Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
After being fired from The Time in 1982 for missing a tour date while producing in Atlanta during a blizzard, this duo built Flyte Tyme Productions into one of the most successful studios of the era. They met as teenagers at a college readiness program and absorbed the competitive ethos from The Way community center's Battles of the Bands. The track they'd been working on when the blizzard stranded them—"Just Be Good to Me" by the S.O.S. Band—became a hit and established their reputation. Freed from Prince's control, they earned 16 Billboard Hot 100 number ones across three decades—more than any other songwriter and producer in history. They placed 41 songs in the top ten. Their work with Janet Jackson on "Control" (1986) and "Rhythm Nation 1814" (1989) defined pop-R&B for the late '80s and early '90s. When they were actively writing and producing for their musical alter ego, The Secret, in 1986, a demo they'd just completed caught the attention of an A&M Records executive. That minimal dance-pop track became Janet Jackson's first Top Five hit, "What Have You Done For Me Lately," and put their personal recording careers on the backburner for decades. Their hit-making skills were suddenly and incessantly in-demand. They pioneered the use of the Roland TR-808, layering its bass drum and snare sounds under live drums to create a hybrid that felt both human and robotic—an approach that later seeded Chicago house and Detroit techno. Their knack for tailor-made tunes regardless of genre resulted in timeless classics for multiple artists across decades. They use the word "newstalgia"—the discovery moment of hearing something new but with that comforting moment of familiarity. Their induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 encouraged them to revisit their dream of making their own albums. They finally released their debut full-length, "Jam & Lewis Volume One," in 2021—featuring collaborations with Morris Day, The Roots, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Babyface, Toni Braxton, and others.