Black Music Month: 100 Best Songs Of All Time – The 1980s (2023)

FAQs

What was the #1 song of the 80's? ›

Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" remained the longest at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the 1980s (10 weeks).

In the 1970s and 1980s, black artists developed hip-hop, and in the 1980s introduced the disco-infused dance style known as house music.

According to Guinness World Records, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" (1942) as performed by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies.

Pop music also was distinct from popular music in that any musical genre could encapsulate popularity. Black artists were especially noted for including many musical genres into pop artistry, such as jazz, R&B, soul, and funk. Pop music was a defining musical genre in the 1980s.

Sacred Music

The earliest form of black musical expression in America, spirituals were based on Christian psalms and hymns and merged with African music styles and secular American music forms. Spirituals were originally an oral tradition and imparted Christian values while also defining the hardships of slavery.

In 1890 George W. Johnson became the first African American to record commercially. A common story is that Johnson, a former slave, was discovered singing on the streets of Washington, D.C., by Berliner recording agent Fred Gaisberg.

What is the #1 most played song? ›

"Old Town Road" holds the record for the longest stretch at No. 1 with 19 weeks. It also became the fastest song in history to be certified diamond. "The Box" charted at No.

Colin Vearncombe (26 May 1962 – 26 January 2016), known by his stage name Black, was an English singer-songwriter. He emerged from the punk rock music scene and achieved mainstream pop success in the late 1980s, most notably with the 1986 single "Wonderful Life", which was an international hit the next year.

Music was a way for slaves to express their feelings whether it was sorrow, joy, inspiration or hope. Songs were passed down from generation to generation throughout slavery. These songs were influenced by African and religious traditions and would later form the basis for what is known as “Negro Spirituals”. Col.

The term "rhythm and blues," often called "R&B," originated in the 1940s when it replaced "race music" as a general marketing term for all African American music, though it usually referred only to secular, not religious music.

The two longest running number-one singles of 1985 are "We Are the World" by USA for Africa and "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie which each logged four weeks at number-one. "Say You, Say Me" logged two weeks at number-one in 1985 and two more additional weeks in 1986, reaching a total of four.

The longest running number-one single of 1983 is "Every Breath You Take" by the Police at eight weeks. That year, 9 acts reached number one for the first time: Toto, Patti Austin, James Ingram, Dexys Midnight Runners, Irene Cara, The Police, Eurythmics, Michael Sembello, and Bonnie Tyler.

Overall, Prince spent the most weeks at number one in 1984, reigning for seven weeks at the top with "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy" (with the Revolution). However, "Like a Virgin" by Madonna had the longest run at number one of any song which rose into the top position during 1984.

American singer Michael Jackson's 1982 Thriller became the best-selling record in the country for two consecutive years in the 1980s.

What was the number one song in 1986? ›

On Valentine's Day 1920, a little over a century ago, a 28-year-old singer named Mamie Smith walked into a recording studio in New York City and made history.

African-American artists have been making history at the GRAMMYs since the awards were first presented on May 4, 1959. Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie each took home two awards that night.

Among the earliest ensembles were the Original Dixieland Jazz Band and King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. The trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong (1900-1971) became the first jazz musician to achieve national and international recognition with the success of his "West End Blues" in the 1920s.

Prominent American urban pop acts of the 1980s include Tina Turner, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Whitney Houston and Diana Ross. African American artists like Lionel Richie and Prince became some of the decade's biggest stars.

Bob Johnson knows what it takes for people of color to advance to the highest level of the business world. The founder of Black Entertainment Television, Johnson became the first Black billionaire in American history in terms of personal net worth when he sold the pioneering cable network to Viacom for $3B in 2001.

But in 1976, with the industry expanding, a platinum award for sales of one million copies was instigated. The first recipient was Dallas-based soul singer Johnnie Taylor, who grabbed the award for his recording of Disco Lady.

What was the number one song in 1988? ›

Michael Jackson snagged No. 1 with the iconic “Man In the Mirror,” and let's not forget that 1988 was also the year George Harrison emerged from a five-year hiatus with “Got My Mind Set On You.”

The two longest running number-one singles of 1989 are "Miss You Much" by Janet Jackson and "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins, which each charted at number one for four weeks. "Another Day in Paradise" attained two weeks at number one in 1989 and two more weeks in 1990, achieving four weeks at the top.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, British rock band The Beatles are top of the list for best-selling artists worldwide, with 183 million units certified sales. Second is Garth Brooks with over 157 million units sales, followed by Elvis Presley with 139 million units.

