Wanna Be POLLIN' Somethin' ~~~ It's the ILM 80's R&B TRACKS POLL! ~~~

Shannon - Let the Music Play
Ready for the World - Oh Sheila
George Benson - Give Me the Night
Midnight Star - Freak-a-Zoid
Diana Ross - Chain Reaction
Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out
Diana Ross - My Old Piano

xp - Thanks for that list! So much I don't know... This poll is going to be a big discovery (again).

Alexander O'Neal – Criticize
Alexander O'Neal – Fake
Alexander O'Neal – Lovers
Aretha Franklin – Jimmy Lee
Ashford & Simpson – Solid
Babyface – It's No Crime
Bobby Brown – Don't Be Cruel
Brothers Johnson – Stomp
Change – Glow of Love
Culture Club – Time
D. Train – You're the One for Me
DeBarge – Rhythm of the Night
DeBarge – Stay With Me
Freddie Jackson – You Are My Lady
Gap Band – Burn Rubber on Me
Gap Band – Early in the Morning
Guy – Groove Me
Guy – I Like
Gwen Guthrie – Ain't Nothing Going On But the Rent
Inner City – Good Life
Janet Jackson – Let's Wait A While
Janet Jackson – Love Will Never Do
Janet Jackson – Miss You Much
Janet Jackson – Rhythm Nation
Johnny Kemp – Just Got Paid
Keith Sweat – I Want Her
Lionel Richie – You Are
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam – I Wonder If I Take You Home
Lisa Stansfield – All Around the World
Luther Vandross – Never Too Much
New Edition – If It Isn't Love
Patrice Rushen – Forget Me Nots
Pebbles – Mercedes Boy
Rick James – Ghetto Life
Rick James – Give It to Me Baby
S.O.S. Band – Take Your Time
Shalamar – A Night to Remember
Shalamar – I Can Make You Feel Good
Sheila E. – Glamorous Life
Simply Red – Holding Back the Years
Smokey Robinson – Being With You
Soul II Soul – Keep on Movin
Stephanie Mills – Never Knew Love Like This Before
Steve Winwood – Higher Love
Stevie Wonder – Rocket Love
Stevie Wonder – That Girl
Teddy Pendergrass – Love TKO
Teena Marie – Square Biz
Terence Trent D'Arby – Sign Your Name
Whispers – And the Beat Goes On
Womack & Womack – Teardrops

YES

Janet Jackson - Escapade
Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody
Surface - Falling in Love
Richenel - Dance Around the World

Oran "Juice" Jones - The Rain
Cameo - She's Strange
Cameo - Candy
Cherrelle - Fragile... Handle With Care
Luther Vandross - Sugar & Spice
S.O.S Band - S.O.S (Dit Dit Dit Dash Dash Dash Dit Dit Dit)
Change - It Burns Me Up
Jill Jones - Violet Blue
Nona Hendryx - B-Boys
Human League - Human
Alexander O'Neal - A Broken Heart Can Mend
Cherrelle & Alexander O'Neal - Saturday Night
Prince - She's Always In My Hair
Taana Gardener - Heartbeat (Larry Levan Remix)
Sylvester - Don't Stop
Gap Band - You Dropped A Bomb On Me
Chic - 26
Sister Sledge - Pretty Baby
Slave - Dreamin'

What does Chic's 26 mean btw? Great call on Heartbeat and Human!

Slave - Watching You

George Benson - Love x Love
Mtume - Give It On Up (If You Want To)
Smokey Robinson - Wine, Women & Song
Zapp - Coming Home
Roger - A Chunk Of Sugar
Billy Ocean - Nights (Feels Like Getting Down)
Edwin Birdsong - Cola Bottle Baby
Grace Jones - Pull Up To The Bumper
Was Not Was - Carry Me Back To Old Morocco
The Jones Girls - Nights Over Egypt
Logg - I Know You Will
Kid Creole & The Coconuts - I'm A Wonderful Thing, Baby
Scritti Politti - Absolute
The Time - Onedayi'mgonnabesomebody
Freeez - I.O.U
Lionel Richie - Can't Slow Down
Nu Shooz - I Can't Wait
Wham - Everything She Wants
Wendy & Lisa - Are You My Baby?
Hot Chocolate - It Started With A Kiss

