Family, June is Black Music Month, and I didn’t want to let it go by without properly honoring the music we all love -- the Game Changers.

Simply put, game changers are the songs that defined their genres. They set or re-charted the course of modern black music. So don't be angry if you don't see "the best" songs from each genre. These are tracks that were different, influential, forward-thinking for their time.

Granted, the list is pretty late ... but with good reason.

It took all month to construct. I consulted some of the most tuned-in folks I know on the subject.

Songs/artists wandered onto the list. Songs fell off. I had to adequately justify each entry, and I think I finally got it right. 

So, I present Qcitymetro's Top 30 game changers (in no particular order).

If there’s a song you think should have made the list (or one that shouldn’t have), tell us below. Remember -- you must justify your responses, too.

1. “Rapper's Delight” -- The Sugarhill Gang (The song is widely accepted as the first commercially successful hip-hop track and the one that started a movement toward the mainstream.)

2. “Stomp” -- God's Property from Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation (Franklin is the prince of modern gospel music. He was one of the firsts to experiment with mainstream hip-hop/R&B beats, giving gospel more crossover appeal.)

3. “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” -- Mahalia Jackson (The partnership of Jackson, “the Queen of Gospel,” and Thomas Dorsey, “the Father of Gospel,” produced Jackson’s signature song. The tune, said to have been a favorite of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2007.)

4. “All Along The Watchtower” -- Jimi Hendrix (Whenever artists cover a song, they should strive to make it so good fans forget the original. When it came to Hendrix’s version, writer and original performer Bob Dylan once said he began performing the hit the way Hendrix did -- guitar riff and all.)

5. “Parents Just Don't Understand” -- DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince (Before Will Smith was the $20-million actor, he and partner-in-rhyme Jeffrey Townes made fun rap songs perfect for ’80s house parties. But a paradigm shift occurred in hip hop when “Parents” became the first song to win a hip-hop Grammy.)

6. “Billie Jean” -- Michael Jackson (In 1983, Jackson debuted “Billie Jean” and the Moonwalk on the Motown 25 special -- the performance that launched his bid to become the King of Pop. The genre was never the same, and international pop artists learned the importance of giving complete performances.)

7. “Juicy” -- The Notorious B.I.G. (More than a decade after B.I.G’s and 2pac’s deaths, the debate continues: Who was the better MC? For the debate to have even been possible, we needed debut single “Juicy,” an Mtume sample, to learn Biggie’s back story and connect with his rags-to-riches tale.)

8. “Fight the Power” -- Public Enemy (“In 198...9,“ Chuck D, Flavor Flav and Co. called for a revolution, to fight the powers that be. The song became somewhat of a political anthem, challenging such topics as racism. The track has been used as a political protest song for the last 20 years.)

9. “Purple Rain” -- Prince (Many critics applauded Eminem’s turn in “8 Mile” and panned Mariah Carey’s performance in “Glitter.” But you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who’d say either would’ve gotten the chance to play the fictional versions of themselves without Prince’s “Purple Rain.” In 1984, Prince revolutionized movies and soundtracks. A quarter-century later, “Purple Rain” -- the song, the movie, the album -- is still seen as a classic.

10. “A Change is Gonna Come” -- Sam Cooke (Cooke found fame with black and white audiences with such lighthearted fare as “You Send Me.” Reportedly, though, he was inspired by segregation demonstrators in Durham and penned “Change.” The tune became an unofficial theme of the Civil Rights Movement and sparked other socially conscious songs, such as Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?”)

11. “Please Mr. Postman” -- The Marvelettes (Berry Gordy founded Motown 50 years ago under the name Tamla Records, as a way to earn more money for his songwriting skills. Though the label found early hits with Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” and “Shop Around” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “Postman” was Motown’s first #1 pop hit, guaranteeing the label’s artists crossover appeal.)

12. “I Shot the Sheriff” -- Bob Marley (Though it was Eric Clapton who re-recorded “Sheriff” and made it a hit stateside, the cover elevated Marley’s status in the U.S. Marley went on to spread reggae to a worldwide audience.)

13. “Dance To The Music” -- Sly & the Family Stone (“Dance To The Music” was the band’s first hit to reach Billboard’s top 10 pop singles. But the hit also helped define a new pop sound, that incorporated psychedelic funk melodies.)

14. “Just Between You & Me” -- Charley Pride (Pride is widely accepted as the first commercially successful black country singer. And this single won him a Grammy. Pride, a former pro-baseball player, is the only black singer to have been inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.)

