One of the most talented artists of the disco era, Donna Summer first found success by teaming with producer Giorgio Moroder and developing a highly sexualized, hooky dance sound highlighted by percolating electronics and moaning, sensual vocals. An …

Best known for her exuberant, emotional 1979 disco anthem, "I Will Survive," which became a rallying cry for both women and gay men in the disco era, Gloria Gaynor broke new ground with tracks specifically produced and extended for dancing. Even when…

The most successful female vocal group of the '60s, The Supremes were one of the quintessential Motown acts, scoring countless memorable hits that helped to define that label's distinctive R&B/pop hybrid. Diana Ross was the group's leader, but the Su…

Debra (b. 9 July 1954), Joan (b. 13 September 1956), Kim (b. 21 August 1957) and Kathy Sledge (b. 6 January 1959) were all born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. They started their recording career on the Money Back label with 1971's "Ti…

Kool & The Gang were one of the most popular outfits to emerge from the '70s funk/R&B movement. They began as a hard-grooving funk band, hitting big with "Jungle Boogie," but they later incorporated disco and pop into their sound. Their greatest succ…

Aretha Franklin is one of the most important and influential female soul singers of the 20th century. The daughter of famed preacher Rev. C.L. Franklin, Memphis-born Aretha started out singing gospel while still in her teens in the 1950s, subsequentl…

Not many pop groups end up on postage stamps, as Abba has in its native Sweden; but then again, few groups become their homeland's most identifiable export. The group's stratospheric success was built on a foundation of buoyant, exquisitely arranged …

In the spotlight since the age of four, Michael Jackson rose to fame as the lead vocalist for the Jackson Five. In the late 1970s, Jackson embarked on a solo career as a young adult with the Quincy Jones-produced OFF THE WALL. With one hit album unde…

Earth, Wind & Fire was the brainchild of musical Renaissance man Maurice White, a successful ex-session drummer who recorded with everyone from Chuck Berry to John Coltrane. Essentially an R&B group, Earth, Wind & Fire expanded its sound to include e…

In the late 1990s, Madonna had long since become a mature artist, turning her back on the carefree dance-pop of her early days ("Like A Virgin," "Holiday," etc.). Teenage singer Britney Spears picked up on this specific Madonna era, albeit with a mor…

Wild Cherry's claim to fame was the US number 1 and UK Top 10 funky dance single, "Play That Funky Music", in 1976 has probably outlived the name of its creators in the minds of most fans. Wild Cherry was a white quintet formed that year in Steubenvi…

Cyndi Lauper started her recording career in 1980 as the singer for retro-'50s group Blue Angel. In 1983, her first solo album SHE'S SO UNUSUAL made the big-voiced New Yorker a superstar. Her impressive pipes and colorful image should have shot her i…

Madonna is arguably the most popular female pop singer in American musical history. Although she began her career in the late 1970s as a dancer and as drummer for new wave group the Breakfast Club, Madonna has touched upon many different styles throu…

Videos and albums are not always the preferred formats for gaining success as a recording artist--it was an appearance in the hit Will Smith movie MEN IN BLACK that gave Destiny's Child a major boost to their recording career. From there, the all-fem…

The Los Angeles-based hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas has made a name for itself by taking an eclectic and organic approach to rap, R&B, and funk. Led by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Will.I.Am., the band also includes two other MCs, Apl.de.Ap. and Ta…

When Cherilyn Sarkasian reinvented herself as the more photogenic half of '60s pop duo Sonny & Cher, no one could guess it would be merely the first step in an ongoing artistic redefinition that would continue for decades. After the smash success of …

As the very first winner of the AMERICAN IDOL television show competition, Kelly Clarkson was inevitably pegged as little more than a manufactured pop commodity. The surprisingly versatile singer managed to survive against expectations, however, and …

This racially integrated band was formed in Florida, USA, in 1973 by Harry Wayne (KC) Casey (b. 31 January 1951, Hialeah, Florida, USA; vocals, keyboards) and Richard Finch (b. 25 January 1954, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; bass). Arguably the cornerst…

The Village People from New York City, USA, were a concept before they were a group. The brainchild of French record producer Jacques Morali (d. 15 November 1991, Paris, France), the troupe was assembled in 1977. Morali, who had been enjoying great s…

R&B vocal quartet the Pointer Sisters have had a career marked by amazing versatility and perseverance. Sporting a distinct retro look, they became the first black female group to perform on the Grand Old Opry, and won a Best Country Grammy in 1975 w…