Sade's silky smooth voice adds a sophisticated element to the subdued, but sexy lyrics of "Sweetest Taboo." This song hit No. 5 on Billboard's Hot 100 on Feb. 1, 1986.
Written by Bernard Jackson, "Shower Me With Your Love" by Surface hit No. 5 on Billboard's Hot 100 on Sept. 16, 1989.
As an artist who defined the style and sexiness of the 1980s, Prince cranked out hit after hit throughout the 1980s. "Kiss" made it all the way to the No. 1spot on three separate Billboard lists starting on April 5, 1986.
No list of 1980s R&B songs would be complete without mentioning "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson. A true superstar in his day, Michael Jackson blurred the line between R&B, rock, dance and pop music to give everybody something to like. His "Thriller" album was the highest-selling album of the 1980s and has become the biggest seller of all times, according to Amazon.com.
R&B has a smoother, more lyrical quality than either hip-hop or rap, but every now and then it has a crossover quality that blurs the line between R&B and dance. "Every Little Step" by Bobby Brown had a danceable quality that could be played in a club just as easily as a wedding. This song held the top position on Billboard's R&B list on April 15, 1989.
Not to be outdone by her older brother, Janet Jackson wrote several hits of her own that made the R&B Hot 100 list. In fact, "When I Think of You" is one of her first radio hits that made it onto four of Billboard's hit lists in 1986. She made the No. 3 spot on the R&B/Hip-Hop list on Sept. 27, 1986.