Just realised on my first list of nominations that should be Cherrelle & Alexander O'Neal - Saturday Love not Saturday Night

Unlimited Touch - I Hear Music In The Streets
Imagination - Just An Illusion
Peech Boys - Don't Make Me Wait
Gwen Guthrie - Padlock
Mtume - Juicy Fruit
Shirley Lites - Heat You Up (Melt You Down)
High Fashion - Feelin' Lucky Lately
The Jones Girls - I'm A Woman Here

Taana Gardener - Heartbeat (Larry Levan Remix)

"Gardner" not "Gardener"

Anyway, is this the same as "Heartbeat (Club Version)"?

Imagination - Music and Lights

"Beat It" is not an R&B song imo

Indeep - Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life
Odyssey - Going Back to My Roots
Odyssey - Inside Out
Soul II Soul - Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)
Soul II Soul - Get a Life
Neneh Cherry - Manchild
Chic - You Are Beautiful

Patrice Rushen - Haven't You Heard
The Whispers - It's a Love Thing
The Jacksons - This Place Hotel
T.S. Monk - Bon Bon Vie (Gimme the Good Life)
Teena Marie - I Need Your Lovin'
Zapp - Be Alright
Imagination - Body Talk
Linx - Intuition
Rick James - Super Freak
Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove
The System - You Are in My System
Kid Creole & the Coconuts - Stool Pigeon
Womack & Womack - Love Wars
Cashmere - Do It Any Way You Wanna
Cherrelle - I Didn't Mean to Turn You On
Escape From New York - Fire in My Heart
Alexander O'Neal - Innocent
Alexander O'Neal - If You Were Here Tonight
Chaka Khan - Eye to Eye
Colonel Abrams - Trapped
Sade - The Sweetest Taboo
Stephanie Mills - (You're Puttin') A Rush on Me

Patrice Rushen - Haven't You Heard

Anyway, is this the same as "Heartbeat (Club Version)"?

What does Chic's 26 mean btw?

I know :) I'm asking about the lyric.

My baby's a 26 always sounded like innuendo to me.

Whatever we can do to get more ballots this time I'm all for.

Released in 1978 (and number 17 on the 70's poll), so not eligible here.

Whoops, my bad.

I've always thought I was more about '70s R&B than '80s, but already the nominees are telling me it's actually the reverse.

More accurately, I'm MOST into R&B from about 1976-1984.

^ just a fantastic era

Whatever we can do to get more ballots this time I'm all for.

Innuendo wtev I'm in. Gutted to miss the 70s one.

George Clinton - Atomic Dog
George Clinton - Free Alterations
Raydio - A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)
Ray Parker Jr. - The Other Woman
Lionel Richie - All Night Long
Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing

I'm not nearly as familiar with this era as the 70s, so I'm looking forward to listening. I'll try to cobble a ballot together that isn't just "Here are all the best Prince songs"

Change - A Lover's Holiday
Sharon Redd - Never Give You Up
Sharon Redd - Beat the Street
Michael McDonald - I Keep Forgettin'
Womack & Womack - A.P.B.
Gwen Guthrie - Peanut Butter
Sade - Love Is Stronger Than Pride

Exposé - Point of No Return

Aurra – Such A Feeling
George Benson – Inside Love
The Limit – She's So Divine
The Whispers – This Kind of Lovin'
The Whispers – Keep On Lovin' Me

Morris Day & The Time - Jungle Love
Morris Day & The Time - The Bird
Sheila E. - The Glamorous Life
Sade - Smooth Operator
Sade - Paradise
Sade - Is It A Crime?
Sade - Your Love is King
Sade - Never As Good As The First Time
Tina Turner - What's Love Got to Do With It
Tina Turner - Private Dancer
Prince - The Ballad of Dorothy Parker
Prince - Strange Relationship
Prince - Condition of the Heart
Prince - Private Joy

Chaka Khan - I Feel For You
Chaka Khan - Through The Fire

Chic - Rebels Are We
Funkadelic - Electro-Cuties

Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters
Chic - You Can't Do It Alone