The 1980s group, 2 Live Crew, made everyone sound like they were just writing the encore for the school play and Lil' Jon (see below) holds a Guinness World Record with 295 cusses in just one song: 2004's "Real N----- Roll Call," with Ice Cube.

Rod Stewart was at #1 for four straight weeks with “Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?” The drums and bass in that song? Definitely disco.

The youngest person ever to top the US charts is Stevie Wonder, who was 13 when he hit Number One with 'Fingertips Pt 2' in 1963.

• Beatles lead Elvis in #1 records

As to be expected, due to his far greater number of total chart entries, Elvis has the advantage over The Beatles in most performance categories. Presley placed 102 titles in Billboard's top 40, while The Beatles had 50 entries that made it that far up the chart.

Johnny Cash was an imperfect man who was beloved by many, both in spite his flaws but also because of them. His fans could relate to his humanity and found comfort in his music. Now you know a little more about him, the life he lived, the kind of man he was, and why he always wore black.

Three MTV Video Music Awards and two Grammys out of four nominations, Living Colour is bar none the most acclaimed Rock band with an all Black roster.

Who were the black singers in 1987? ›

Freddie Jackson (no relation to Janet and Michael), Luther Vandross, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, and Stephanie Mills all had two chart-toppers in 1987. Michael Jackson's total of five weeks at number one was the highest by any artist.

A slave would sing “Steal Away” when they were planning on escaping soon. “Sweet Chariot” was sung to let slaves know that they would be escaping soon. This was Harriet Tubman's favorite song. In the spring, they would sing “Follow the Drinking Gourd” to remind the slaves of the clues to find their way north.

Faunal remains in excavations have confirmed that livestock such as pigs and cows were the principal components of slaves' meat diets. Other sites show remnants of wild species such as opossum, raccoon, snapping turtle, deer, squirrel, duck, and rabbit.

Known as “Hillbilly” or “Old-Time” music prior to the 1950s, country music was brought forward by slaves who used instruments like the banjo. The banjo is derived from a West African kora, a lute that African American slaves used in their music.

"Shuffle Along," the first major African American hit musical, premieres on Broadway. Deeply in debt and relegated to a shabby theater, the musical Shuffle Along debuts at the Sixty-Third Street Music Hall on May 23, 1921.

Black music is a sound created, produced, or inspired by black people, people of African descent, including African music traditions and African popular music as well as the music genres of the African diaspora, including Caribbean music, Latin music, Brazilian music and African-American music.

The first number-one song of the Billboard Hot 100 was "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson, on August 4, 1958.

Michael Jackson snagged No. 1 with the iconic “Man In the Mirror,” and let's not forget that 1988 was also the year George Harrison emerged from a five-year hiatus with “Got My Mind Set On You.”

What was No 1 in 1982 music? ›

The two longest running number-one singles of 1982 are "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and "Ebony and Ivory" by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, which each stayed at the top for seven weeks. "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John concluded a ten week run that began in 1981.

American singer Michael Jackson's 1982 Thriller became the best-selling record in the country for two consecutive years in the 1980s.

1 Michael Jackson

As the decade's best-selling artist, it may come as a surprise to note that Michael Jackson only released two albums. However, it certainly helps out when one is the best-selling album of all time as his 1982 record Thriller has sold an astonishing 70 million copies worldwide.

"You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone. "You Light Up My Life" was the first song in history to chart at No.

The two longest running number-one singles of 1989 are "Miss You Much" by Janet Jackson and "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins, which each charted at number one for four weeks. "Another Day in Paradise" attained two weeks at number one in 1989 and two more weeks in 1990, achieving four weeks at the top.

Overall, Prince spent the most weeks at number one in 1984, reigning for seven weeks at the top with "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy" (with the Revolution). However, "Like a Virgin" by Madonna had the longest run at number one of any song which rose into the top position during 1984.

The longest running number-one single of 1983 is "Every Breath You Take" by the Police at eight weeks. That year, 9 acts reached number one for the first time: Toto, Patti Austin, James Ingram, Dexys Midnight Runners, Irene Cara, The Police, Eurythmics, Michael Sembello, and Bonnie Tyler.

What was the number one song in 1990? ›