The Top 100 Adult Contemporary Artists of the 1980's: #20 to #11

We have presented 80 of The Top 100 AC Artists of the 1980's*.  Leading off the next 20, a member of the Royal Court of the Rock Era:

20.   Paul McCartney 

 

Sir Paul McCartney joined John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr to form the most successful recording act in the history of music, the Beatles.  The group dominated from 1964-1970, when they split up and went their separate ways.  There simply is no comparison between the Beatles and what they achieved and everyone else.

 

In 1970, McCartney went solo and doing projects with his wife, Linda, before forming the group Wings.  Had he done nothing else except work with the Beatles and Wings, Paul would have easily been the most successful musician ever, but he resumed his solo career when Wings broke up in 1981.  

 

In 1980, McCartney had released his second solo album, McCartney II, for which he wrote all the songs, played all the instruments and produced himself.  In 1982, McCartney collaborated with Stevie Wonder on "Ebony and Ivory" and worked with Michael Jackson on "The Girl Is Mine".  "Ebony and Ivory" was a multi-format hit, reaching #1 for five weeks on the Adult Contemporary chart while "The Girl Is Mine", included on Jackson's all-time classic Thriller, was #1 for four weeks.  "Take It Away" reached #6 from McCartney's album as well.  The following year, McCartney & Jackson recorded "Say Say Say", which hit #3 on the AC chart and McCartney peaked at #3 with "So Bad".

 

In 1984, McCartney wrote, produced, and starred in the movie Give My Regards to Broad Street.  The movie did not fare well, but the Soundtrack went to #1 in the U.K. and featured "No More Lonely Nights'.  The song gave McCartney his fourth consecutive Top 5 AC hit, the hottest streak of his solo career. 

In 1986, McCartney released the album Press to Play, which included the Top 10 Adult Contemporary song "Only Love Remains".  In 1989, Paul joined Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers to record a new version of "Ferry Cross the Mersey" to raise money to benefit victims of the Hillsborough disaster.  Paul closed out the decade with the album Flowers in the Dirt, which included the #4 AC hit "My Brave Face".

 

Guinness World Records describes McCartney accurately as "The Most Successful Composer and Recording Artist of All-Time".  He has 60 Gold records and sales of 100 million albums and 100 million singles to his credit.  McCartney set a record when he performed before a paid attendance of 184,000 at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  

In 2008, Sir Paul received a BRIT award for Outstanding Contribution to Music and received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Yale University.  In 2012, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.




19 artists to go and up next, an artist who didn't enjoy as much success with AC fans as overall, but #19 isn't "bad":

19.   Michael Jackson 

Michael debuted professionally along with his brothers as a member of the Jackson 5 in 1964.  Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers, a band formed by Jackie, Tito and Jermaine.  When Michael was eight, he began sharing lead vocals with Jermaine, and the group's name was changed to the Jackson 5.  

The Jackson 5 recorded several songs with a local label before signing with Motown Records in 1968.  The group set a record when their first four songs hit #1 ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There").

The Jackson 5 had great initial success and Michael certainly had good solo hits in the 70's, but the 80's were his decade--he dominated.  His music videos transformed the medium into an art form.  By 1980, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records and Michael had left the group for a solo career.  The album Off the Wall in 1979 was a big hit, but Jackson felt it should have been better, and he vowed to exceed expectations with his next release.  "She's Out of My Life" reached #4 on the Adult Contemporary chart as the success of Off the Wall spilled over in 1980.

 

After recording "Someone in the Dark" to the storybook for the movie E.T. (which won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children), Jackson set out to record his next solo album.  It not only exceeded expectations but became the #1 Album of the Rock Era*.  The album did better overall then in the segmented AC format, but "The Girl Is Mine", a duet with Paul McCartney, reached #1 for four weeks.  "Billie Jean" (#9) and "Human Nature" (#2) were 10 AC hits, but "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" and "Thriller" failed to reach the Top 10.  Jackson did team with McCartney again for "Say Say Say", which went Platinum and reached #3.  

 

Thriller was #1 for a combined 37 weeks (a Rock Era record) and was in the Top 10 for 80 consecutive weeks.  It has now sold over 110 million albums worldwide and 29 million in the United States, both records.  Jackson won seven Grammys and eight American Music Awards, making him the most awarded in one night for both shows. 

