by Laura Hageman

Created on: May 27, 2008

There are so many R&B artists in the decade of the 80's that it is almost impossible to name all of them. The most unforgettable artists are those that had the most effect on the music industry and many continue their success through today. There are a number of artists that had big hits in the 80's but they remained in the decade without moving on with the times.

Prince is one of the most respected artists of today. He reached the height of his fame in the 80's with great hits as "Controversy," "Little Red Corvette," and "1999." He then starred in "Purple Rain," a film that was said to depict the relationship he had with his father. The movie proved Prince to be a triple threat with his acting and dancing and of course singing. The soundtrack sold over 13 million copies and stayed in the number one spot on the Billboard charts for 24 weeks. "Purple Rain" became one of the top selling albums in history delivering many hits including "Let's Go Crazy" and "When Doves Cry."

Lionel Richie began with the Commodores in the 70's but branched out on his own with some of the most romantic love songs ever written. "Can't Slow Down" was released in 1983 and won a Grammy for Album of the Year. It spawned off many hits including "All Night Long" and "Dancing on the Ceiling." Richie was never able to match its success, but he created many unforgettable songs throughout the 80's which makes him unforgettable.

Michael Jackson is clearly one of the most unforgettable r&b artists of the decade. He released "Thriller" which is the top selling album of all time. It broke all sorts of records and was impossible to ever be able to match its success. He followed it up with "Bad" which produced several major hits as well, but with Michael's competitive nature it was hard for him to settle not being able to match the success of "Thriller". He continues to try to out do himself but hasn't been able to do so. He changed music and the industry with "Thriller" and will always be respected as a true artist.

Janet Jackson made a name for herself despite her brother's success and popularity. She became a triple threat with her well-known acting abilities but then she popped up with fantastic songs including "Control" and "Nasty" which bounced her into super stardom. She wasn't just Michael's little sister anymore. She became known as an incredibly honored singer and dancer.

Paula Abdul brought various forms of dance into music. It wasn't just her songs that made people lover her. "Forever Your

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