Boogie

tagStarted 1980Peak 1981-1985Last big hit 1986

Located in 5 routes

Early-'80s electronic post-disco R&B: mid-tempo grooves built on slap or synth bass, drum-machine claps, glossy synthesizer chords and melodic, effects-laced vocals. Funkier and more machine-driven than disco soul, it bridges acoustic and electronic, sleek and synthetic yet still grounded in soul songcraft.

History

As 'disco' soured commercially after 1979, club-oriented R&B regrouped under the term boogie. Kashif's synth-bass innovations and D Train's 'You're the One for Me' (1981) defined the sound, while Mtume and Midnight Star pushed it toward electro-funk. Boogie became the missing link between disco soul and the digital R&B and electro of the mid-'80s.

Defining artists

Essential listening

← Explore R&B / Soul

Sources

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogie_(genre)
  • https://www.discogs.com/style/boogie
  • https://insheepsclothinghifi.com/boogie-funk-the-sound-of-the-electronic-80s/