On March 25, 1983, Michael reunited with his brothers for a legendary live performance that was taped for the television special Motown 25:  Yesterday, Today, Forever.  The show was watched by 47 million viewers.  That evening, Jackson debuted his signature dance move, the moonwalk, while singing "Billie Jean".   

In 1984, Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award from President Ronald Reagan for his support of charities that helped people kick alcohol and drug abuse habits.  In 1985, The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Longform.  The classic video for the title song "Thriller" was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, the first music video ever to be inducted.

Michael co-wrote the immensely successful U.S.A. for Africa song "We Are the World" with Lionel Richie.  The single has sold over 30 million copies with proceeds donated to famine relief in Africa.  "We Are the World" won four Grammys, including Song of the Year and two American Music Awards.

Not too many people could follow up Thriller, but then there was only one to record an album like Thriller in the first place, and Bad in 1987 did extremely well.  Michael and Siedah Garrett reached #1 with "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" and "Human Nature" was a #2 AC hit.  "The Way You Make Me Feel" reached #9, while "Bad" and "Another Part of Me" were minor hits from the album.  

Bad itself is now over 30 million copies sold.  Bad won a Grammy for Best Engineered Recording-Non Classical and Jackson won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone".  Michael also won an American Music Award in recognition of Bad being the first album in history to generate five #1 songs.  The title track from the album won another American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single.

Jackson went on a world tour to promote the Bad album; he did not do so with Thriller, but then again, he didn't need to.  Michael sold out 14 concerts in Japan alone, tripling the previous Japanese record of 200,000 in a single tour (drawing 570,000).  Jackson also broke a Guinness World Record by attracting 504,000 to seven sold-out shows at London's Wembley Stadium.  In all, MJ performed 123 concerts before 4.4 million people.

Michael was inducted onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980 as a member of the Jacksons and in 1984 as a solo artist.  1988, Jackson released his autobiography, Moonwalk, which sold 200,000 copies.  In 1989, Michael received the Soul Train Heritage Award and President George H.W. Bush designated him the White House's "Artist of the Decade".  Jackson's live performance of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th birthday celebration was nominated for an Emmy.

 

Jackson is one of a few people in history to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice, as a member of the Jackson 5 in 1997 and as a solo artist in 2001.  He also was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002, the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2009 and is the only rock artist to be inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame.  Jackson set numerous Guinness World Records (eight in 2006 alone), 15 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 26 American Music Awards, including Artist of the Century and estimated sales of 750 million records worldwide.  Michael received a Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from the United Negro College Fund and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Fisk University.

From the beginning, the #18 artist has always been business-smart, ever crafting an image that will make her successful:

18.   Madonna  

Madonna went to Rochester Adams High School and received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan.  She dropped out, however, and moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance.  Instead, she worked as a backup dancer for musicians and performed with groups Breakfast Club and Emmy. 

 

Seymour Stein, founder of Sire Records, signed Madonna to a singles contract and Madonna released her debut album in 1983.  The album peaked at #8 and contained the minor AC hits "Borderline" and "Lucky Star".  "Borderline" received a nomination for Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Like a Virgin rose to #1 on the album chart and has now been certified Diamond (over 10 million copies sold) in the United States.   But Madonna garnered much less success on the Adult Contemporary chart, as "Angel" (#5) was the only Top 10 from the album.  "Material Girl" (#38) and "Dress You Up" (#32) were minor hits. 

 

Madonna was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock album for Like a Virgin.  She cleaned up at the Billboard Music Awards, winning six trophies (Top Pop Artist, Top Pop Album Artist - Female, Top Pop Singles Artist, Top Pop Singles Artist - Female, Top Dance Club Play Artist and Top Dance Sales Artist.

In 1985, Madonna began appearing in movies with a brief role in Vision Quest, which included her #2 AC hit "Crazy for You".  The song earned Madonna a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance nomination at the Grammy Awards.  She starred in Desperately Seeking Susan later that year.  Madonna was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist at the American Music Awards.

In 1986, Madonna released her third album, True Blue.  The album topped the charts in 28 countries.  "La Isla Bonita" was the top AC hit from the album, but "True Blue" reached #5 and Madonna also scored minor hits with "Papa Don't Preach" and "Open Your Heart".  "Papa Don't Preach" won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video and earned a nomination at the Grammys for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.  