Artists United Against Apartheid - Sun City

Gayle Adams - Love Fever
Patrice Rushen - Feels So Real (Won't Let Go)
Chemise - She Can't Love You
Rainbow Brown - Till You Surrender
Fonda Rae - Over Like A Fat Rat
Inner Life - Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Sheena Easton - Sugar Walls
Neville Brothers - Brother John/Iko Iko

Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters

Thank you for this

"Beat It" is not an R&B song imo

it went #1 on the r&b charts (tho yes, it scaled the pop charts first). charting at all on the r&b side is more than some other nominees, like exposé's "point of no return" (even tho freestyle is def part of the r&b realm sonically), can say.

in any case i feel like if the fit seems questionable to people voting, even if they really like the song, it won't tend to get enough votes to place. so there's probably no reason to revoke nominations except for release date.

not that charting history means that much anyways. mj's "human nature" also didn't chart r&b at all but today it would certainly be considered more r&b than "beat it" (and is also most likely to be played on r&b stations today).

anyways really excited for this, lemme throw some noms together :)

I'm barely keeping myself from nominating Holiday, which is probably my favorite disco ever but the world decided dance-pop isn't r'n'b at some point so whatever. Same with ABC.

Maybe the Holiday Rap? Best of both worlds :)

Gonna wait til this settles down and the spreadsheet is up and running before nominating but this is already impossible

1980s soul
A Taste of Honey - Rescue Me
Aretha Franklin - Sweet Bitter Love
Aretha Franklin - Jump To It
Bobby Womack - Tell Me Why
C-Bank - One More Shot
Cameo - Single Life
Chaka Khan - I Know You, I Live You
Coati Mundi - Que Pasa/Me No Pop I
The Crusaders w/ Bill Withers - Soul Shadows
Dazz Band - Let It Whip
Dennis Edwards -Don’t Look Any Further
Defunkt - Thermonuclear Sweat
Defunkt - Avoid The Funk
Deniece Williams - It’s Gonna Take A Miracle
Donna Summer - State of Independence
ESG -You’re No Good
Frankie Smith - Double Dutch Bus
Gil Scott-Heron - B-Movie
Grace Jones - My Jamaican Guy
Grover Washington Jr. - Just The Two of Us
Inner City - Big Fun
James Brown - Don’t Stop The Funk
James Brown - Rapp Payback
James Brown- Bring It On
Junie - Rappin About Rappin
Kid Creole and the Coconuts - Annie, I’m Not Your Daddy
Linx - You’re Lying
Manhattans - Shining Star
Marvin Gaye - Turn On Some Music
Material/Nona Hendryx - Bustin Out
Material - Memories
MFSB - Mysteries Of The World
Neville Brothers - Sister Rosa
Parliament - Trombipulation
Peech Boys - Life Is Something Special
Prince - How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore?
Professor Longhair - Cry To Me
Quincy Jones - Just Once
Roger - So Ruff So Tuff
Shalamar - I Can Make You Feel Good
Sister Sledge - Got To Love Somebody
Skipworth and Turner - Thinking About Your Love
Smokey Robinson - Let Me Be The Clock
Syl Johnson - Ms. Fine Brown Frame
Teena Marie - Lovergirl
Tom Browne - Funkin’ For Jamaica
Tramaine Hawkins - Fall Down Spirit of Love
Whitney Houston - You Give Good Love
Yarborough and Peoples - Don’t Stop The Music
Zapp - More Bounce To The Ounce

