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Best crossover jazz artists of the 1980s

Cheap drum machines and the first affordable samplers changed who was allowed to make a record. Hip-hop moved from a party you had to be at to a 12-inch you could buy, and MTV made how a song looked part of the argument.

Everyone who released a crossover jazz album in the 1980s, ordered by how Riffiter listeners rate their catalog.

Quincy Jones№ 1Quincy Jones1 album here3.8Weighted score3.7 avg · 19 ratings
  1. 2Al JarreauAl Jarreau1 album here
  2. 3Dave GrusinDave Grusin1 album here
  3. 4Acoustic AlchemyAcoustic Alchemy2 albums here
  4. 5Lonnie Liston SmithLonnie Liston Smith2 albums here
  5. 6Airto MoreiraAirto Moreira1 album here

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An artist's score here is every rating their catalog has collected. Add yours and the order moves.

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All genres, the 1980s →