Markiz.

Released: November 13, 1990 Genre: pop Label: Sire • Warner Bros. Producer: Madonna • Lenny Kravitz • Shep Pettibone • Reggie Lucas • John “Jellybean” Benitez • Nile Rodgers • Stephan Bray • Patrick Leonard ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Madonna doesn’t need an introduction. Madonna has become a powerful force in the music industry since her self titled debut album in 1983, and now is one of the greatest pop…

Released: November 17, 1998 Label: Columbia Genre: Pop ∙ soul ∙ R&B Producer: Mariah Carey ∙ Jermaine Dupri ∙ Babyface ∙ Walter Afanasieff ∙ Stevie J ∙ Mike Mason ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Greatest hits albums are compilation albums that have songs by an artist that are usually their most known and successful works. For an artist like Mariah Carey, her entire catalog is a greatest hits collection. By 1998,…

Released: July 18, 1995 Genre: R&B Label: Rowdy ∙ Arista Producer: Dallas Austin ∙ Tim & Bob ∙ Arnold Hennings ∙ Daryl Simmons ∙ Soulshock & Karlin ∙ Colin Wolfe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Debut albums are always special, because it is the introduction to the artist or band and what we should expect for upcoming projects. Monica Denise Arnold was discovered by music producer Dallas Austin (who’s worked with…

Released: August 1977 Genre: Soul Label: Spring Producer: Brad Shapiro ∙ Millie Jackson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Millie Jackson is one of the most legendary soul artists of all time, and I’ll never not remind you of it. Give my living legend her flowers while she can smell them damn it! Mildred Virginia Jackson is the blueprint and a trailblazer of the genre that is now know as hip hop with the…

Released: July 14, 1999 Genre: R&B ∙ pop ∙ hip hop ∙ soul Label: Columbia Producer: Jovonn Alexander ∙ Kevin She’kspere Briggs ∙ Donnie “D-Major” Boynton ∙ Chad “Dr. Ceuss” Elliott ∙ Missy Elliott ∙ Ken “K-Fam” Fambro ∙ Anthony Hardy ∙ Donald Holmes ∙ Oshea Hunter ∙ Rodney Jerkins ∙ Beyoncé Knowles ∙ Platinum Status ∙ Daryl Simmons ∙ Chris Stokes ∙ Terry T ∙ Gerard Thomas ∙ D’wayne…

Released: July 1978 Label: Bearsville Genre: Disco ∙ funk ∙ R&B ∙ jazz ∙ samba Producer: Nile Rodgers ∙ Bernard Edwards ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Norma Jean Wright is an artist I recently discovered, and I am glad because she is truly Disco royalty. Last year, I began a huge obsession with The Chic Organization’s production catalog with artists like Sister Sledge, and came across Norma Jean Wright as well.…

Released: August 13, 1976 Label: Columbia Genre: R&B ∙ soul ∙ quiet storm Producer: Maurice White ∙ Charles Stepney ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Deniece Williams is one of my favorite R&B legendary songstresses. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Deniece started performing while attending college at Morgan State University. Eventually, she became a backup vocalist for Stevie Wonder as part of “Wonderlove..”…

Released: October 10, 1979 Label: GRP Records Genre: Soul ∙ jazz ∙ R&B ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Angela Tomasa Bofill (1954-2024,) was truly one of a kind. An accomplished singer-songwriter and composer, Angela’s remarkable career spanned over four decades, Angela wowed audiences all over the world with her remarkable voice and timeless records. By 1979, Angela released her debut album Angie the year…

Released: November 19, 1996 Label: Violator ∙ Def Jam Genre: Hip hop Producer: Trackmasters ∙ Chris Lighty ∙ Steve Stoute ∙ Rich Nice ∙ Teddy Riley ∙ George Pearson ∙ Charly Charles ∙ China Black ∙ Divine Allah ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We talk about the legendary rap girlies like Lil’ Kim, Queen Latifah, Mc Lyte, etc, but Foxy Brown needs to be discussed too na! My girl was in her TEENS going bar for bar…

Released: March 8, 1985 Genre: R&B ∙ soul Label: Tabu ∙ Epic Producer: Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis ∙ Monte Moir ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Alexander O’Neal is one of my favorite artists from the 1980s, and is one of the greatest of all time. Alexander O’Neal was signed to the legendary label Tabu Records..a label known for launching the careers of artists like The S.O.S. Band & Cherrelle. Alex is known for his…

Released: January 22, 1979 Genre: Disco ∙ R&B ∙ soul Label: Cotillion Producer: Nile Rodgers ∙ Bernard Edwards ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sister Sledge will always be remembered as one of the most successful acts of the disco era. A family group which consisted of sisters Joni, Kim, Debbie and Kathy Sledge, was formed in 1971..with them being signed to labels like Atco & eventually Cotillion. Their first…

Released: April 30, 1991 Genre: R&B ∙ new jack swing Label: Motown Producer: Dallas Austin ∙ the Characters Okay I don’t do this a lot, but I can admit when I am wrong. & boy, oh boy was I wrong about getting into Boyz II Men’s discography this late in life. I knew of their hit singles like One Sweet Day (w/ Mariah Carey,) End of the Road, On Bended Knee, A Song for Mama, & Let It Snow (ONE…

Released: 1978 Genre: Disco ∙ Hi-NRG Label: Fantasy Producer: Harvey Fuqua ∙ Sylvester ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Being a Black gay man, I would’ve appreciated an artist like Sylvester if I was alive during his lifetime. I was introduced to this remarkable artist by my parents: my mama and I watched an unsung episode on his life and that sparked an interest in him; my father also is a fan of Sylvester and…

Released: April 1978 Genre: Rock • pop • blue-eyed soul • disco Label: Elektra Producer: Arif Mardin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Carly Simon is easily one of the most prolific singer-songwriters I have ever heard. I recently started listening to her discography after many years of hearing her feature on Janet Jackson’s Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You,) which samples Carly’s 1972 feminist…

Released: August 31, 1964 Label: Scepter Producer: Burt Bacharach • Hal David ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dionne Warwick is one of my favorite living legends. She’s had a career that has been active for GENERATIONS and that is so iconic to me! She comes from a family of iconic singers (Whitney Houston is her first cousin for heaven’s sake,) but Dionne’s voice was remarkable. Dionne is our first Black pop…