The #1 Adult Contemporary song "Live to Tell" was included in the movie At Close Range, won an ASCAP Award as one of the Most Performed Songs from a Motion Picture, and was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Single at the American Music Awards.  Madonna received a People's Choice Award for Favorite Female Music Performer.   "Live to Tell", "La Isla Bonita" and "Open Your Heart" were all honored by BMI as some of the Most Performed Songs.

Madonna won Billboard Music Awards for Top Pop Singles Artist, Top Pop Singles Artist - Female and Top Dance Sales Artist.  Madonna was also nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist at the American Music Awards and she won the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist.  Madonna also starred in the movie Shanghai Surprise, which was panned by critics.

The next year, Madonna starred in the movie Who's That Girl and composed four songs for the soundtrack.  The title song reached #5 on the AC chart and won an ASCAP Award for Most Performed Song from a Motion Picture.  It was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture.  Madonna was once again nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist at the American Music Awards and again, she didn't win. 

In 1989, Madonna signed an endorsement deal with Pepsi, but that was of course revoked after Madonna's song and video "Like a Prayer".  Like a Prayer was Madonna's best career album, with four million copies sold in the U.S. and 13 million worldwide.  "Cherish" was a #1 smash, while the title song went Platinum and reached #3.  "Express Yourself" was another minor AC hit from the album and won three MTV Video Music Awards.  Madonna won a Billboard Music Award for Top Adult Contemporary Artist and was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist at the American Music Awards.

Madonna has sold 64 million albums in the United States. She won Billboard Music Awards in 1990 for Pop Artist of the Decade (1980's), Dance Artist of the Decade and "Into the Groove" was named Dance Single of the Decade and was named by MTV as the Artist of the Decade.  Madonna was named the Top Selling Female Rock Artist of the 20th Century for selling more albums by the RIAA on November 10, 1999.  Madonna has won two American Music Awards in her career.  In 2008, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

This jazz-rock supergroup softened their sound and found great success with AC fans:

17.   Chicago  

The rock & roll band with horns is right up there with the Eagles and the Beach Boys for the top group ever to come out of America.  They formed when a group of DePaul University students (saxophonistWalter Parazaider, guitarist Terry Kath, drummer Danny Seraphine, trombonist James Pankow and trumpet player Lee Loughnane) teamed together.  Keyboardist Robert Lamm joined and the group originally called themselves the Big Thing.

But it wasn't until bassist Peter Cetera, who provided the tremendous singing voice they had been missing, that the group was complete.  In 1968, the group moved to Los Angeles under the guidance of manager James William Guercio, and signed with Columbia Records.  The group changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority and shortened it to Chicago.

Chicago was one of the top groups of the 1970's, and that success continued into the decade under examination, the 1980's.  Chicago XIV, however, pushed the group's famous horn section to the background, and the album was one of the least successful of any in their storied career.  Columbia dropped Chicago from the roster in 1981 as a result.

The group responded by bringing in producer David Foster and recruiting keyboardist/guitarist/singer Bill Champlin.  Chicago signed with Warner Brothers.  Chicago XV didn't show much progress but for the next album, Foster brought in several of the members of Toto.  

Chicago enjoyed one of their biggest hits in years, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry", which was featured in the soundtrack of the movie Summer Lovers.  The song was Chicago's first #1 in six years and earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Group.  Love Me Tomorrow" also reached the Top 10 in the Adult Contemporary chart.

Chicago 17 became the best-selling album in the group's history.  "You're the Inspiration" reached #1 while "Hard Habit to Break" was another big AC hit and "Along Comes a Woman" received significant airplay.  "Hard Habit to Break" won Grammy Awards for Best Engineered Recording and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals while also being nominated for Record of the Year and earning Chicago a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Group.  Chicago won the American Music Award for Favorite Band, Duo or  
Group.

 

But shortly after, Cetera announced the intention to record a second solo album (he had released his first in 1981) and not continue with the group's rigorous touring schedule.  He wanted to stay in the group, but the rest of the members wouldn't agree to the arrangement and Peter had to leave the group to do his solo album.  Group members should review their history to find out why they were successful in the first place and to realize what is currently missing, both in the studio and on tour.

