'80s Soul Hits

Soul during the '80s was a rich, lush affair spanning the dance floor and the bedroom via the charts — these hits retain a golden glow, whether we're talking about Chaka Khan's incredible vocal on 1983's "Ain't Nobody", a track that nearly ended up in Michael Jackson's hands on Thriller, the easy-flowing soul-pop of "Zoom" by Fat Larry's Band, the polished balladry of Phyllis Nelson's "Move Closer", or the decade-closing R&B anthem from Jazzy B's Soul II Soul, "Keep On Movin'".

U.K. soul girls step out in style, in Next Steps.

The women of British soul broke through big time in the '80s — Jaki Graham, a backing vocalist for UB40, hit the top ten in '85 with "Round and Around" and Sade (fronted by Sade Adu) followed up their stunning 1984 debut album Diamond Life with Promise, headed up by "Is It a Crime". Stateside husband and wife soul partnership Ashford & Simpson cracked the U.K. Top Five in 1985 with "Solid", a track they later reworked in tribute to the 44th U.S. President, changing the lyrics "solid as a rock" to "solid as Barack".

'80s soul goes to clubland, in Deep Cuts.

Fancy a boogie? Great, because here you'll find some of '80s soul's most addictive club cuts — Change, formed in Italy at the end of the '70s, kicked off the decade with "A Lovers Holiday" from debut album The Glow of Love, and this 12-inch classic boasts a bassline as infectious as any before or since; Stacy Lattisaw took "Jump to the Beat" (later covered by Dannii Minogue) to the top of the U.S. dance charts in 1980; and Loose Ends delivered a slick brand of funk with 1985's "Magic Touch".

In the years between the death of disco and the ascent of rave culture, the smooth sounds of '80s soul eased their way into the nation's homes and clubs, slowing it down for maximum romantic impact on one hand, getting funky and mining a seductive dance groove on the other. These Essentials reflect the full spectrum, taking in superstar collaborations (Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder all together on "That's What Friends Are For") throwback classics (the Detroit Spinners medley "Working My Way Back to You / Forgive Me, Girl" harks back to preceding decades) and standout solo stars (Alexander O'Neal, Terence Trent D'Arby).