15. “Dear Mama” -- Tupac Shakur (Shakur was regarded by his peers as one of most introspective rappers ever, and “Mama” shows why. Shakur’s 1995 tribute to his mother, Afeni, was one of most personal tracks released by a hip-hop star at the time.)

16. “F*** Tha Police” -- N.W.A. (When you get past the song’s harsh rhymes, you see this is a lyrical commentary on police brutality and racial tensions in 1980s California. The quintet were clearly ahead of their time: Almost four years later, the country bore witness to the Rodney King incident and the resulting L.A. riots.)

17. “Candy Girl” -- New Edition (In the early ’80s, five skinny, squeaky-voiced teens from Boston -- no, not New Kids On The Block -- changed the face of pop boy bands forever with their debut album of the same name.)

18. “In a Sentimental Mood” -- Duke Ellington/John Coltrane (Ellington and Coltrane were two of the influential jazz musicians, period. Ellington, who had Lincolnton, N.C., ties, reportedly said the ditty was born at a Durham party. Ellington’s best-known version featured Coltrane.)

19. “Groove Me” -- Guy (Producer Teddy Riley is the engineer behind New Jack Swing, combining hip-hop, R&B and synth elements creating an R&B sub-genre. “Groove Me” helped usher in the new sound of the ’80s and ’90s and led the group to a triple-platinum debut album.)

20. “Push It” -- Salt-N-Pepa (Before the Spice Girls were talking the talk about “girl power,” these female MCs were walking it. Hip hop was decidedly a boys’ club. But Salt, Pepa and Spinderella kicked the door in with this track, and the trio remains the best-selling female hip-hop group.)

21. Anything from “My Life” -- Mary J. Blige (For nearly two decades, Blige has found a way to remain relevant and keep her original fans while expanding her sound to win over new ones. But it was her sophomore effort, featuring Keith Murray (and songs produced by Diddy) that helped her solidify her role as the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.)

22. “Walk This Way” -- Run DMC/Aerosmith (Rap continued its quest for world domination in the ’80s, and Run DMC didn’t mind helping it along. The trio joined forces with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry to cover the rockers’ 1970s hit. The rock/rap marriage birthed a bona fide classic -- and the first hip-hop song to reach the Top 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100.)

23. “Georgia On My Mind” -- Ray Charles (Charles scored several crossover country hits during his career including, “Unchain My Heart,” “Hit The Road, Jack” and “Georgia.” Though he wasn’t the first - nor the last - to sing “Georgia,” it is Charles’ version that is best-known and is recognized as the official state song of the state.)

24. “Say It Loud - I’m Black and I’m Proud” -- James Brown (When many in the 1960s were producing conscious, thinking protest songs, “Say It Loud” spurred renewed pride in African Americans. The message was twofold: continue to fight for equal rights and don’t forget how “bad” you really are.)

25. “Me So Horny” -- 2 Live Crew (2 Live Crew was one of the first Southern rap groups to break into the mainstream. But its legacy doesn’t end there: with “Me So Horny,” 2 Live Crew lives in infamy for fighting for First Amendment rights and sparking Congress to slap parental advisory labels on albums with explicit lyrics.)

26. “Happy Birthday” -- Stevie Wonder (While the song failed to chart in the U.S., it supported the campaign to observe the Rev. Martin Luther King’s birthday as a national holiday. It also gave many a new b-day anthem.)

27. “Cult of Personality” -- Living Colour (Living Colour, an all-black funk/metal band, expanded black musicians’ reach in the 1980s. With the success of “Cult of Personality,” the band earned MTV’s Best New Artist Video Music Award and a Grammy in 1989.)

28. “Guantanamera” -- Celia Cruz (Cruz was possibly the most influential female salsa singer of all time. She forged a years-long working relationship with Tito Puente, challenged Fidel Castro’s tenure in Cuba and won numerous awards. Bonus: She appeared on Wyclef Jean’s sample of the track.)

29. “The Thrill Is Gone” -- B.B. King (When it came to breaking barriers and bringing blues to the masses, B.B. King reigns supreme. He began recording in 1949 and has jammed with the likes of Eric Clapton, John Mayer and Gladys Knight. King’s version of “Thrill” was a hit on the R&B and pop charts and earned him a Grammy.)

30. “I Need Love” -- LL Cool J (LL went decidedly emo in 1987 with this track, credited as the first hip-hop ballad. Aside from being a smash hit in the U.S., “I Need Love” was one of the first rap songs to enjoy success in the United Kingdom.)