Included here are all of the songs that made the lascivious Millie Jackson an item on R&B stations as one of the hottest live performers. From her debut "Child of God" to later R&B/country fusions like her hankie-wringing remake of "If You're Not in Love by Monday," Jackson's throaty voice demands your full attention. She rarely crossed over significantly, but "Ask Me What You Want," "My Man, a Sweet Man," "All the Way Lover," and her popular "It Hurts So Good," all made noticeable bangs on Billboard's R&B Singles Chart. 21 of the Best is a good introduction for Millie Jackson neophytes, and a grand collection of her greatest hits for those who purchased the original 45s and the occasional album.

Midnight Love is the seventeenth and final studio album (that is not a posthumous one) by Marvin Gaye. He signed with the label Columbia in March 1982 following his exit from Motown. The final album to be released before his death, it ultimately became the most successful album of Gaye's entire career. The disc was certified triple platinum in the United States, selling well over six million copies worldwide. It was nominated for a 1984 Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, spawning the two-time Grammy Award-winning smash, "Sexual Healing". It was ranked number 37 on the Rolling Stone list of the best albums of the 1980s decade and the NME named the album as its Album of the Year in 1983. In 1998, Sony Music re-released the album as a two-CD "Legacy" edition set titled Midnight Love and the Sexual Healing Sessions. The same edition would be re-released in 2007, to celebrate the album's 25th anniversary since its release.

For those looking to find a crash course in "the funk" – a quick introduction to the fusion of R&B, soul, jazz, blues, good old rock & roll, and all-out outrageousness that creates the ultimate good groove – you can't do much better than the Funk Essentials compilations. Funky Stuff: The Best of Funk Essentials is the perfect portrait. With its contents drawn from the single-band Funk Essentials compilation albums, this clean, clear set provides incredible diversity while keeping the vibe connected. In other words, Funky Stuff is not only an introduction to the heaviest of hitters, but also a nifty, smooth ride for the already initiated.

This collection covers Pendergrass' run of big hits from the Philadelphia International era, including "I Don't Love You Anymore," "Close The Door" and "Turn Off The Lights".

"You Know How to Love Me" is the 4th album by American soul singer-songwriter Phyllis Hyman. It was released by Arista Records in 1979, and produced by James Mtume & Reggie Lucas. Writing in Smash Hits, Bev Hillier described "You Know How to Love Me" as a "great album" that was "relaxing, pleasant, easy listening and anything similar that you can think of". Hillier went on to describe Hyman's voice as "amazing and perfectly used".

Sands of Time is the sixth album released by the R&B band The S.O.S. Band on the Tabu label in April 1986. It was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. This would be the last album to feature original lead singer Mary Davis before she left the group to embark on a solo career.

Lionel Richie's Back to Front isn't just a definitive greatest hits collection, it's a reminder of Richie's supreme strengths as an R&B singer-songwriter. From the gentle sweep of "Do It to Me" to the earnest lovelorn crooning of "Hello," Richie's ballads are timeless. Even the borderline sappy "Endless Love" shines despite cosinger Diana Ross's histrionics. Also featured is "Still" and "Say You, Say Me," and while the faster songs–the Caribbean-inspired rhythms of "All Night Long" and the '80s synthpop of "Running with the Night"–are weaker, they hardly detract from this otherwise sterling survey.

"This Is My Dream" is the 4th album by R&B group Switch. It was released in 1980. This is also the only album during their tenure with Motown not to feature input from Jermaine Jackson; they produced this album themselves. Following a slump with the subpar performance of their third album, "Reaching for Tomorrow", released earlier that year, the group rebounded with this effort. It included the top-ten hit "Love Over And Over Again", which Bobby DeBarge wrote with his sister and future DeBarge member Bunny DeBarge.

