If we are talking Black music I would like to throw African artists Fela Kuti, Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba into the mix.
I worked in East and West Africa for short periods of time as a young man and at an outside dance place in Nigeria I heard Fela Kuti for the first time. As a big fan of James Brown I was blown away by Fela.
I started listening to other African music and was lucky to see Hugh Masekela in a South London club. He was outstanding.

House Party is a classic. That period (late 70s/early 80s) had so many killer tunes. All Chic's hits of course, then there was Got to be Real, Do it to the Music, Space Bass and loads more. Not that I had any interest at the time, but I was DJing quite a bit around 15 years ago and such tracks mixed very well with funk and disco-based music of the time.

Thanks I'll give that a read, whilst at school I was listening to a lot of smooth soul O'jays, Moments, Isley's etc. When I was appoaching 16 I got a Saturday job in our local Wimpy, washing up, doing drinks. The Saturday girls were all my age, I got on well with them as we used to have a laugh. Anyway they got me listening to, Parliament & Mandrill and also told me a club  they used to go Sunday nights, which I started going to on a regular basis. Which a few years later led me down the Jazz Funk (Caister) route. Going to different clubs in London & the South East, following DJ's who were playing great music and not top 20 disco & soul.

Afrodisia - Kenny Dorham. Blue Note 1955. A remarkable tune. Still fizzes with such energy and invention. First heard it on that great South Bank Blue Note documentary from the mid-80s which opens with a shot of journalist Richard Cook's (RIP) black Bass beefroll loafers (from JS) strolling into Dobells (RIP) in Tower St, Covent Garden. Reid Miles total bonkers, taking the piss out of Alfred Lion's German accent - real knockabout stuff.

And if we're letting pop/rock in the mix, the I have to admit that to this day I am still spellbound by The Jam's Eton Rifles, 42 years after it was released. Watching Weller playing it live on Something Else in '79 was an erotic experience for a young heterosexual man, and it still is today. Of course I subsequently reinvented myself as a sophisticated connoisseur of the subtleties of the natural shoulder, complex syncopation and delicate vocal harmonies, but The Jam in 1979 rocked my little scouse head, and still do if I spend too long on youtube...

When I stopped going out on a Saturday night we used to listen to the Style Council on record and 'Dinner Jazz' on the radio.
Mick Talbot from SC went up in my estimation when I saw him wearing full ivy in Oxford Street about 1985

Have Kenny Dorham's Afrodisia on a Bluenote compilation album "Blue Bossa" Gilles Peterson played it on his Radio London Jazz show quite a lot mid 80's.

Just to pick up on Robbie's comments on reggae, we were aware of some of it fairly early on: especially Desmond Dekker.  It was considered far cooler to listen to Prince Buster (to give an obvious example) than almost anything else.  A bit 'older brother' if you know what I mean.  I was buying some of the poppier stuff like 'Sideshow' and 'Ire Feelings Skanga' by what - 1974?  Then came Dillinger, Tapper Zukie etc. and a lot of the fun seemed to go out of it.

It seems a lot of old soul still gets played near me.  A trendy bar features Motown, a pub has Hector DJing from time to time.  Hector was always well ahead of the game in the Midlands, moved to London, but is now back home.

Prince Buster was big in about 64 (and then later) with Mods from the mile end road. I was on Canvey Island with brother, mum and dad Bank holiday when a small gang appeared singing Al Capone.
Desmond Decker slightly lower down in the pecking order. When he played live at the Ilford Palais my cousin jumped on stage and started dancing with him. Whenever I see my cousin he still talks about it.
Bob Marley we considered almost 'middle of the road' until he became really famous.

Staxfan from your messages I'm convinced our paths have crossed. One of the old posters  Brideshead used to travel from Chelmsford to the Ilford Palais and Cooper's Arms. I think he was at the DD concert. It's like some secret society on here with people passing by, maybe with a nod, and moving on until the next time. Kindred spirits.

Staxfan- I always felt in my comfort zone in the Cooper's but you did have to watch your step. Your wife probably knew the Merry Fiddler's pub in Dagenham and the Westbury Arms in Barking. Good chance of a punch up in those pubs

Blue Bossa 2 has some beautiful cuts too.

I must admit, jazz without Latin percussion seems to be lacking something and I don't really bother with it now. Except for the very bluesy stuff, which I also love.