In the album’s every groove, pulse, and melody lives a strong sense of integrity, warmth, and grace that doesn’t diminish, decades later.
Read moreAretha Franklin’s ‘Young, Gifted and Black’ Turns 50 | Anniversary Retrospective
The all-star cast of musicians that cook the glorious grooves on Franklin’s eighteenth studio LP helped make it one of the definitive touchstones of 1970s soul.
Read moreRufus Featuring Chaka Khan’s ‘Ask Rufus’ Turns 45 | Anniversary Retrospective
With ‘Ask Rufus,’ the band became sophisticated funk stylists, expanding their artistic palette forward, and exploring every possibility in their musical vision.
Read moreBootsy’s Rubber Band’s ‘Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!’ Turns 45 | Anniversary Retrospective
With an unequivocal polish and experimental edge, the band’s second album underscored just how ubiquitous the P-Funk sound had become by 1977.
Read moreTony! Toni! Toné!’s ‘House of Music’ Turns 25 | Anniversary Retrospective
Though the Tonies’ excellent fourth studio album revealed a band at a crossroads, it reinforced their standing as R&B’s ambitious gatekeepers nevertheless.
Read moreThe Jacksons’ Eponymous 1976 Album ‘The Jacksons’ Turns 45 | Anniversary Retrospective
‘The Jacksons’ solidified the brothers' excursion into Philly soul as sophisticated, adult R&B stylists, setting off the second golden phase of their artistic rise.
Read moreThe Storm Is Over: Mary J. Blige’s Road to ‘No More Drama’ | 20th Anniversary Tribute
‘No More Drama’ represents a spiritual breakthrough for a woman who professed that she was tired of crying and stressing about the ills of romance and the world.
Read moreLuther Vandross’ Debut Solo Album ‘Never Too Much’ Turns 40 | Anniversary Retrospective
The pure innocence dramatically embedded within the album’s seven compositions captures all of the serenity, exaltation, and drama of a love affair.
Read morePrince’s ‘Chaos and Disorder’ Turns 25 | Anniversary Retrospective
‘Chaos and Disorder’ remains an interesting yet rousing portrait of one of rock music’s visionaries crafting idiosyncratic music, in the shadow of his darkest hour.
Read morePhyllis Hyman’s ‘Prime of My Life’ Turns 30 | Anniversary Retrospective
Hyman’s final studio LP before her tragic death remains a bright portrait of her masterful use of pathos to create beauty from chaos.
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