Sprach Zarathustra"
- Carl DouglasCarl DouglasCarl Douglas is a former Jamaican-born, UK-based, singer, best known for his song "Kung Fu Fighting", which hit number one in both the UK Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. The R.I.A.A. awarded gold disc status on 27 November, and it won a Grammy Award for Best Selling Single...
- "Kung Fu Fighting" - Earth, Wind, & Fire - "Shining Star", "Sing A Song", "September", "Serpentine Fire", "Boogie Wonderland", "Let's Groove", "Fall In Love With Me"
- En VogueEn VogueEn Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
- "Free Your Mind", "My Lovin'(You're Never Gonna Get It)" - Exposé - "Come Go With Me", "Point Of No Return"
- FoxyFoxy (band)Foxy is a Latin Dance/disco group formed in 1976 in Miami, Florida.The group consisted of vocalist-guitarist Ish "Angel" Ledesma , percussionist Richard "Richie" Puente, keyboardist Charlie Murciano, bass guitarist Arnold Paseiro and drummer Joe Galdo...
- "Get Off", "Hot Number" - The Gap Band - "Early In The Morning", "You Dropped A Bomb On Me"
- Marvin GayeMarvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
- "Sexual Healing", "Got To Give It Up" - Gloria GaynorGloria GaynorGloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul...
- "Never Can Say Goodbye", "I Will Survive" - GerardoGerardoGerardo Mejía , better known as simply Gerardo, is a Latin rapper and singer who later became a recording industry executive. Born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, he has based his career in Los Angeles, California since his family moved to Glendale, California, when he was 12 years old. He became known for...
- "Rico Suave" - Al GreenAl GreenAlbert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
- "Let's Stay Together" - Michael HendersonMichael HendersonMichael Henderson is an American bass guitarist and vocalist best known for his bass playing with Miles Davis in the early 1970s, on early fusion albums such as A Tribute to Jack Johnson, Pangaea, and Live-Evil.- Biography :He was one of the first notable bass guitarists of the fusion era as well...
- "Wide ReceiverWide Receiver (song)Wide Receiver is a 1980 funk/dance song by North American bass guitarist and vocalist Michael Henderson. The song was from the album Wide Receiver which is now out of print...
" - Patrick HernandezPatrick HernandezPatrick Hernandez is a French singer who had a worldwide hit with "Born to Be Alive" in 1979.-Biography:...
- "Born To Be Alive" - Hot Chocolate - "You Sexy Thing", "Every 1's A Winner"
- The Isley BrothersThe Isley BrothersThe Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
- "It's Your Thing", "That Lady" - Janet JacksonJanet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
- "Nasty", "Control" - Rebbie JacksonRebbie JacksonMaureen Reillette "Rebbie" Brown is an American singer professionally known as Rebbie Jackson . Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, she is the eldest child of the Jackson family of musicians...
- "Centipede" - The Jacksons - "State Of Shock", "Torture"
- Rick JamesRick JamesJames Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
- "Mary Jane", "Give It To Me Baby", "Super Freak", "Cold Blooded" - The JetsThe Jets (band)The Jets are a family band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, composed of brothers and sisters who specialize in pop, R&B, and dance music, particularly Latin freestyle.The group officially formed in 1985, with the original lineup fizzling out by 1990...
- "Crush On You", "You Got It All" - KC & the Sunshine Band - "Get Down Tonight", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love"
- Evelyn "Champagne" King - "Change"
- Kool & The GangKool & the GangKool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and...
- "Jungle Boogie", "Hollywood Swinging", "Ladies Night", "Too Hot", "Joanna", "Get Down On It", "Tonight", "Misled", "Fresh", "Emergency" - Patti LabellePatti LaBellePatricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
- "Lady Marmalade", "I Got A New Attitude" - LatimoreLatimoreLatimore can refer to :-* Latimore Township, Adams County, PennsylvaniaFamily name:* Benny Latimore, American R&B musician* Deandre Latimore , a professional boxer* Franklin Latimore , an American actor...
- "Let's Straighten It Out" - Lipps, Inc. - "Funkytown"
- Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - "Head To Toe", "Lost In Emotion"
- LondonbeatLondonbeatLondonbeat was originally a UK and American R&B and Dance band who scored a number of pop and dance hits in the early 1990s.-History:Londonbeat's career started in the Netherlands where "There's a Beat Going On" reached the Top 10, and then "9 A.M " which subsequently became a modest success in the...
