The Commodores
Formed in 1968 at Tuskegee Institute (Alabama). Classic lineup included Lionel Richie, William King, Walter Orange, Milan Williams, Thomas McClary, and Ronald LaPread.
Big funk staples: Brick House, Machine Gun, Too Hot ta Trot, Fancy Dancer.
Smooth classics: Easy, Three Times a Lady, Still, Sail On.
After Lionel Richie left in 1982, the group kept going—scoring a huge hit with Nightshift and continuing to tour for decades.