A Taste of Honey - Rescue Me
Aretha Franklin - Sweet Bitter Love
Aretha Franklin - Jump To It
Bobby Womack - Tell Me Why
C-Bank - One More Shot
Cameo - Single Life
Chaka Khan - I Know You, I Live You
Coati Mundi - Que Pasa/Me No Pop I
The Crusaders w/ Bill Withers - Soul Shadows
Dazz Band - Let It Whip
Dennis Edwards -Don’t Look Any Further
Defunkt - Thermonuclear Sweat
Defunkt - Avoid The Funk
Deniece Williams - It’s Gonna Take A Miracle
Donna Summer - State of Independence
ESG -You’re No Good
Frankie Smith - Double Dutch Bus
Gil Scott-Heron - B-Movie
Grace Jones - My Jamaican Guy
Grover Washington Jr. - Just The Two of Us
Inner City - Big Fun
James Brown - Don’t Stop The Funk
James Brown - Rapp Payback
James Brown- Bring It On
Junie - Rappin About Rappin
Kid Creole and the Coconuts - Annie, I’m Not Your Daddy
Linx - You’re Lying
Manhattans - Shining Star
Marvin Gaye - Turn On Some Music
Material/Nona Hendryx - Bustin Out
Material - Memories
MFSB - Mysteries Of The World
Neville Brothers - Sister Rosa
Parliament - Trombipulation
Peech Boys - Life Is Something Special
Prince - How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore?
Professor Longhair - Cry To Me
Quincy Jones - Just Once
Roger - So Ruff So Tuff
Shalamar - I Can Make You Feel Good
Sister Sledge - Got To Love Somebody
Skipworth and Turner - Thinking About Your Love
Smokey Robinson - Let Me Be The Clock
Syl Johnson - Ms. Fine Brown Frame
Teena Marie - Lovergirl
Tom Browne - Funkin’ For Jamaica
Tramaine Hawkins - Fall Down Spirit of Love
Whitney Houston - You Give Good Love
Yarborough and Peoples - Don’t Stop The Music
Zapp - More Bounce To The Ounce

Whoops sorry about that

Please use ctrl f people. There were some issues with double nominations and small spelling differences in the last poll.

In My House - Mary Jane Girls

so uh are we excluding rap titles from consideration here

like i want to nominate e.g. newcleus - jam on it

i know there's a tendency to separate r&b and rap based on their vocals but considering the two have basically coevolved thruout the latter's entire existence i feel it would be a ridiculous omission esp. since rap titles tended to percolate thru the same spaces (radio/venues/retailers etc.) commercially. the commercial format of r&b, which did include rap, is more easily pinned down than nebulous genre definitions of r&b anyhow.

(pretty much all of the rap songs i want to nominate were hits on the r&b charts btw)

This will become a significantly less interesting poll if we include rap (whereas it would become even more interesting if we include dance pop but that's just me).

Here's a couple of Finnish R&B/soul nominations from the '80s:

Emilia - Satan in Love
Kirka - Hengaillaan
Maarit - Hiekka ja meri
Maarit - Jäätelökesä
Pave Maijanen - Lähtisitkö
Steel City - Kannattiko muuttaa yhteen

Ok, another one from Triumph, which is at least the third-best Michael Jackson album:

The Jacksons - Your Ways

One more:

Hector - Piironkinjalka

"Roof Garden" otm

Madame X-Just That Type Of Girl
Jeffrey Osbourne-Baby Stay With Me Tonight

Good to have you back, Tuomas! You would have loved the 70's tracks poll as well.

I love 'Haven't You Heard' as much as anyone, and I would gladly allow it if no one had voted for it in the previous poll, but because it did so well I'm going to disallow it. Put all your votes on 'Forget Me Nots' instead and see if we can get Patrice into the top 10!

Andre Cymone - M.O.T.F.
Angela Bofill - Too Tough
Chaka Khan - Pass It On (A Sure Thing)
Gladys Knight & The Pips - Save the Overtime (For Me)
Jocelyn Brown - Love's Gonna Get You
Larry Graham - Sooner or Later
Luther Vandross - Stop to Love
Nia Peeples - Trouble
Peabo Bryson - If Ever You're In My Arms Again
Pieces of a Dream - Mt Airy Groove
Shalamar - Right in the Socket
Tyrone Brunson - The Smurf
Vaughan Mason and Crew - Bounce Rock Skate Roll
World's Famous Supreme Team - Hey DJ

Whoops! 'Right in the Socket' is 1979.

'Gonna Get Along Without You Now' is also '79, unfortunately.

So it is, sorry about that.