- "I've Been Thinking About You" - Love Unlimited Orchestra - "Love's Theme"
- L.T.D.L.T.D.L.T.D. is an American R&B/funk band best known for their 1977 hit single, " Back in Love Again," as well as their many ballads, such as "Love Ballad," "We Both Deserve Each Other's Love," and "Where Did We Go Wrong?."-Career:L.T.D...
- "Back In Love Again" - Cheryl LynnCheryl LynnLynda Cheryl Smith , known better by her professional name Cheryl Lynn, is a female African-American disco, R&B and soul singer known best for her 1978 disco song, "Got to Be Real".-Early career:...
- "Got To Be Real" - Teena MarieTeena MarieMary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, was an American singer, songwriter and producer...
- "I Need Your Lovin'", "Lovergirl" - Mary Jane GirlsMary Jane GirlsThe Mary Jane Girls were an American R&B, soul, funk and disco group in the 1980s. They were protégées of singer Rick James. They are known for their hit songs "All Night Long", "Candyman" and "In My House".-Formation:...
- "In My House" - Mass ProductionMass productionMass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
- "Firecracker" - Curtis MayfieldCurtis MayfieldCurtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
- "Freddie's Dead", "Superfly" - Van McCoyVan McCoyVan Allen Clinton McCoy was an accomplished musician, music producer, arranger, songwriter, and orchestra conductor. He is known best for his 1975 internationally successful song "The Hustle", which is still played in dance halls and on radio to this day more than thirty years since his death...
- "The Hustle" - Giorgio MoroderGiorgio MoroderHansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
- "Chase" - MtumeMtumeMtume was a funk and soul group that had several R&B hits in the 1980s. Its founder, percussionist James Mtume, previously played with Miles Davis in the 1970s. Other members of the group included Reggie Lucas and Tawatha Agee.-History:...
- "Juicy Fruit" - Musical YouthMusical YouthMusical Youth are a British reggae band. The group originally formed in 1979 at Duddeston Manor School in Birmingham, UK. They are best remembered for their successful 1982 Grammy-nominated single, "Pass the Dutchie". The group featured two sets of brothers, Kelvin and Michael Grant, plus Junior...
- "Pass The Dutchie" - Walter MurphyWalter MurphyWalter Anthony Murphy, Jr. is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger. He rose to fame with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its...
- "A Fifth Of Beethoven" - New EditionNew EditionNew Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...
- "Cool It Now", "Mr. Telephone Man" - NewcleusNewcleusNewcleus is an American electro and old school hip hop group that gained popularity in the early 1980s. They are primarily known for their 12-inch singles "Jam-On's Revenge", re-released as "Jam on Revenge " , and "Jam on It" ....
- "Jam On It" - Maxine NightingaleMaxine NightingaleMaxine Nightingale is a British R&B and soul music singer. She is best known for her hits in the 1970s, with the million seller "Right Back Where We Started From" Maxine Nightingale (born 2 November 1952; Wembley, London) is a British R&B and soul music singer. She is best known for her hits in...
- "Right Back Where We Started From" - Nu ShoozNu ShoozNu Shooz is an American Freestyle-R&B-Dance group fronted by husband-and-wife team of John Smith and Valerie Day, based in Portland, Oregon. The Shooz released four albums in the U.S...
- "I Can't Wait", "Point Of No Return" - Billy OceanBilly OceanBilly Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s...
- "Caribbean Queen", "Loverboy" - Ohio PlayersOhio PlayersThe Ohio Players were an American funk and R&B band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their double #1 hit songs "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster".- Biography :...
- "Skin Tight", "Fire", "Love Rollercoaster", "Who'd She Coo?" - The O'JaysThe O'JaysThe O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...
- "Back Stabbers", "Love Train", "For The Love Of Money" - Alexander O'NealAlexander O'NealAlexander O'Neal is an American R&B singer. He is best-known for the songs "If You Were Here Tonight" and "Fake", and the duets with Cherrelle, "Saturday Love" and "Never Knew Love Like This".-Biography:...
- "Fake" - Jeffrey OsborneJeffrey OsborneJeffrey Linton Osborne is an American funk and R&B musician, songwriter, lyricist, and former lead singer of the band, L.T.D.-Early life and career:...
- "Stay With Me Tonight", "She's On The Left" - ParliamentParliament (band)Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
- "Up For The Down Stroke", "Flash Light" - Ray Parker Jr.Ray Parker Jr.Ray Erskine Parker, Jr. , is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer and recording artist. Parker is known for writing and performing the theme song to the motion picture Ghostbusters, for his solo hits, and performing with his band Raydio as well as the late Barry White.-Early life and...