Jason Scheff replaced Cetera in 1985 for Chicago's final album produced by Foster, Chicago 18.  The Diane Warren song "Look Away" helped Chicago have another big hit in 1988, and "I Don't Wanna' Live Without Your Love" and "If She Would Have Been Faithful..." also reached the Top 10 on the AC chart. Chicago 19 contained the #1 hit "Look Away" and the #9 AC hit "You're Not Alone". 

Chicago released the compilation Greatest Hits 1982-1989, which included a remixed version of "What Kind of Man Would I Be?" that was originally included on Chicago 19.  That song reached #2 for four weeks, but too late to be counted for the 80's.

Chicago has sold over 38 million records in the United States in their amazing career, with 22 Gold, 18 Platinum and 8 Multi-Platinum albums.  

Her family fled the grasp of a dictator, enabling her to become one of The Top Female Artists of the Rock Era*  The #16 AC Artist of the 1980's* is next:

16.   Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine

Gloria and her family moved to Miami, Florida as a result of the Cuban Revolution.  Estefan graduated from the University of Miami in 1979 with a B.A. in psychology.

In 1976, Gloria became romantically involved with the leader of Miami Sound Machine, Emilio Estefan, in 1976.  But it wasn't until the album Primitive Love in 1985 that the group became successful.

In 1987, the group followed up with the album Let It Loose, which sold six million copies in the United States.  Gloria & the Miami Sound Machine won three Billboard Music Awards--the Top Adult Contemporary Single ("Words Get in the Way"), for Top Pop Singles Artist/Duo or  

Group and for Top New Pop Artist (Combined LP's & Singles). 

In 1988, Estefan began to take top billing and in 1989, the group's name was dropped altogether.  "Anything for You" earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.  The Miami Sound Machine won an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo or Group and Estefan won the Billboard Award for Songwriter of the Year.

Estefan has won seven Grammys in her fabulous career.  In 1993, she received the Ellis Island Congressional Medal of Honor, which is the highest award that can be given to a naturalized U.S. citizen.  Gloria has won the Hispanic Heritage Award, an MTV Video Music Award and the 1993 National Music Foundation's Humanitarian of the Year Award.  Estefan received an American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 1992, Estefan served as a public member of the United States Delegation to the 47th General Assembly of the United Nations.  Gloria received an honorary doctoral degree in music from the University of Miami in 1993 and an honorary law degree from Barry University in Miami in 2002. 

Gloria was honored as the Musicares Person of the Year in 1994 and by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus with the Institute Medallion of Excellence for Community Service in 2002.  In 2007, Estefan received an honorary doctoral degree in music from the Berklee College of Music. 

Estefan has been honored twice by the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  In 2008, she was recognized for her twenty-five year singing career with the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year award at the Latin Grammy Awards.  On March 12, 2009, Estefan was honored as a BMI Icon at the BMI Latin Awards.

Estefan has sold over 100 million records, 31.5 million of those in the United States.

It took awhile for our next artist to break through, but once he did, he had a string of successes in the decade:  

15.   Billy Ocean

During his teenage years, Ocean sang in clubs in Glasgow, Scotland.  Billy had four big hits in the U.K. before his success spread across the water to America.  In 1976, his first single, "Love Really Hurts Without You" reached #2 in the U.K. but is one of The Most Underrated/Unknown Songs of the Rock Era*.  

It was the Suddenly album in 1984 that was Ocean's ship coming in.  Billy cored his first hit on the Adult Contemporary chart, reaching #7 with "Caribbean Queen".  He followed that up with the #1 "Suddenly" and the #5 "Mystery Lady". 

In 1985, Ocean earned the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Caribbean Queen".  He also appeared at Live Aid in 1985 at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Ocean recorded the song "When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going"for the movie The Jewel of the Nile.  It became a huge AC hit, reaching #2 in 1986.

In 1986, Ocean released Love Zone, which continued his hot streak.  The album produced three more big AC hits, "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" and "Love Is Forever", both #1 AC smashes, and the title track, which reached #5.

  

 Billy's 1988 album Tear Down These Walls reached Platinum status.  "The Colour of Love" was a huge hit, and "Get Outta' My Dreams" reached #5.

In 2002, Billy received an honorary doctorate of music from the University of Westminster in London.  Ocean regularly has clinics and seminars for the students at Tech Music Schools in London.  On July 29, 2011, Paul McCartney conferred the title of Companion of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts upon Billy.

