During the 1970s, a new brand of pop music was born – one that was steeped in African and African-American styles – particularly jazz and R&B but appealed to a broader cross-section of the listening public. As founder and leader of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, Maurice White not only embraced but also helped bring about this evolution of pop, which bridged the gap that has often separated the musical tastes of black and white America. It certainly was successful, as EWF combined high-caliber musicianship, wide-ranging musical genre eclecticism, and '70s multicultural spiritualism. Originally issued in 1978, The Best Of Earth, Wind & Fire Volume I is a multi-platinum greatest hits set which collected eight of Earth, Wind & Fire's biggest singles up to that point ("Got To Get You Into My Life," "Fantasy," "Getaway," "Shining Star," "Sing A Song") along with new hit "September" and the band's cover of the Beatles' "Got to Get You Into My Life," for the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band film.