Here's a few more nominations:

Adeva - Warning!
Charles B - Lack of Love
Chocolette - It's That East Street Beat
Curtis Mayfield - Love Me, Love Me Now
Frankie Knuckles - It's a Cold World
His Name Is Dime - Movin'
Jill Jones - Mia Bocca
Jonzun Crew - Space Cowboy
Ottawan - Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)
Patrice Rushen - Get Off (You Fascinate Me)
Planet Patrol - Danger Zone
Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel
Warp 9 - Light Years Away

Joubert Singers - Stand On The Word (Larry Levan remix)

Even though this is commonly credited as such, the track was not remixed by Larry Levan, and he wasn't even the one who discovered it. We've discussed it in this thread, and Red Bull Music Academy recently did a thorough article on the whole tangled history of the track, and why it's erroneously been thought to be a Levan mix. But the best-known version is not a remix of any kind; Tony Humphries did later re-record it with Phyllis Joubert's choir and mix it, but that version is not as well-known these days as the original.

I'm stripping remix credits and other version information from the tracks anyway. I'll try to note it if many people voted for a specific version.

Peter Wolf - Lights Out

Alisha - Nightwalkin'
Apollonia 6 - Sex Shooter
Atlantic Starr - Secret Lovers
The Bar-Kays - Freakshow on the Dance Floor
Billy Ocean - Suddenly
Billy Ocean - Lover Boy
The Boys - Dial My Heart
Brenda K. Starr - What You See Is What You Get
Brenda K. Starr - I Still Believe
Bros - When Will I Be Famous
Cameo - Back and Forth
Carol Lynn Townes - 99 1/2
Cheryl 'Pepsii' Riley - Thanks for My Child
Commodores - Lady (You Bring Me Up)
Con Funk Shun - Too Tight
Culture Club - Church of the Poison Mind
Diana Ross & Lionel Richie - Endless Love
Dionne Warwick - Deja Vu
Dionne Warwick - Heartbreaker
Donna Summer - On the Radio
Eddie Murphy - Party All the Time
Eddie Murhpy - Put Your Mouth On Me
George Benson - 20/20
George Duke - Shine On
Herb Alpert - Making Love in the Rain
Jeffrey Osborne - On the Wings of Love
Jermaine Jackson - Dynamite
Jody Watley - Everything
Jody Watley - Some Kind of Lover
Jody Watley - Don't You Want Me
Junkyard Dog - Grab Them Cakes
Kool & the Gang - Emergency
Linda Clifford - Red Light
Lisa Stansfield - This is the Right Time
Milli Vanilli - Blame it on the Rain
Milli Vanilli - Girl I'm Gonna Miss You
Milli Vanilli - All or Nothing
Morris Day - Fishnet
Natalie Cole - I Live For Your Love
Neneh Cherry - Kisses on the Wind
Nicolette Larson - Let Me Go, Love
Nona Hendryx - Why Should I Cry
Patti Austin - The Heat of Heat
Patti LaBelle - New Attitude
Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald - On My Own
Ray Parker, Jr. - I Still Can't Get Over Loving You
Reddings - Remote Control
Regina Belle - Baby Come to Me
Regina Belle - Show Me the Way
Seduction - (You're My One and Only) True Love
Seduction - Two to Make it Right
Seduction - Could This Be Love
Shana - I Want You
Shirley Lewis - Realistic
Shirley Murdock - As We Lay
Siedah Garrett - K.I.S.S.I.N.G.
Sonny Charles - Put it in a Magazine
Soulsister - The Way to your Heart
SSQ - Shy Girl
Stacey Q - Two of Hearts
Stacey Q - Don't Make a Fool of Yourself
Stacy Lattisaw - Attack of the Name Game
Stephanie Mills - Sweet Sensation
Stephanie Mills & Teddy Pendergrass - Two Hearts
Stevie Wonder - Love Light in Flight
Surface - Shower Me With Your Love
Sweet Pea Atkinson - Dance or Die
Sweet Sensation - Take it While it's Hot
Terence Trent d'Arby - If You Let Me Stay
Terence Trent d'Arby - Dance Little Sister
The Time - Cool
Tina Turner - Two People
Tony! Toni! Toné! - Little Walter
Twilight 22 - Electric Kingdom
Wa Wa Nee - Sugar Free
Was (Not Was) - Tell Me That I'm Dreaming
Was (Not Was) - Wheel Me Out
Was (Not Was) - Anything Can Happen
Will to Power - Fading Away
Will to Power - Say It's Gonna Rain

Nice list!