 

Ocean amassed 10 hits in the decade, with three going to #2 and two #2's.  He ranks as the #15 Adult Contemporary Artist of the 1980's*.

One of the great superstars of the Rock Era comes in at #14:

14.   Stevie Wonder 

Wonder was a child prodigy who developed into one of the biggest stars of the Rock Era.  Blind since shortly after birth, Wonder signed a recording contract with Tamla Records, a division of Motown, at the age of eleven.  Wonder began playing instruments at an early age, including piano, harmonica, drums and bass, and was active in his church choir.

Gerald White introduced Stevie to his brother, Ronnie White of the Miracles.  Gerald had persistently been encouraging Ronnie to see Wonder and upon hearing him for the first time, Ronnie took the boy genius to Motown Records.  Stevie had his first hit in the early 60's ("Fingertips, Pt. 2") but really came into his own with an innovative sound in the 70's.  

But Stevie didn't stop there.  Hotter than July in 1980 became Wonder's first Platinum album.  In 1982, Wonder released a compilation of his work in the 1970s--Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium, which included four new songs.  Wonder also collaborated with Paul McCartney on the #1 smash, "Ebony and Ivory".

In 1984, Wonder recorded the soundtrack album for The Woman in Red.  The single "I Just Called to Say I Love You" was listed as the 13th all-time biggest seller in the U.K. in 2002 and went on to win an Oscar for Best Song from a Motion Picture.  In 1985, Wonder released the album In Square Circle, which earned him a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance.  Stevie appeared on the song "I Feel For You" by Chaka Khan, playing the harmonica.  Stevie also played for several other artists, including Elton John ("I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues'.

In 1985, Wonder joined the cast of stars for U.S.A. for Africa and the song "We Are the World", which raised money for African famine relief.  The following year, Stevie joined Dionne Warwick, Elton John and Gladys Knight for the AIDS-inspired "That's What Friends Are For", that won the Grammy for Best Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.  Wonder appeared on The Cosby Show, as himself, in the episode "A Touch of Wonder" in 1986.  The following year, Stevie sang the duet "Just Good Friends" with Michael Jackson, a favor Michael repaid on the song "Get It" for Stevie's 1987 album Characters.  

Wonder was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and in 1999, was awarded the Polar Music Prize and Kennedy Center Honors.  In 2002, Stevie received the George and Ira Gershwin Lifetime Achievement Award at UCLA in Los Angeles and later that year, was honored with the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  In 2004, Wonder received the Billboard magazine Century Award.  In 2006, Wonder received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.

 On February 23, 2009, Wonder became the second recipient of the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize for pop music, honored by President Barack Obama.  On July 7, 2009, Wonder performed "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer" and "They Won't Go When I Go" for Michael Jackson's memorial service.  On January 22, 2010, Wonder performed "Bridge Over Troubled Water" for the Hope for Haiti Now:  A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief event.

On March 6, 2010, Wonder received the Commander of the Arts and Letters by French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterand.  IN 2011, Wonder performed at the opening ceremony of the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece.  Stevie performed at the memorial service for Whitney Houston on February 19, 2012, changing some of the lyrics of the song "Ribbon in the Sky" in honor of Whitney.

In 2009, Wonder became the fourth artist to receive the Montreal Jazz Festival Spirit Award.  He has sold over 100 million records and won 22 Grammy Awards, the most ever by a male solo artist, including one for Lifetime Achievement.

Wonder has received 22 Grammy Awards in his fabulous career, the most ever awarded to a male solo artist.  In 1980, he campaigned to make Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday a holiday in the United States.  In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger for Peace.  In the 1980's, he had no less than six #1 Adult Contemporary hits.

We have presented 87 artists thus far and up next, a guy who has been just as successful as a solo performer as he was with his group, if not more so:

13.   Phil Collins 

Collins received a toy drum kit for Christmas at the age of five.  He began a career as a child actor and model, playing the Artful Dodger in the London production of Oliver!  Phil was also an extra in the Beatles' movie A Hard Day's Night.  Despite this success, Collins leaned towards music, and formed a band called the Real Thing.  Collins was a drummer for Flaming Youth in the late 60's when the group signed a recording contract.  Phil joined the group Genesis in the 1970's as drummer and vocalist and shortly after Peter Gabriel left, Collins assumed duties as lead vocalist and Genesis became superstars.  

