Lisa Lisa & The Cult Jam

Lisa Lisa & The Cult Jam came out of New Jersey in the mid-1980s, a trio with Lisa Lopes on vocals, Alex Brown and Michael Hughes on the music. Their first single, 'Can You Feel The Beat,' caught on quickly and put them on the pop charts. It was a straightforward dance track that didn't overcomplicate things, just a solid beat and Lopes's clear, confident voice cutting through.

They followed that up with more hits like 'Head To Toe' and 'Lost In Emotion,' songs built for the dance floor with a pop sensibility that kept them in heavy rotation. The group's sound was rooted in that moment's club rhythms, and Lopes's delivery gave it a personal touch that felt more direct than a lot of the slicker pop around at the time.

After a run of successful singles and albums, the group's output slowed as the decade turned. They left behind a handful of songs that still get played when someone wants to summon the specific feel of an '80s dance party, unpretentious, rhythm-forward, and built to move to.