Bobby Womack first came to prominence in the in the 1950s as part of The Womack Brothers, a gospel group that was comprised of siblings Cecil, Harry, Curtis and Friendly. Impressed with the group, Sam Cooke encouraged them to come to Los Angeles where he signed them to his SAR label. Making the transition from gospel to R&B, they recorded as The Valentinos, ultimately hitting with “Lookin’ For A Love” and “It’s All Over Now.” The latter song which was written by Bobby and Shirley Womack was soon covered by the Rolling Stones and became the group’s very first 1 hit. Bobby’s relationship with the Stones continues to this day. As Bobby’s solo career evolved, he became the standard bearer for contemporary soul music, with such hits as “That’s The Way I Feel About ‘Cha” and “Woman’s Gotta Have It.” He wrote the title theme for the film Across 110th Street which went on to be used in both Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown as well as in the recent American Gangster.A new career pinnacle was achieved in the 1980s with the release of the albums THE POET and THE POET II. These evocative records yielded numerous hits including “Where Do We Go From Here,” “Secrets,” “It Takes A Lot of Strength To Say Goodbye,” “Love Has Finally Come At Last,” “Tell Me Why” “If You Think You’re Lonely Now,” and others. “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” was the basis for Mariah Carey’s 1 hit “We Belong Together.” Womack has also recorded Snoop Dogg, Rod Stewart, Gorillaz and a host of other top names.Exactly one month after celebrating his 65th birthday, the legendary Bobby Womack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was the first Cleveland native to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as an individual performer. The event was a true homecoming for this brilliant singer/songwriter/guitarist.“This is just the greatest, I’m extremely happy. My very first thought was – I wish I could call Sam Cooke and share this moment with him. This is just about as exciting to me as being able to see Barack Obama become the first Black President of the United States of America! It proves that, if you’re blessed to be able to wait on what’s important to you, a lot of things will change in life. Being able to work, perform and make people happy is where it’s at. I haven’t been home in almost 30 years, so having this happen in my hometown is really icing on the cake,” Womack remarked after he heard the good news. “I’m looking forward to going home.

"I'm The One" is an album by Roberta Flack released in May 1982 which reached #59 on the album chart in Billboard whose R&B album chart afforded the album a #16 peak. The Burt Bacharach/Carole Bayer Sager-produced "Making Love", which appeared in the film of the same name and in the spring of 1982 had afforded Flack her final solo Top 40 hit (#13 on the Billboard Hot 100), was included on the I'm the One album along with eight new tracks co-produced by William Eaton, Ralph MacDonald, William Salter and Flack herself. The track "I'm the One," given parallel single release with the album, peaked at #42 on the Hot 100 where it marked Flack's final solo appearance, although she'd return to the Hot 100 in 1983 with the duets "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" (#16) and "You're Looking Like Love to Me" (#58) (both with Peabo Bryson) and again in 1991 with "Set the Night to Music" (with Maxi Priest/ #6). A third single from the I'm the One album: "In the Name of Love", reached #24 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Presented here are a dozen sizzling ballads from the mighty Stephanie Mills, one of the '90s finest female vocalists. MCA Records makes sure Ms. Dynamo's reputation carries into the millennium with this emotionally charged set which includes her roasting rendition of Peabo Bryson's "Feel the Fire" and the gospel-ish "Power of Love."

The revamped 1995 edition of Anthology includes all of the group's hit singles, as well as significant album tracks and singles that didn't chart, making it the definitive portrait of the popular, groundbreaking urban contemporary group.

Larry Blackmon and his Cameo mates ruled funk's domain for over a decade. Cameo evolved from its origins as a horn-based and dominated ensemble into a synthesizer-oriented group that still featured sturdy basslines and exuberant vocals, but was in tune with urban and black America's new sensibility. These 14 selections range from the formative cuts "Rigor Mortis," "Shake Your Pants," and "It's Over" to the definitive "Word Up," "Candy," and "Back and Forth." Blackmon's alternately sneering, defiant, and aggressive vocals were the constant from Cameo's beginnings in the 1970s to their emergence as funk's reigning champions in the 1980s.

A collection from the Mercury funk lineup that covers the hits from the first five Gap Band albums. Every major hit that they had is included here. What one might notice is that all of the major hits ("You Dropped a Bomb on Me," "Burn Rubber on Me," "Early in the Morning," and "I Don't Believe You Want to Get up and Dance") all sound surprisingly similar. This may or may not be a large surprise to everyone, but the bright note about their similarity is that the basic riffs and rhythms that they all use are extremely catchy. The energy that the Gap Band exudes in the midst of producing a song is stunning, and this compilation displays that to the fullest extent. For a basic introduction to the forms of funk that the Gap Band followed, this album would certainly suit any given listener. For those who only need one Gap Band album in their collection, this one also fits the bill perfectly. For die-hard fans who already have all of the band's albums, this one would probably only really serve as a summary.

This Expansion release from 2010 combines "Take It to the Limit" (1980) and "Mr. C" (1981) on one compact disc. These were two of Norman Connors' star-studded Arista-era albums, built on dancefloor R&B and quiet storm, highlighted by "Take It to the Limit" (featuring Adaritha), "Melancholy Fire" (Glenn Jones), a cover of Lou Courtney's "I Don't Need Nobody Else" (Al Johnson), "She's Gone," and "Keep Doin' It." This is a straightforward reissue of the two albums. There are no bonus tracks.