Eras
80s House Music Artists
Chicago and New York, 1977–1989. The DJs, producers and records that invented house music.
01
The decade
80s
The 1980s are year zero. Frankie Knuckles at the Warehouse and Ron Hardy at the Music Box played the records; Jesse Saunders pressed “On and On” in 1984; Trax and DJ International turned Chicago bedroom tracks into a global sound.
By the end of the decade there was deep house (Larry Heard), acid house (Phuture), anthems (Marshall Jefferson) and a New York garage sound built on Larry Levan’s Paradise Garage.
02
Artists
Who defined it
Jesse Saunders
“On and On” (1984) is widely called the first house record ever pressed to vinyl.
Frankie Knuckles
The Godfather of House. A Bronx kid who moved to Chicago in 1977, played the Warehouse, and gave the music its name.
Ron Hardy
The wild one. Resident at Chicago’s Music Box, where the rawest early house records were tested on the floor first.
Marshall Jefferson
He made “Move Your Body (The House Music Anthem)” and produced Phuture’s “Acid Tracks”. Two records, two genres.
Larry Heard
Mr. Fingers. The man who made house music deep, with “Can You Feel It” and “Mystery of Love”.
Larry Levan
The resident at New York’s Paradise Garage for ten years. The reason “garage” is a genre.
03
Other eras
Keep digging
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FAQ
Questions people ask
Who were the first house music artists?
Chicago DJs and producers including Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy, Jesse Saunders, Marshall Jefferson and Larry Heard.