& RaydioRaydioRaydio was an American funk and R&B vocal group formed in 1977, by Ray Parker Jr., with Vincent Bohnam, Jerry Knight, and Arnell Carmichael.-Career:...
- "Jack And Jill", "You Can't Change That", "A Woman Needs Love", "The Other Woman" - The PartyThe Party (band)The Party was an American pop band. The group was composed of Albert Fields, Tiffini Hale, Chase Hampton, Deedee Magno, and Damon Pampolina, all of whom were cast members of The All New Mickey Mouse Club.- History :...
- "In My Dreams" - Peaches & HerbPeaches & HerbPeaches & Herb was an American vocalist duo, once comprising Herb Fame and Francine "Peaches" Hurd Barker...
- "Shake Your Groove Thing" - PebblesPebblesPebbles may refer to:* Pebbles, small rocks* Pebbles , Boston-area radio DJ* Pebbles , British-trained thoroughbred racehorse of the 1980s* Pebbles Flintstone, a character in The Flintstones animated television show...
- "Girlfriend", "Giving You The Benefit" - Teddy PendergrassTeddy PendergrassTheodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade...
- "Close The Door", "Joy" - Pointer SistersPointer SistersThe Pointer Sisters are an American pop/R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Spanning over three decades, their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, disco, jazz, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country and rock.The...
- "Yes We Can Can", "Fire", "He's So Shy", "Slow Hand", "American Music", "I'm So Excited", "Automatic", "Neutron Dance", "Dare Me" - Billy PrestonBilly PrestonWilliam Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
- "Nothing From Nothing" - Pretty PoisonPretty PoisonPretty Poison is a Dance group based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Group members are Jade Starling ; Whey Cooler ; and Kaya Pryor .-History:...
- "Catch Me (I'm Falling)" - PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
- "I Wanna Be Your Lover", "1999", "Little Red Corvette", "Delirious", "Pop Life", "America" - Ready For The WorldReady for the WorldReady for the World is an American R&B band from Flint, Michigan who scored several moderate pop, soul, and dance hits in the mid to late 1980s...
- "Oh Sheila", "Love You Down" - Smokey RobinsonSmokey RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
- "Being With You" - Rose RoyceRose RoyceRose Royce is an American soul and R&B band. The group is best known for several hit singles including "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," "Wishing on a Star", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" and "I'm Going Down".-Career:...
- "Car Wash" - Diana RossDiana RossDiana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
- "Upside Down", "I'm Coming Out" - Patrice RushenPatrice RushenPatrice Rushen is a Grammy Award-winning African American R&B and jazz vocalist, composer and pianist.-Biography:...
- "Forget Me Nots" - ShalamarShalamarShalamar was an American music group, primarily of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator Don Cornelius. They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius...
- "The Second Time Around", "Dead Giveaway" - Sheila E.Sheila E.Sheila Escovedo , known by her stage name Sheila E., is an American drummer and percussionist, perhaps best known for her work with Prince, George Duke and Ringo Starr.-Early life and Prince period:...
- "The Glamorous Life", "The Belle Of St. Mark" - Silver ConventionSilver ConventionSilver Convention was a German euro disco recording act of the 1970s. The group was originally named Silver Bird Convention, or Silver Bird.-Career:...
- "Fly, Robin, Fly", "Get Up And Boogie (That's Right)" - Sister SledgeSister SledgeSister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...
- "He's The Greatest Dancer", "We Are Family" - SkyySkyy (band)Skyy was an American R&B/funk/disco band based in New York. They are perhaps best known for their 1982 hit, "Call Me," as well as their 1989 "comeback" hits, "Start of a Romance" and "Real Love."-Career:...
- "Call Me" - Slave (band)Slave (band)Slave was an Ohio funk band popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Trumpeter Steve Washington and Mark Hicks formed the group in Dayton, Ohio in 1975.-Career:Trombonist Floyd Miller teamed with Tom Lockett Jr...
- "Slide" - Sly FoxSly FoxSly Fox is a comedic play by Larry Gelbart, based on Ben Jonson's Volpone , updating the setting from Renaissance Venice to 19th century San Francisco, and changing the tone from satire to farce....
- "Let's Go All The Way" - The S.O.S. Band - "Take Your Time (Do It Right)"
- Stacey QStacey QStacey Q is a pop singer, dancer and actress. She is best known for her 1985 hit single "Two of Hearts".-Early life:Stacey Swain was born on November 30, 1958 in Fullerton, California. She is the youngest of three children...
- "Two Of Hearts", "We Connect" - StarpointStarpointStarpoint was an African-American R&B sextet from Maryland that began recording in the 1980s, releasing a string of R&B hit singles. Their 1985 single "Object of My Desire", released on the Elektra label, reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their only Top 40 hit on the pop...
