It was interesting that SOS Band's album was the only one that didn't have an Amazon link to the album.

Overall, yet another controversial list....only Prince's two big albums on there...OK.

I'm a huge Rick James fan, but I never dug Street Songs, I always felt that was his crossover album but it's highly overrated, it's an ok album. Thrownin Down is an undisputed classic that ranks far and beyond Street Songs, IMO. Another 80s R&B album that should've been recognized was Angela Bofill's Too Tough. That's one of the first albums I remember hearing growing up, and every cut was on point.

Those 2 are considered r&b classics.

To be fair, Force MDs and Full Force's albums were horrible IMO. They had great songs, but their albums were filled with lots of filler.I would rather see Lisa Lisa's Spanish Fly or their ST album. They were good albums...especially Spanish Fly.

Shalamar is on the list....with their worst album.

Oh,I must have missed the 70s poll!

Despite the fact that the album is mainly seen as a pop album it has its R&B roots and moments....I can mention number of songs on the album that are R&B.

"What's Going On" was #2.

How is 'Purple Rain' an R & B classic? Clearly classic rock though.
[Edited 4/8/09 22:59pm]

LOL and NONE OF YOU are complaining about "PURPLE RAIN" being on the list, let alone #3. How do you make the argument that that is an R & B album? It isn't.

Because u find a LOT of r&b fans that still consider PR a classic. WDC gets played all of the time on r&b radio...not to mention Erotic City and The Beautiful Ones.

I've heard more R&B fans give more props to "Purple Rain" than rock fans do, lol. Oddly enough it was his biggest crossover album.

Hell, even PR, the song, gets lots of r&b radio play today. Along with The Beautiful Ones. Especially during the 'quiet storm'.

"When Doves Cry" is the usual one played, "Purple Rain" is too. They play "Let's Go Crazy", "Take Me With You" and "I Would Die 4 U" on '80s nights (usually on Fridays). I think they do play "Beautiful Ones" but it depends on what radio station you listen to.

It also depends on which part of the country u r in. I know in Orlando, they play The Beautiful Ones, WDC and PR all of the time. In Dallas, they play WDC and IWD4U regularly. I never hear Take Me With U. I do hear LGC on the pop 80s station here, though.

I live in North Carolina so it's hard to decipher when "Beautiful Ones" is played if all. But I do know "When Doves Cry" and "Purple Rain" get played all the time on R&B radio.

While i do agree with you that from beginning to end throwin down was
a better album than street songs, i have to disagree about the whole
album being crossover. Super Freak may have been the one crossover single
from the album but songs like Ghetto Child was anything but crossover. Hell
that's as funky as you can get. Also Give it to me Baby and Fire and Desire
were anything but crossover. They were solid r&b songs in my opinion.
Street Songs definitely belong on that list but if i had a poll throwin down
would have ranked higher.

'Erotic City' is not on the Purple Rain album. 'The Beautiful Ones' is R & B? So does that make Air Supply's 'All Out of Love' R & B too?
I understand 'When Dove Cry' being played on R & B radio but that doesn't make it R & B. Playing Mick Hucknall will not make him a black man . . .

I live in North Carolina so it's hard to decipher when "Beautiful Ones" is played if all. But I do know "When Doves Cry" and "Purple Rain" get played all the time on R&B radio.

"When Doves Cry" is the usual one played, "Purple Rain" is too. They play "Let's Go Crazy", "Take Me With You" and "I Would Die 4 U" on '80s nights (usually on Fridays). I think they do play "Beautiful Ones" but it depends on what radio station you listen to.

I know EC is not on the album, but it is a PR b-side. In my area, 17 Days got a lot of airplay also.
[Edited 4/9/09 20:30pm]