TheReelNetwork.net
By Yvette Champion
Posted June 7th 2016
Patti LaBelle – Lady Marmalade (1974)
If you’re like many of us, the only bit of French you can say and understand would probably be “Voulez-vous coucher avec mois, se soir,” and the meaning we all know quite well, as it roughly translates to “will you sleep with me tonight?” Although there is a mixture of English and French in the song, there are still some words that make little to no sense. But there is one thing you cannot deny is that the lyrics are dripping (no pun intended!) with sexual tension that definitely drives home the “Voulez-vous coucher avec mois, se soir” vibe.
LaBelle’s sound was a nice blend of rock and roll, funk, and soul, and this particular song may be one of the most covered hits ever. The song features all sorts of instruments like horns, organs, bass, and drums. The powerful voices that accompany LaBelle on this hit is Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash.
Salt n Pepa – None of Your Business (1995)
This powerhouse duo who was an influential group back in the 90s came out with this song in 1995. Not only was the song a hit, it went on to win several awards! It won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (the first time a female group has won the award), it helped the duo get nominated for the AMA for Favorite Hip-Hop Artist for the same year. And the video? Although it was pretty mature for younger audiences and wasn’t played a whole lot on MTV, it still won a VMA for the Best Dance Video.
Donna Summers – Bad Girls (1979)
The track was released on the triple platinum album of the same name, Bad Girls. The isn’t the only provocative song on the album, as it also features hits like “Hot Stuff: and “She Works Hard for the Money.” Keeping with the sexy vibe, the cover of the album features Donna standing under a street lamp, donning risqué lingerie. Listeners who adored the song (and even if you didn’t) couldn’t get the “toot-toot, beep-beep” hook out of their minds. It was so catchy that it was sampled by other artists, most notably in Aaliyah’s track, “Ladies in the House.”