The dominant theme of Collins's early solo releases was the breakdown of his first marriage, which he had tried desperately to save, and the then-recent divorce.  Collins recorded the album Face Value in 1981, which went on to top the album charts in seven nations.  It was certified Triple Platinum in the United States.  In 1982, Phil produced ABBA member Frida's solo album, Something's Going On.

Collins's follow-up album was Hello, I Must Be Going!, which also went Triple-Platinum.  In 1984, Phil recorded "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" for the great movie, Against All Odds.  It won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and was nominated for Song of the Year, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture .  The soundtrack album was also nominated for Best Album of Original Score Written for A Motion Picture or a Television Special at the Grammys, and Collins' video of "Against All Odds" was nominated for Best Short Form Music Video.  Later in the year, Phil collaborated with Phillip Bailey on the duet "Easy Lover" and played drums and sang on the Band Aid song "Do They Know It's Christmas".  Collins & Bailey were nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the Grammy Awards and for Favorite Video at the American Music Awards.

In 1985, Collins achieved his best album with No Jacket Required, which won three Grammys--Album of the Year, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical and earned a nomination for Best Short Form Music Video.  No Jacket Required also earned Collins American Music Award nominations for Favorite Album and Favorite Male Vocalist.  Phil also recorded the duet "Separate Lives" with Marilyn Martin for the movie White Nights.  The result of that duet was another nomination for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture at the Academy Awards. 

Phil was invited to perform at the Live Aid concert, and Collins appeared at Wembley Stadium in London, then boarded a plane to perform at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that night.  Collins also produced several tracks on Eric Clapton's album Behind the Sun and he also produced Clapton's Behind the Mask album.

Collins scored two more movie hits in the decade--"Two Hearts" and "Groovy Kind of Love", both from the soundtrack of his feature film, Buster.  "Two Hearts" captured both the Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.  "Groovy Kind of Love" earned Phil a nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

In 1989, Collins recorded ...But Seriously.  The anti-homelessness classic "Another Day in Paradise" received the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.  Collins was also nominated for Song of the Year, Best Male Pop Vocal, Album of the Year and Best Short Form Music Video and captured American Music Awards for Favorite Album and Favorite Male Artist.  The album went to #1 in the United States and was the best selling album of 1990 in the U.K.

Collins twice hosted the Billboard Music Awards and appeared in an episode of Miami Vice.  

Collins has sold over 150 million records as a solo artist and has won seven Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards, an Academy Award and two Golden Globes.  Collins is one of only three recording artists in history (Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson are the others) to sell 100 million albums worldwide both as solo artists and as principal members of a band.  Phil was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.

In 1987, Collins received an honorary doctorate of fine arts from Fairleigh Dickinson University and the honorary doctorate of music from the Berklee College of Music in 1991.  IN 2002, Collins received the Disney Legend Award, given for his outstanding contribution to The Walt Disney Company.  In 2012, Phil received an honorary doctorate of history at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas.  

A musical genius as a teenager, the #12 artist has now been a star for over 50 years.

12.   Steve Winwood

Winwood first performed with his father and older brother Muff in a band at age eight.  While he was still attending the Great Barr School, Winwood played the Hammond B-3 organ and guitar for great blues artists such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker and Howlin' Wolf.  Steve joined the Spencer Davis Group as keyboardist and vocalist at the tender age of 14 along with Muff.  He co-wrote the group's two biggest hits--"Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm a Man".  

Winwood met drummer Jim Capaldi, guitarist Dave Mason, and multi-instrumentalist Chris Wood in Birmingham, England and the quartet formed the group Traffic and later, Winwood joined the group Blind Faith.  

Winwood began to be noticed as a solo artist in 1980 with the song "While You See a Chance".  He played all the instruments on the album Arc of a Diver, a feat he would repeat in 1982 for Talking Back to the Night.  Winwood also co-produced and played on Capaldi's hit "That's Love".

In 1986, Winwood recorded Back in the High Life.  Steve won Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Higher Love" and Best Engineered Recording, while "Higher Love" was also nominated for Song of the Year and Back in the High Life was nominated for Album of the Year. 

 

"Higher Love" was also nominated for Favorite Single at the American Music Awards and its video was nominated for Video of the Year, Best Male Video, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Choreography and Viewer's Choice at the MTV Video Music Awards.

