The Isley Brothers have been making sweet music together for more than half a century and have given the music industry some of the best funk tunes as well as bedroom slow jams. The Isley brothers grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio as the sons of a professional vocalist and a church pianist. Since they were family, the four oldest boys , Ronald, Rudolph, O'Kelly and Vernon, were singing together from a young age and formed a gospel quartet. Their mother played the background music for much of their early work. The foursome tragically became a trio in 1955 when Vernon died after a bicycle accident.

The trio went to New York City in the late 1950s and started recording singles. They didn't find success until they released the now-legendary single "Shout." They switched labels and had another hit with "Twist and Shout" in 1962. They were beginning to develop their sound more and also release the well-known "It's Your Thing" in the 1960s. They started their own label and added two more brothers, Ernie and Marvin as well as an in-law, Chris Jasper and friend Everett Collins.

The 1970s were a growing decade for the group as they experimented with different genres while putting out numerous hits like "Fight the Power, Pt. 1," "I Wanna Be With You, Pt. 1" and a cover of "Love the One You're With." The 1980s saw loads of change for the band. In 1984, Ernie, Marvin and Chris left to form their own band. The band continued on, but O'Kelly passed away from a heart attack in 1986. Rudolph also left to become a minister. The members came back together in 1990 and started releasing new material. The band members sometimes fluctuated, but the hits continued to come regardless. The group's latest releases include Baby Makin' Music in 2006 as well as a Christmas album in 2007.