Final answer:
Sylvia Robinson first became successful in the 1970s as a solo artist and as the co-founder of Sugar Hill Records, which played an essential role in the rise of hip-hop. Her record label's release of 'Rapper's Delight' marked a significant moment in music history.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sylvia Robinson, known as the 'Mother of Hip-Hop,' first became successful in the 1970s. She was a part of the duo Mickey & Sylvia with the hit song 'Love Is Strange' in 1957 but achieved notable success as a solo artist with the song 'Pillow Talk' in 1973. Besides her musical success, Sylvia Robinson made a significant impact in the music industry by co-founding Sugar Hill Records, a record label that was pivotal in the popularization of hip-hop music. Sylvia Robinson's Sugar Hill Records was responsible for releasing 'Rapper's Delight' by The Sugarhill Gang in 1979, which was a breakthrough for hip-hop, amplifying its popularity at the dawn of the 1980s. So, the correct answer to the question of in what decade Sylvia Robinson first became successful is b) the 1970s. The unrelated information provided about bureaucratic expansion does not pertain to Sylvia Robinson's career. However, the two recent periods of large-scale bureaucratic expansion were a. the 1930s and the 1960s.