At the peak of his success, Winwood moved to Virgin Records and recorded Roll with It in 1988.  Roll with It won the Grammy for Best Engineered Recording and Winwood was nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the title track and for Album of the Year. 

"Roll with It" was also nominated for Favorite Single at the American Music Awards and Winwood was nominated for Favorite Male Artist.  Winwood's video for the title track was nominated for Video of the Year, Best Male Video, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Direction at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Winwood was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Traffic in 2004.  In 2005, Winwood received the BMI Icon award for his "enduring influence on generations of music makers".  Winwood compiled four #1 AC hits and two more songs that went to #2.

#11 comes from a family of great singers:

11.   Dionne Warwick

Dionne's mother, aunts and uncles were members of the renowned family gospel group the Drinkard Singers.  With Dionne and cousin Whitney Houston, it can definitely be said that talent was passed down through the genes.  Dionne began singing gospel as a child at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.  

Dionne joined several members of her family in the Gospelaires, which won an amateur talent contest at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York.

While backstage, a man said that background singers were needed at a recording studio and the Gospelaires agreed to do it.  Soon, the group was in demand for such artists as the Drifters, Ben E. King, Dinah Washington, Ronnie Hawkins, Chuck Jackson and Solomon Burke among others.  Warwick graduated from East Orange High School in 1958 and was awarded a Scholarship in Music Education to the Hartt College of Music in Hartford, Connecticut. 

While Warwick was singing on a Drifters song, her performance was noticed by the composer of the song, Burt Bacharach.  Dionne signed a contract with Bacharach and Hal David's production company, and eventually with Scepter Records in 1962.  Warwick's debut album was Presenting Dionne Warwick in 1963.

By 1980, Warwick had moved to Arista Records and her comeback album, Dionne, was a big success.  The album was certified Platinum in the United States.  The first smash from the album, "I'll Never Love This Way Again", was released in 1979 and therefore not counted for purposes of ranking The Top 100 Adult Contemporary Artists of the 1980's*.  But the follow-up single, "Deja Vu" does, for it was released in 1980.  Warwick won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance for the song.  Along with her Grammy for Best Vocal Performance, Female for "I'll Never Love This Way Again", Warwick became the first female artist in the history of the awards to win in both categories in the same year.

Dionne recorded the album No Night So Long, which went Gold and spawned another #1 AC hit, the title track.

Warwick hosted a two-hour television special called Solid Gold, which was so popular that it turned into a weekly one-our show, which she hosted in 1980-81 and again in 1985-86.  Dionne sang duets with her co-hosts each week.

In 1982, Warwick sang "Friends in Love" with Johnny Mathis.  Later in the year, she invited Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees to help on her album Heartbreaker.  The title track sold three million singles internationally and helped Dionne earn another Gold record for the album.  The next year, Luther Vandross produced the album How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye and sang a duet with Dionne on the title song.  

In 1985, Dionne released the album Finder Of Lost Loves and also sang on "We Are the World" for U.S.A. for Africa.  Later in the year, Warwick brought in Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight for the AIDS benefit single "That's What Friends Are For".  The single raised three million dollars.  The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and was nominated for Record of the Year.  Dionne was given a Special Recognition Award at the American Music Awards for "That's What Friends Are For", and won the #1 Single of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards.  In 1987, Warwick had another hit with "Love Power", a duet with Jeffrey Osborne that was featured on the album Reservations for Two.

In 1998, Dionne received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ASCAP Awards and in 2002, she was honored with the Heroes Award.  In 2010, Warwick received an honorary Doctor of Arts from Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois.  She has won six Grammy awards and been nominated for seven others.  "Walk On By" and "That's What Friends Are For" have both been named as Songs of the Century by the RIAA and Dionne has three songs--"Alfie", "Don't Make Me Over" and "Walk On By" in the Grammy Hall of Fame. 

Warwick is a member of the National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame.  In 1987, she was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as the United States Ambassador of Health.  In 2002, Warwick was appointed as the United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization.  Lincoln Elementary School in East Orange, New Jersey honored her by renaming their school the Dionne Warwick Institute of Economics and Entrepreneurship.




So we are now just 10 artists away from finding out the #1 Adult Contemporary Artist of the 1980's*!  Join us tomorrow on Inside the Rock Era for The Top 10*.