At the end of 2019, TONY MONSON asked all connected with SOLAR RADIO, including DJs, listeners, artists and all friends of the station to submit their ALL TIME TOP 10 favourite tracks and albums. Contributors totalled some 500 people, from whose suggestions the TOP 500 chart was compiled, the first segment of which- the TOP 100 – is below…
1 MARVIN GAYE – LP What’s going on – What’s going on/Inner city blues etc
2 DONALD BYRD – LP Places & spaces – Places and places/Change (makes you want to hustle) etc
3 MAZE ft FRANKIE BEVERLY – – Live in New Orleams – Before I let go
4 EARTH WIND & FIRE – LP That;s the way of the world -That’s the way of the world/Shining star etc
5 STEVIE WONDER – LP Songs in the key of life – As/Another star/I wish etc
6 CHANGE – LP The glow of love – Glow of love/Lovers holiday
7 LUTHER VANDROSS – Never too much
8 EARTH WIND & FIRE – LP All n all – Fantasy/Running etc
9 DAVID RUFFIN – Walk away from love
10 ANITA BAKER – LP Rapture – Caught up in the rapture of love/Sweet love etc
11 BOBBY WOMACK – How can you break my heart
12 MICHAEL JACKSON – LP Off the wall – Don’t stop til you get enough/I can’t help it etc
13 LIGHT OF THE WORLD – London town
14 LUTHER VANDROSS – LP Forever for always for love – You’re the sweetest one/Promise me etc
15 ANITA BAKER – LP Songstress – Angel/You’re the best thing yet/Feel the need etc
15 MAZE – Joy and pain
17 MARVIN GAYE – LP I want you – I want you/Come live with me angel etc
18 LEON WARE – Why I came to California
19 BOBBY WOMACK – LP The poet – If you think you’re lonely now/Where do we go from here etc
20 LONNIE LISTON SMITH – Expansions
21 MARVIN GAYE LP Let’s get it on – Let’s get it on/Come get to this etc
22 HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUENOTES – The love I lost
23 TEENA MARIE – Portuguese love
24 PHYLLIS HYMAN – You know to love me
25 MAXWELL- LP Urban hang suite – Ascensions/Something something etc
26 DEXTER WANSEL – Sweetest pain
27 CRUSADERS – Street life
28 CURTIS MAYFIELD – Move on up
29 STEVIE WONDER – LP Innervisions – Too high/Golden lady/Living for the city etc
30 RONNIE LAWS LP – Every generation – Every generation/Young child/OTBA law etc
31 TEMPTATIONS – Just my imagination
32 DONNY HATHAWAY – LP Extensions of a man – Someday we’ll all be free/Love love love etc
33 BOBBY WOMACK – Poet 2 LP – Tell me why/Love has finally come at last etc
34 STEVIE WONDER- LP Talking book – Superstition/You got it bad girl etc
35 BRASS CONSTRUCTION – LP Brass Construction – Moving/Changing etc
36 ISLEY BROTHERS – LP 3 + 3 – That lady
37 IDRIS MUHAMMED – Could heaven ever be like this
38 SAM DEES – After all
39 QUINCY JONES – Secret garden
40 ALEXNADER O’NEAL LP If you were here tonight.What’s missing/A broken heart can mend
41 JOHNNIY TAYLOR – LP Just ain’t good enough – What about this love/Just ain’t good enough etc
42 SUNBURST BAND – Everyday
43 SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS – Optimistic
44 LAMONT DOZIER – LP Lamont – I ain’t playing/You ought to be in pictures etc
45 STEVIE WONDER – LP Music of my mind – Superwoman/I love every little about you etc
46 FUNKADELIC – One Nation Under a Groove
47 DONNY HATHAWAY – The ghetto
48 GROVER WASHINGTON JR – LP Live at the Bijou – Sausalito
40 EARTH WIND & FIRE – LP I am – In the stone/After the love is gone/Boogie wonderland etc
50 ROY AYERS – Running away
51 PARLIAMENT – LP Mothership connection – Give up the funk/P. Funk etc
52 DONALD BYRD – VA LP Bluenote live at the Roxy – Falling like dominoes
53 GIL SCOTT-HERON – The bottle
54 GWEN McCRAE – Keep the fire burning
55 CHAPTER 8 – LP This love’s for real – How can I get next to you/It’s my turn etc
56 PATRICE RUSHEN LP Straight from the heart – Remind me/Forget-me-nots/Number one etc
57 HOLLAND-DOZIER – Why can’t we be lovers
58 ISLEY BROTHERS – LP The heat is on – For the love of you/Hope you feel better love etc
59 LUTHER VANDROSS LP Give me the reason – Give me the reason/See me/Stop to love etc
60 CURTIS MAYFIELD – LP Superfly – Give me your love/Superfly/Pusherman etc
61 JONES GIRLS – Nights over Egypt
62 ASHFORD & SIMPSON – It seems to hang on
63 LONNIE HILL – Galveston bay
64 LEROY HUTSON – LP Hutson – All because of you/Lucky fellow
65 TANIA MARIA – Come with me
66 D-TRAIN – LP You’re the one for me – You’re the one for me/Trying to get over/Keep on etc
67 FRANKIE KNUCKLES – Tears
68 GEORGE DUKE – Brazilian love affair
69 MARIO BIONDI – This is what you are
70 TEDDY PENDERGRASS – LP – The more I get the more I want/You can’t hide from yourself
71 PLAYERS ASSOCIATION – Turn the music up
72 DONALD BYRD – Love has come around
73 TEENA MARIE LP Live and Peaceful – I need your loving/Deja Vu (I’ve Been here before/Sucker for your love
74 ARETHA FRANKLIN – Until you come back to me
75 JEAN CARN – Don’t let it go to your head
76 CANDI STATON – Young hearts run free
77 MAZE – LP We are one – We are one/Love is the key/Right on time etc
78 WILLIAM DeVAUGHN – Be thankful for what you got
79 TEMPTATIONS – Papa was a rolling stone
80 DRIZABONE – Real love
81 STEVIE WONDER – LP Original musiquarium – Do I do/That girl
82 ARETHA FRANKLIN – Angel
83 LUTHER VANDROSS – LP Night I fell in love – My sensitivity/Creeping/Night I fell in love etc
84 HERBIE HANCOCK – LP Head hunters – Chameleon
85 GEORGE BENSON – Breezing
86 GREG HENDERSON – Dreaming
87 SPINNERS – It”s a shame
88 KLEEER – Open your mind
89 MICHAEL WYCOFF – Looking up to you
90 LOOSE ENDS – Hanging on a string
91 KOOL & THE GANG – Summer madness
92 DONNY HATHAWAY – LP Donny Hathaway – A song for you/Giving up
93 STEVIE WONDER – LP Hotter than July – Masterblaster jammin’/All I do etc
94 JILL SCOTT – LP Who is Jill Scott – A long walk/Getting in the way etc
95 WILTON FELDER – Inherit the wind
96 KENI BURKE -Rising to the top
97 LEON WARE-LP Rocking you eternally – Rocking you eternally
98 MAZE LP – Golden time of day – Golden time of day
99 L.J. REYNOLDS Key to the world
100 ARCHIE BELL & DRELLS – Where will you go when the party is over