Editing MFSB (section)

== TSOP and Commercial Success ==

"TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" (1974) brought MFSB from background to foreground, the instrumental track reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Its adoption as the theme for "Soul Train" gave it exposure that few instrumentals achieve, its association with the influential television program making it synonymous with the era's soul music. The recording demonstrated that MFSB could achieve success beyond their role backing vocalists, their musicianship appealing to audiences in its own right.<ref name="brown"/>

Subsequent recordings, including "Love Is the Message" and "Sexy," continued their commercial presence while providing tracks that would later become staples of hip-hop sampling. The quality of their performances—the tight rhythm section, the expansive arrangements, the sonic excellence that Sigma Sound enabled—made their recordings attractive to producers seeking material to sample. This afterlife in hip-hop has maintained their visibility decades after their original commercial moment passed.<ref name="jackson"/>