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Black Music Month: 20 Best Songs Of All Time – The 1980s

Welcome to the era that birthed the geniuses of Michael, Prince, Whitney and hip-hop.

Racial disparities remained, as even superstars such as Michael Jackson and Prince were denied airtime on MTV, then a fledgling cable network that debuted in 1981, but which initially refused to feature Black artists. Whether through familiarity or alchemy, this Maze featuring Frankie Beverly song has endured the test of time, becoming not just a staple at every Black celebration, but a defining part of the culture’s soundtrack. A notable early salvo in beef records, this was New York rapper KRS- One’s answer to “The Bridge,” the MC Shan/Marley Marl song that boasted the borough of Queens as hip-hop’s true center.

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