Suzy Q - Get On Up And Do It Again [not the same as "Get On Up" which Tuomas nominated]
Debbie Trusty - Searchin' For Some Lovin'
Terri Wells - I'm Givin' All My Love
Jackie Stoudemire - Invisible Wind

The Junkyard Band - Sardines

Larry Graham -One in A Million You
Grace Jones - Warm Leatherette
Grace Jones - I'm Not Perfect
Staple Singers - Slippery People

3 more tracks and we've got exactly 1100 nominations!

Someone wants to create a Spotify playlist before I start the voting thread tomorrow morning? You can make it collaborative so that you don't have to do all the work yourself.

The Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band – On The Beat
Heatwave – Lettin' It Loose
Letta Mbulu – Nomalizo

I knew I could count on someone to think of 3 more songs.

A few more noms while there's still time:

Adele Bertei - Build Me a Bridge
Cameo - Shake Your Pants
Cerrone - You Are the One
France Joli - Gonna Get Over You
The Gap Band - Humpin'
Jocelyn Brown - Picking Up Promises
Midnight Star - Victory
Village People - Sex Over the Phone

Midnight Star - Electricity

I'm compiling a Spotify playlist now. Here's the link:

https://open.spotify.com/user/thewufs/playlist/4jSmIgdwqmrxpDVi6wCPGi

Feel free to add as I've only gotten to the letter "D" on ArchCarrier's list from a few days ago.

Ok I'm throwing in a few more by Uncle Jam:

George Clinton - Get Dressed
George Clinton - One Fun at a Time
George Clinton - Nubian Nut

Alexander O'Neal - (What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me

Stanning for the funk:

Tom Browne - Thighs High (Grip Your Hips and Move)
Stone City Band - Freaky
The Bar-Kays - Freaky Behavior
Kabbala - Ashewo Ara
Zapp - Playin' Kinda Ruff
Ronnie Hudson and the Street People - West Coast Poplock
Bar-Kays - Do It (Let Me See You Shake)
Jermaine Jackson - Let Me Tickle Your Fancy
Tara - Fresh Flesh
D Train - You're the One for Me (Labor of Love Mix)
TZ - I Got the Hots For You
Westwood Cash - Psycho for your Love
D Train - Music
Prince Charles - Cash (Cash Money)
Bar-Kays - She Talks to Me with her Body
Caprice - 100%
Friction - Bar-B-Q
Circle City Band - Party Lights (Shake Your Body Get Loose)
Cat Miller - Ready or Not (UK Remix)
Val Young - Seduction
Andre Cymone - The Dance Electric
Maceo and the Macks - Cross the Track (We Better Go Back)
Deborah Allen - Telepathy (Club Mix)

BTW, I refuse to vote for ballads. Radio Behavioral Sink is 100% boogie.

Fuck it, 2 more from Victory:

Jacksons - Wait
Jacksons - Body

Herbie Hancock – Magic Number
Herbie Hancock – Gettin' To The Good Part
Brothers Johnson – Light Up The Night
Fatback Band – Double Love Affair
Fantasy – You're Too Late
Aurra – Send Your Love
Deodato – Skatin'
Johnny Gill – Super Love
Egyptian Lover – Freak-A-Holic

Alias - Shake
Ben E King - Street Tough
Debbie Deb - When I Hear Music
The Jets - Make it Real
Sexual Harrassment - I Need a Freak

Tom Browne - Thighs High (Grip Your Hips and Move)

OMG, thank you for nominating this!

Fatback Band - Is This the Future?
Herbie Hancock - Lite Me Up
Klymaxx - Man Size Love

Boris Midney - A Child Is Born
Erotic Drum Band - Horny

Slave - Stone Jam
Funkadelic - Funk Gets Stronger Part I

Stacy Lattisaw - Let Me Be Your Angel

Earth Wind & Fire - And Love Goes On

--- NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED ---

And here it is:

Let's Hear It for the POLL: It's the ~~~ 80's R&B TRACKS POLL ~~~ voting & campaigning thread