- "Object Of My Desire" - Amii StewartAmii StewartAmy 'Amii' Paulette Stewart is an American contemporary R&B/disco/dance-pop singer, dancer and actress most famous for her hit disco record "Knock on Wood". Stewart is the stepsister of actress-singer Miquel Brown and aunt to Brown's actress-singer daughter Sinitta.-Career:Amy Stewart was the...
"Knock On Wood" - Sugarhill Gang - "Rapper's Delight"
- Donna SummerDonna SummerLaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
- "Last DanceLast Dance (song)"Last Dance" is a hit 1978 song by singer Donna Summer. The song appeared on the Thank God It's Friday movie soundtrack. It was written by Paul Jabara and was co-produced by Summer's regular collaborator Giorgio Moroder, along with Bob Esty...
", "Hot StuffHot Stuff (Donna Summer song)"Hot Stuff" is a hit single released by American singer Donna Summer in 1979 as the first single release from her Bad Girls album through Casablanca Records...
", "Bad GirlsBad Girls (song)"Bad Girls" is a 1979 single released by American singer Donna Summer, co-written by Summer and the Brooklyn Dreams. The inspiration for her to write the song came after one of her assistants was offended by a police officer who thought she was a street prostitute.A rough version of the song had...
", "On the RadioOn the Radio (Donna Summer song)"On the Radio" is a single by Donna Summer released in 1979 on the Casablanca record label. It was written for the soundtrack to the film Foxes and included on Summer's first international compilation album On the Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes 1 & 2. It was released as a single and became, in...
", "The Wanderer", "Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)" - Al B. Sure - "Nite And Day"
- SwitchSwitchIn electronics, a switch is an electrical component that can break an electrical circuit, interrupting the current or diverting it from one conductor to another....
- "There'll Never Be" - The SylversThe SylversThe Sylvers were a popular R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, the family would later relocate to Watts, California.- Beginnings :...
- "Boogie Fever", "Hot Line" - Ta Mara and the Seen - "Everybody Dance"
- A Taste of HoneyA Taste of Honey (band)A Taste of Honey was the name of an American recording act, formed in 1971 by associates Perry Kibble and Donald Ray Johnson. In 1978 they had one of the best known chart-toppers of the disco era, "Boogie Oogie Oogie"...
- "Boogie Oogie Oogie" - Tavares - "It Only Takes A Minute"
- Johnnie TaylorJohnnie TaylorJohnnie Harrison Taylor was an American vocalist in a wide variety of genres, from rhythm and blues, soul, blues and gospel to pop, doo-wop and disco.-Early years:...
- "Disco Lady" - The TemptationsThe TemptationsThe Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
- "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" - The TimeThe Time (band)The Time is a funk and dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981. They are close Prince associates and arguably the most successful artists who have worked with him.-Prince, Formation and Success:...
- "Jungle Love", "The Bird" - Timex Social ClubTimex Social ClubThe Timex Social Club was an American R&B/Hip hop group, formed in 1982 by students of Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California. They are perhaps best known for their 1986 hit single, "Rumors" and for being major forerunners to the soon-incipient new jack swing movement.-History:Originally...
- "Rumors" - The TrammpsThe TrammpsThe Trammps were an American disco band, who were based in Philadelphia and were one of the first disco bands. The band's first major success was with their 1972 cover version of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart". The first disco track they released was "Love Epidemic" in 1973...
- "Disco Inferno" - Andrea True Connection - "More More More"
- Luther VandrossLuther VandrossLuther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
- "Never Too Much", "Stop To Love" - Village PeopleVillage PeopleVillage People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics....
- "Macho ManMacho Man (song)"Macho Man" is the seond single recorded by the American disco group Village People. The song "bubbled under" the charts during summer 1978 before picking up substantial airplay that August...
", "Y.M.C.A.", "In The Navy" - Anita WardAnita WardAnita Ward is an American singer and musician. She is best known for her 1979 million selling chart-topper, "Ring My Bell".-Career:Before signing a recording contract, Ward obtained a degree in psychology from Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and had become a schoolteacher...
- "Ring My Bell" - The Weather Girls - "It's Raining Men"
- Barry WhiteBarry WhiteBarry White, born Barry Eugene Carter , was an American composer and singer-songwriter.A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring...
- "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up", "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe" - Wild Cherry - "Play That Funky Music"
- Deniece WilliamsDeniece WilliamsJune Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
- "It's Gonna Take A Miracle", "Let's Hear It For The Boy"