We Are Family

Released in early 1979, We Are Family served as the commercial and creative zenith for Sister Sledge, largely due to the transformative involvement of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic. After two moderately successful albums, the group was paired with the Chic Organization, who wrote, produced, and performed on the record. The result was a sonic blueprint for the late-70s R&B sound, characterized by Bernard Edwards' influential bass work and Rodgers' 'chucking' guitar style. The album's title track became a global anthem for solidarity, while 'He's the Greatest Dancer' and 'Lost in Music' solidified the group's status in the club scene. Critically, the album is often cited as one of the few disco-era LPs that functions as a cohesive front-to-back listening experience rather than a collection of singles. Its legacy is cemented by its heavy sampling in hip-hop and its inclusion in the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry.