Jio's HoF :NOW:WEEKLY PICKS (6/6/2023)

[Dragon]

34. I'll Be There-MARIAH CAREY & TREY LORENZ

Yes, I agree, a cover surpassed the original.
First of all, because this love lyrics much more organic sounds when performed by adult women than the 11-year-old child.
at least I can relate more. One of my favorite songs of Mariah.

32. Who Is It-MICHAEL JACKSON

This song is good and his beatbox is impressive, but I am not sure if it's a classic. Not one of his most famous songs. Great video too, but you can hardly see it on any list of his best videos.

31. Jump-KRIS KROSS

Loved it as a child, like it now.

[jio]

R&B 1992 Top 40 part 2



1992 was truly the year I discovered R&B. Although the genre was not popular yet in Europe, there was a little station in Cyprus that kept playing the current R&B hits from the States and it's through that station that I discovered the genre. Unlike 1990 and 1991, I have actually so many faves from this year that I had to leave outside quite a lot (including some from my all-time favorite man Prince) and I was even surprised on how low some of them rank on my countdown, simply because it was a year full of personal classics. So this is R&B's best of 1992... according to me... You can view the videos by clicking on the sleeves. Enjoy...
30.
Colour Of Love-SNAP!


In 1992, the German band which ruled the club charts in 1990 with tunes such as "The Power" attempted a comeback with this single. Keeping their familiar sound but going a bit harder on their version of R&B, "Colour Of Love" was another fantastic single, albeit it was also a massive international flop. So, Snap! would drastically change their sound, remove gradually both Turbo B. and Penny Ford and embrace eurodance. The other three singles from their sophomore album "The Madman's Return" were released in heavily remixed versions removing every inch of R&B from those songs and turning them into dance anthems. Snap! were as good in mainstream dance as they were in R&B and when all is said and done, this was perhaps the best dance act of the '90s. But due to the change of sound, this is obviously the last mention of the group in these countdowns.

29.
A Special Kind Of Love-DINA CARROLL


Having already tasted success as the main vocalist on Quartz' cover of "It's Too Late" back in 1991, British soul vocalist Dina Carroll launched her solo career in 1992. A combination of catchy soul (and later dance) tracks and an awesome voice made Dina one of the most promising new UK artists to emerge in 1992, a promise which however was never fulfilled to its full potential. This was the second single taken from her massive selling debut album "So Close" and it peaked at #16 on the UK Singles chart. The video is only available in bad quality on youtube so I chose a song-only link instead.

28.
Jam-MICHAEL JACKSON feat. HEAVY D.


Another underrated single from Michael's "Dangerous" album, this one surprisingly missed the Top 10 everywhere peaking at #12 on the UK Singles chart and #26 on the BB Hot 100. That could be explained by the fact that it was the 5th single taken from an enormous selling-international chart topping album, yet nobody can accuse Michael for not doing enough for it to succeed. The song was accompanied with another breathtaking 8 minutes+ video featuring cameo appearances from rappers Heavy D. (who provides a rap for the song), Kris Kross (who do not) and even basketball legend Michael Jordan who teaches Jackson how to play the sport in exchange for Jackson teaching him how to dance.

27.
Stay This Way-BRAND NEW HEAVIES


The Brand New Heavies were active since the '80s under a different name but it was only in 1992 that they achieved commercial success on both sides of the Atlantic. Well, this one wasn't their American hit and out of the four UK hits they scored that year, it was the smallest, barely creeping into the chart at #40. Yet, it remains my personal favorite from them. The band would keep scoring hits throughout the '90s, achieving a very prominent place in UK soul history

26.
End Of The Road-BOYZ II MEN


For anyone being in love around 1992, this was the ultimate romantic song of the year. Taken from the soundtrack of the Eddie Murphy film "Boomerang", "End Of The Road" became the beginning of the road for this quartet spending 3 weeks on top of the UK Singles chart and a whooping 13 weeks on top of the BB Hot 100. Unfortunately, the success of this single is what probably persuaded Boyz II Men to abandon every inch of funkiness in their sound in favor for tearjeckers such as this, a move which did make them the most commercially successful R&B groups of the '90s but also created one of the most boring back catalogues in the industry ever.

25.
If I Ever Fall In Love-SHAI


Let's keep it mellow for this next single as well. Although the originally released version of "If I Ever Fall In Love" did include instrumentation, it was this acapella version which put the charts on fire. The single eventually peaked at #2 on the BB Hot 100 and #36 on the UK Singles chart. Despite not topping the Hot 100, the song spent eight weeks at #2 behind Whitney's "I Will Always Love You" meaning that it was indeed one of the biggest hits of 1992.

24.
Just Right-SOUL II SOUL


1992 also was the year the third Soul II Soul album, "Just Right" was released. The sound of the band remained as soulful as ever, only this time more focus was given on male instead of female vocalists. This would be the last very successful era for Soul II Soul with the album going Top 5 in the UK but with all the singles, besides the first one, failing to gather much momentum. This soul standard peaked at #38 on the UK Singles chart and it was the final single released from the album.

23.
Ain't No Man-DINA CARROLL


This was the first single taken from Dina's "So Close" album and it peaked at #16 on the UK Singles chart. Despite the rather low positions for the singles, they did help "So Close" becoming one of the biggest selling albums of 1992 in the UK. The album launched six Top 40 singles in the UK, spent half a year in the Top 20 and was among the best selling albums of 1992, 1993 and 1995 in the UK. Eventually it sold over 1.5 million copies in the UK alone, becoming the most successful debut album by a UK female vocalist ever (a title which was lost to Dido in 2001)

22.
Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg-T.L.C.


This was the first single ever for the most successful R&B girl group of the '90s and its subject matter is... sex. The song was an enormous success in the States where it reached #6 on the Hot 100 and a smaller success in the UK where it peaked at #13. Despite being an early single which doesn't really showcase the act's strengths, it does feature the composing talents of Dallas Austin and all of the girls taking turns on the mic. All in all, an all-time R&B party classic

21.
Love Can Move Mountains-CELINE DION


Although this single charted on dance rather than R&B charts, the strong gospel influences simply cannot be ignored. Back then Celine Dion was just an upcoming Canadian act who, having already achieved fame in her native country as well as French-speaking territories, was aiming for English-market success. In the States, this became the fifth Top 40 hit for Celine peaking at #36 on the Hot 100 but it did not manage to repeat the Top 40 success of "Beauty And The Best" in the UK. Still though, it was another step in a career which would eventually make Celine Dion the most successful non-American female artist in the history of music (and the second most successful female artist overall) and one of my personal faves from her. Just check the bra revealing dance move at the very beginning of the video

[jio]

R&B 1992 Top 40 part 3



1992 was truly the year I discovered R&B. Although the genre was not popular yet in Europe, there was a little station in Cyprus that kept playing the current R&B hits from the States and it's through that station that I discovered the genre. Unlike 1990 and 1991, I have actually so many faves from this year that I had to leave outside quite a lot (including some from my all-time favorite man Prince) and I was even surprised on how low some of them rank on my countdown, simply because it was a year full of personal classics. So this is R&B's best of 1992... according to me... You can view the videos by clicking on the sleeves. Enjoy...
20.
She's Got That Vibe-R. KELLY & PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT


R. Kelly is by now a megastar in his own right. He has six American #1 albums under his belt, 37 BB Hot 100 Top 40 hits and 40 UK Top 40 hit singles. In case that doesn't sound impressive enough, he has also composed for almost everyone in the R&B scene including Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton etc. Well, back in 1992, the career of this R&B legend was just beginning with a single that had absolutely nothing in common for the more sexually-charged R&B ballads and gospel songs he would become well-known for later on. Instead, here we get one of the most uninhibitedly happy R&B jams of the early '90s. Although the song wasn't a hit on any side of the Atlantic upon its initial late-1991 release, it did become an R&B Top 10 hit in early 1992 and subsequently peaked at #3 on the UK Singles chart, upon re-release in 1994.

19.
Humpin' Around-BOBBY BROWN


Ever since Bobby Brown left '80s R&B children supergroup New Edition, his career just went from strength to strenght. Beginning from 1987's "Don't Be Cruel", all eight singles he released since then had gone Top 10 on BB Hot 100 with two of them going all the way to the top. Of course his comeback single, "Humpin' Around" wasn't the one to break the trend. It was Bobby's 9th straight Top 10 hit in the States, peaking at #3 on the BB Hot 100 while it also made #19 on the UK Singles chart. Unfortunately though, after one more American Top 10 with the next release "Good Enough", Bobby would never again see those chart heights again (and with the exception of one song, he won't ever see the Top 40 again either)

18.
Set Your Loving Free-LISA STANSFIELD


This was the fourth single taken from Lisa's sophomore album "Real Love". The first was of course "Change", the second was Lisa's first ever ballad, the third found the diva experimenting with reggae-pop and this one was just simply back to basics for the quuen of blue-eyed soul. Although musically Lisa could probably create songs such as this in her sleep, this remains an amazingly beautiful song. It peaked at #28 on the UK Singles chart.

17.
Full Term Love-MONIE LOVE


The most successful UK rapper like ever, Monie Love, made her long expected comeback in 1992 with this all-american rap jam. Clearly designed to appeal to the US audience who had already given her some love, the single managed to simply alienate her British fanbase instead. A comeback single by such a major artist peaking at #34 on the UK Singles chart was nothing short of a disaster for the rapper, yet the song remains an absolute personal fave of mine

16.
My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)-EN VOGUE


And here's a band which took the exact opposite route than Monie Love as far as their comeback single was concerned and achieved he exact opposite results as well. En Vogue returned in 1992 with a single firmly keeping the girls in their familiar sound and achieved a major R&B hit, peaking at #2 on the BB Hot 100 and #4 on the UK Singles chart where American R&B acts climbing so high was far from usual back then. The girls also embraced a more sexy retro look which is evident in all five videos released from "Funky Divas", the album this song was taken from and the most successful album of their career. But more about that later...

15.
Make It Happen-MARIAH CAREY


Leave it to Mariah Carey to release the best song of her career as the third and final release from her sophomore album. Indeed, that must be the reason "Make It Happen" became the lowest charting Mariah Carey single up to then, but no worries since that still meant a thriumphant #5 peak on the BB Hot 100. Meanwhile, Europe remained typically unimpressed with the single making it only to #17 on the UK Singles chart. Mariah received a lawsuit for copyright infringement for this song, which was eventually settled with Mariah's side paying half a million dollars

14.
Give It Up, Turn It Loose-EN VOGUE


Although probably the whole world considers "My Lovin'" the top "Funky Divas" single, my opinion begs to differ. This mellow song is simply better. "Give It Up Turn It Loose" was the fourth single taken from that album peaking at #15 on the BB Hot 100 and #22 on the UK Singles chart. Meanwhile, En Vogue had in their hands the most commercially successful R&B album of 1992. "Funky Divas" has sold over 5 million copies to date and has gone three times platinum in the States.

13.
Jump Around-HOUSE OF PAIN


And here's another entry in the long list of songs being moderate hits upon first release only to become massive hits upon re-release. This rap classic peaked at #32 on the UK Singles chart the first time around but one year later, it proudly climbed as high as #8. Of course the US recognized its beauty early on since enough Americans were jumping around in 1992 to send the song to #3. The band had a few more increasingly rock-oriented hits as years went by but this is clearly the one everyone remembers them for. Oh, and they can deny it all they want, but THAT'S PRINCE'S VOICE OVER THERE.


12.
Reminisce-MARY J. BLIGE


The biggest event in planet R&B circa 1992 was the release of Mary J. Blige's debut album "What's The 411?". Why was that? Simply because that album changed the course of R&B forever. By creating the fusion of hip-hop beats with soulful vocals, Mary J. Blige became overnight the future of R&B, while giving the kiss of death to new jack swing. Behind the production of this super-influential album was of course mega-hip hop producer and rapper Puff Daddy. "Reminisce" was the third single to be released from that album and peaked at #31 on the UK Singles chart.



11.
Joy-SOUL II SOUL


"Joy" was the comeback single from british R&B kings Soul II Soul and the first single from their third studio album "Vol. III: Just Right". The song became their 5th (and final) UK Top 10 hit by peaking at #4 on the UK Singles chart. Since then, the band would prove increasingly incapable of following trends in R&B but increasingly capable of creating perfect songs keeping their trademark sound intact, without ever repeating themselves. This would of course mean progressively smaller hits, but Soul II Soul remained the band that re-defined the sound of UK R&B forever.

[jio]

R&B 1992 Top 40 part 4



1992 was truly the year I discovered R&B. Although the genre was not popular yet in Europe, there was a little station in Cyprus that kept playing the current R&B hits from the States and it's through that station that I discovered the genre. Unlike 1990 and 1991, I have actually so many faves from this year that I had to leave outside quite a lot (including some from my all-time favorite man Prince) and I was even surprised on how low some of them rank on my countdown, simply because it was a year full of personal classics. So this is R&B's best of 1992... according to me... You can view the videos by clicking on the sleeves. Enjoy...
10.
Would I Lie To You?-CHARLES & EDDIE


The curse of having an amazing debut single that all your subsequent releases compare unfavorably to is a well-known one in music industry. And is exactly what happened to this British soul duo. No music history of 1992 can be written without mentioning this old-fashioned R&B jam, which managed to top the UK Singles chart for two weeks and even cross over to the other side of the Atlantic peaking at #13 on the BB Hot 100. Yet, Charles & Eddie failed completely to build a career based on the success of their debut single. Their next three singles became minor UK Top 40 hits and nothing was heard from the band ever again.

09.
Sexy M.F.-PRINCE & THE NEW POWER GENERATION


This explicit 1992 single was the first release from Prince's 17th studio album, bearing the unpronouncable symbol which was soon to replace the word "Prince" as Prince's name. The song was typical Prince, a rap single with heavy jazz influences and a ridiculous video of the sort only Prince could make. The song became a major hit in the UK where it peaked at #4 on the charts, yet US radio refused to touch it because of its lyrics and became the first Prince pilot single from an album to flop over there since "Controversy" way back in 1981. Despite all, the album was both a commercial and critical success and Prince entered the '90s with his popularity largely unharmed.

08.
In The Closet-MICHAEL JACKSON


"In The Closet" is a song with a long history. Originally inspired as a duet between Michael and Madonna, the plan failed when Michael refused to crossdress for the video as Madonna wanted. That Madonna proposal also was the initial event in one of the many diva rivalries of the '90s, the one between Madonna and Janet Jackson. Eventually, Michael released the song as a duet with... a mysterious girl and speculation hit red as to who that girl was. Some said it was actually Madonna, others believed it was Michael's co-star in the video, Naomi Campbell but reality was far more bizarre. The woman who speaks in the song is no one else than Princess Stephanie of Monaco, who had a little french singing career of her own. The song peaked at #6 on the BB Hot 100 and #8 on the UK Singles chart and comes with one of the best videos in Michael's career, a feat not so easy to accomplish in a career filled with great videos.

07.
Force Behind The Power-DIANA ROSS


I think this is one of the most unusual entries in my countdowns as the single wasn't a major hit at all, having only peaked at #27 on the UK Singles chart. Yet, this Stevie Wonder-penned track is far more than its chart placing suggests. It has a classic R&B feel which comes out even stronger thanks to the woman who performs it. Diana is of course a diva who knew success like few others. The lady had 18 Billboard Top 40 and 18 UK Top 40 albums (incuding three #1s on each side of the Atlantic) as a member of the Supremes. Over on the singles charts, Diana as part of the Supremes achieved 25 BB Hot 100 Top 40 entries, most of which (no less than 12) went all the way to the top. Over in the UK, The Supremes including Diana Ross had 21 Top 40 singles including a #1 hit. Ever since Diana left the group, her solo career became synonymous with the word diva. 20 Billboard Top 40 albums (including a chart-topping soundtrack), 30 UK Top 40 albums (including a chart-topping compilation), 27 Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 singles (including six #1s) and 47 UK Top 40 singles including two #1s...

06.
Mr. Loverman-SHABBA RANKS


I don't think my opinion of "Mr. Loverman" being the most classic reggae hit of the '90s is too controversial although 1993 and 1994 saw a mini revival of the genre, especially in the UK. The song wasn't a big hit during its original 1992 release peaking at a mere #23 on the UK Singles chart and #40 on the BB Hot 100. But as the already-mentioned reggae revival took root the following year, the song was re-released peaking at #3 on the UK Singles chart. Meanwhile Shabba became for a while Jamaica's hottest export achieving nine UK Top 40 hits in total. However his career ended in controversy due to his increasingly homophobic views. Despite his political incorrectness, Shabba remains one of the most important contemporary artists of the genre.

05.
What About Your Friends-T.L.C.


It was just a matter of time before the girls of TLC took the whole of the world by storm. In 1992 though, only America had fallen under their spell and one has to wonder why considering the quality of their songs. "What About Your Friends" was the third single taken from their debut album and easily became their third consecutive Billboard Top 10 his peaking at #7 on the Hot 100. The song remains my personal all-career favorite song by them by a band which I consider myself still a crazy fan of.

04.
Someday (I'm Coming Back)-LISA STANSFIELD


The soundtrack of the Kevin Kostner/Whitney Houston film "The Bodyguard" easily ranks as one of the most successful albums of any kind of all time. Besides sending Whitney's cover of "I Will Always Love You" at #1 for 14 weeks in the US and 10 weeks in the UK, the album itself sold north of 40 million copies. Although Whitney did sing half the album's songs (the whole side A on the cassette), the other half were sang by a variety of artists, including this beautiful contribution from Lisa Stansfield. Easily the best song on the soundtrack IMO, "Someday" peaked at #10 on the UK Singles chart.

03.
Real Love-MARY J. BLIGE


Probably the most classic single of Mary J.'s career, "Real Love" was indeed the song that put her firmly on the map, despite not being her biggest hit ever. The song peaked at #7 on the BB Hot 100 and #26 on the UK Singles chart. The song easily became the biggest hit from the historic "What's The 411?" album and has been sampled to date by a variety of artists including Eve, Dru Hill and Frank Ocean.


02.
No Ordinary Love-SADE


Sade were undoubtly one of the biggest R&B acts to emerge in the '80s. Their melancholic, bluesy sound became the soundtrack for many broken hearts back in the '80s, whereas the anti-diva reputation and behaviour of front singer (also named Sade) made her one of the most interesting personasin a decade known for "Dynasty" and "Dallas". Well, in 1992 Sade were back with their fourth studio album (their first since 1988) and first single from that album was this haunting R&B ballad which originally peaked at #28 on the BB Hot 100 and #26 on the UK Singles chart. However, like so many other songs, the single was re-released in the UK as part of the "Indecent Proposal" soundtrack the following year, when it made a much-healthier #14 on that same chart

01.
Iron Lion Zion-BOB MARLEY


OK I have to admit a bit of cheating here. "Iron Lion Zion" was actually composed and recorded way back in 1974 but I think its inclusion here is almost fair game since the song was released for the first time ever in 1992. Of course the excitement of a never-heard before brand new Bob Marley song would have been enough to send this song flying up the charts (as it did peaking at #5 on the UK Singles chart) but the fact that the song was as good as any of his many classics was an enormous and unexpected pleasure. Granted, there is a lot of difference between R&B and reggae but reggae is part of the whole Rhythm & Blues school of music so it's fair to be here I guess. Plus it's an awesome song anyway one sees it

most mentions so far:

1. (2) Soul II Soul  5 
2. (4) En Vogue   4
3. (5) Lisa Stansfield    4
4. (10) Mariah Carey     4
5. (1) Johnny Gill  3
6. (6) Snap!   3
7. (-) T.L.C.   3
8. (-) Michael Jackson  3
9. (3) Guy  3          
10.(9) Tevin Campbell  3

[Grybop]

Great choices! WAYF is my fave TLC song as well!
Not sure if Iron Lion Zion is R&b, but I remember a classmate looking for the song at the time and asked if anyone knew a song called "Black Lion"

[jio]

It's definitely not R&B but I wanted to include it lol

[Wardo]

Iron Lion Zion and Real Love, GREAT songs!!!

And I guess I never heard the TLC song, shame on me!

[Benny]

30. Colour Of Love-SNAP!
26. End Of The Road-BOYZ II MEN
25. If I Ever Fall In Love-SHAI
16. My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)-EN VOGUE
15. Make It Happen-MARIAH CAREY
13. Jump Around-HOUSE OF PAIN
10. Would I Lie To You?-CHARLES & EDDIE
08. In The Closet-MICHAEL JACKSON
05. What About Your Friends-T.L.C.
01. Iron Lion Zion-BOB MARLEY

I like all these, especially "End Of The Road" (except for the spoken part which is awful), "If I Ever Fall In Love" (only the acapella version), "My Lovin'", "Make It Happen" (I agree that it's probably Mariah's best tune), "Would I Lie To You" and "Iron Lion Zion" (my favourite Bob Marley song).

[jio]

R&B 1993 Top 40 part 1



By 1993 I was an R&B freak. My music world was ruled by artists such as Mary J. Blige, En Vogue and TLC whereas Prince's collection released in that year, introduced me to some of the best R&B music of the '80s and to my top artist of all times. Over in the charts, R&B had slowly but surely began a takeover (more felt in the States than in Europe), with more and more R&B songs becoming mega-hits. With Mary J. Blige's "What's The 411?" album having already been released in 1992, 1993 saw the release of the other historic album which transformed the face of R&B forever, Without revealing what that album was just yet this is R&B's best of 1993... according to me... You can view the videos by clicking on the sleeves. Enjoy...
40.
Oh Carolina-SHAGGY


In music there is the phenomenon of one artist popularizing a genre and then another taking completely over and building a career with watered-down more commercial songs of the genre. That may be the case of this Jamaican artist as well, who took over a sound which had just been popularized by Shabba Ranks and built a career which to date counts thirteen UK Top 40 hits (including four #1s) and three American Top 40 hits as well, two of which topped the BB Hot 100. This is Shaggy's debut single which topped the UK Singles chart for two weeks.

39.
Knockin' Da Boots-H-TOWN


One of the many mellow R&B hits of the '90s and at the same time one of the very few memorable ones, "Knockin' Da Boots" was the song that commenced H-Town's career by peaking at #14 on the BB Hot 100. The band would go on achieving BB Hot 100 hits for the next five years or so.

38.
Kiss Of Life-SADE


This was the third single taken from Sade's fourth studio album "Love Deluxe" and it was perhaps the most typical Sade single released from that album. The song didn't do much on the pop charts but it easily became Sade's 7th R&B Top 10 hit.

37.
Love Don't Love You-EN VOGUE


I don't know if a music video was ever filmed for this song, I certainly have never seen one, nor can I find one in youtube, but this was the sixth and final single taken from En Vogue's sophomore album "Funky Divas". It became the girls' seventh Top 40 hit in the States where it peaked at #36 on the BB Hot 100, even without a video to promote it. The girls didn't release any new material in 1993 (besides a remix E.P.) and spent 1993 mostly enjoying their newly-found "Funky Divas" superstardom

36.
I Got You-JOHNNY GILL feat. BOYZ-II-MEN


There was something retro about the sound of both Johnny Gill and Boyz-II-Men and since both artists were hugely successful, their pairing on this song from Johnny's "Provocative" album wasn't a bad idea at all. In reality the song was a big fat flop, but that doesn't take away much from it since it is still a great record. Probably its sound didn't fit much with the hard-edge hip-hop influenced R&B which took over the charts after Mary J. Blige's "What's The 411?" album and it was a sign of a very changing landscape in R&B, because had it released just a year earlier, there is no doubt that this would have been a smash.

35.
Breathe Again-TONI BRAXTON


Toni was still a newbie back in 1993. Although the lady had already three Top 40 hits under her belt in her native USA, this was her first Top 5 as it peaked at #3 on the BB Hot 100. Perhaps more importanly, the song crossed over in Europe as well peaking at #2 on the UK Singles chart (although I suspect that had more to do with its appeal as a ballad than as an R&B song) and introduced the unique vocal style of Toni to a whole new audience which didn't take long to make her one of the most important R&B artists of the whole decade.

34.
Informer-SNOW


Reggae from a white Canadian artist? Yes, indeed that's exactly what Snow's "Informer" was and it was one of the biggest hits of 1993, as well as one of the most memorable reggae tracks of the '90s. Of course Snow did not manage to build a career based on it and remained another curiosity, similar to Vanilla Ice back in 1990. However, "Informer" is still a cool party track. The song spent seven weeks on top of the BB Hot 100 and peaked at #2 on the UK Singles chart.

33.
So Natural-LISA STANSFIELD


1993 began with much expectations for Lisa Stansfield. The lady had just scored two massive hits from two different soundtracks ("The Bodyguard" and "Indecent Proposal") as well as her second UK #1, this time as a featured artist in a George Michael single which paid tribute to Queen. Yet, when her third studio album was released, Lisa was met with increasing indifference. The low quality of the songs which sounded mostly like rejects of her first two albums didn't help. In the end this beautiful soul number, the title track, was the only significant hit from that album peaking at #15 on the UK Singles chart and Lisa's career went into critical care mode overnight.

32.
Weak-S.W.V.


SWV stands for Sisters With Voices and the Sisters indeed had Voices and there is probably no other song where those voices are showcased so clearly as in this R&B ballad. SWV ruled the charts as no other R&B girl band in 1993 and this was their biggest hit of the year topping the BB Hot 100 for two weeks and peaking at #33 on the UK Singles chart.

31.
Stay-ETERNAL


With American R&B girl bands such as En Vogue and SWV taking the charts by storm, it was only a matter of time before the UK comes up with an answer. That answer was of course Eternal, a soulful quatro of power vocalists, fronted by sisters Easther and Vernie. It all began with a cover of a little known 1990 song (which itself made it in my 1990 countdown) and Eternal's version ended up a much bigger hit than the original on both sides of the Atlantic peaking at #4 on the UK Singles chart and #19 on the BB Hot 100. Eternal managed to build a career which includes a total of fifteen UK Top 40 hits to date.

[jio]

R&B 1993 Top 40 part 2



By 1993 I was an R&B freak. My music world was ruled by artists such as Mary J. Blige, En Vogue and TLC whereas Prince's collection released in that year, introduced me to some of the best R&B music of the '80s and to my top artist of all times. Over in the charts, R&B had slowly but surely began a takeover (more felt in the States than in Europe), with more and more R&B songs becoming mega-hits. With Mary J. Blige's "What's The 411?" album having already been released in 1992, 1993 saw the release of the other historic album which transformed the face of R&B forever, Without revealing what that album was just yet, this is R&B's best of 1993... according to me... You can view the videos by clicking on the sleeves. Enjoy...
30.
F*ck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')-DR.DRE feat. SNOOP DOGGY DOGG


Well, besides Mary J.' "What's the 411?", the other album which completely changed the face of R&B during the '90s was Dr. Dre's "The Chronic". The album invented the G-Funk sound, made a legendary label out of "Death Row", introduced both Dre and Snoop Dogg to the world and all that while paying homage to gangsta livin' and in particular marijuana use. This was the second single released from that album and became easily another mega-hit for Dr. Dre peaking at #8 on the BB Hot 100.

29.
Slow And Easy-ZAPP & ROGER


Well actually there was no band called Zapp & Roger. Instead there was the legendary '80s funk group Zapp of which Roger Troutman was the main member. As was quite usual in the '80s, besides releasing songs with Zapp, Roger Troutman was releasing his own material as well. So, in 1993 when the time for an anthology came, the label decided to combine material from both Zapp and Roger Troutman solo and release them under the artist name "Zapp & Roger". This new single was released under the same monicker as well and it is good enough to make my Top 30, even though the pop charts generally ignored it.

28.
Hip Hop Hooray-NAUGHTY BY NATURE


In 1993 we were all going "heeeyyy hooo" even though we weren't quite certain in the beginning who was rapping in this hip hop anthem. Then we realized that the band were actually naming themselves in the very beginning of the song (daah) so we could buy the single without any confusion. "Hip Hop Hooray" was a major hit of the kind that few rap singles could manage at the time peaking at #8 on the BB Hot 100 and #22 on the UK Singles charts in early 1993, followed up with a slightly improved #20 position upon re-release later on the same year.

27.
Freak Me-SILK


In the '90s R&B ballads stopped being about romance and heartache. Instead they focused on sex, resulting in progressively more explicit f*ck songs (well, that's what they were). Few bands did that particular sub-genre as well as Silk in this little classic which spent two weeks on top of the BB Hot 100. As with many R&B classics of the time, the UK completely ignored it until a British act (Another Level) recorded a rather straight-forward cover of the song and sent it flying to the top of the UK Singles chart in 1998.

26.
It's Gonna Be A Lovely Day-S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. feat. MICHELLE VISAGE


The soundtrack to "The Bodyguard" was released in 1992 but other than Whitney's "I Will Always Love You" and Lisa Stansfield's "Someday", all other five singles from the album were released in 1993. Here, a little known R&B/dance act achieved an international success with a rapped-up version of Bill Withers' classic R&B tune "Lovely Day". The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. version peaked at #34 on the BB Hot 100 and #17 on the UK Singles chart.

25.
Who Am I? (What's My Name?)-SNOOP DOGGY DOGG feat. DR. DRE


In 1993 a rap label, Death Row, became for hip-hop what Motown was for soul back in the '60s. They achieved that mainly by using Dr. Dre's producing talents (hence Death Row collapsed after Dr. Dre left) and creating what was known as G-Funk sound. Dr. Dre was a great producer but his flow as a rapper wasn't the most impressive in the world. But no worries, since Death Row had also signed one of the best rappers of all times, Snoop Dogg, and the resulting combination of Dre and Snoop was simply game-changing. "What's My Name?" was the first single taken from Snoop's debut album "Doggystyle". It reached #8 (which seems to be the number of choice for all rap classics of 1993) on BB Hot 100 and #20 on the UK Singles chart and helped send the "Doggystyle" album into four times platinum territory in the States alone.

24.
Get It Up-T.L.C.


Time for another cover then. "Get It Up" was originally the breakthrough R&B hit of The Time, composed by Prince himself (who can be clearly heard singing on the Time version). Although the original version was a Top 10 R&B success, it never crossed-over to the pop charts so "Get It Up" remained an underground classic waiting for someone to popularize it by covering it. And of course, nobody was more suited for the task than T.L.C. Their version of "Get It Up" appeared on the soundtrack of the Tupac/Janet Jackson film "Poetic Justice" and although it failed to become their 5th straight Top 40 hit in the States, it did come awfully close to it (peaking at #42 on BB Hot 100). TLC paid homage to Prince on their sophomore album as well, covering another one of his many '80s classics ("If I Was Your Girlfriend").

23.
If-JANET JACKSON


Talking about Prince, no other lady has been more clearly influenced by him throughout her career than Janet Jackson. Her breakthrough album "Control" followed Prince's formula of success by using a watered-down version of Minneapolis sound, she worked extensively with legendary producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis whose career of course began as members on Prince's band The Time and when the diva entered the '90s with a radically updated R&B sound, she once again looked to Prince for inspiration, especially on this track. "If" is without any doubt the steamiest track Janet ever released and took the clubs by storm in 1993. The single peaked at #4 on the BB Hot 100 and #14 on the UK Singles chart and the video's choreography just put all other divas to shame.


22.
Hey Mr. D.J.- Zhané


Zhané was another girl band who took both R&B and club charts by storm in 1993 with this sleek dance single. The song peaked at #6 on the BB Hot 100 and #26 on the UK Singles chart making the girls superstars overnight. The girls would go on having hits until 1997, but they never really managed to top this classic single.

21.
Feel No Pain-SADE


This has to be Sade's most underrated single ever. An anthem which sounds very current even today as it talks about unemployment, released as the second single from the "Love Deluxe" album and accompanied by one of the most beautiful videos ever made (and the one from which the cover of the album itself was taken from), the song should have been a major success. Instead it was generally ignored even in the R&B charts where it stayed well-away from the Top 40. I do not have any explanation but this is all the way a gorgeous song.

[Wayne]

Seeing as though you took the time to comment in her thread, I'll offer my input on the topic!

About Love Can Move Mountains...it sounds fantastic as a recorded single, her vocals soar. However, she hasn't really pulled the song off as a live performance since the mid-to-late 90's. Frustratingly, she always chickens out of the big notes - the best performance she's done of the song in ages is this performance at the Walmart Shareholders Meeting. That being said, I still have a soft spot for the song - providing it isn't live!

A strange song to feature in an R&B countdown Nevertheless, the gospel choir in that live performance and the choir in the actual song are amazing!

[jio]

Well, essentially it is pop/gospel, i.e. part of R&B with the wider meaning (includes soul, hip hop, rap etc etc)... Disco and reggae were also charting on R&B charts once so I am more thinking R&B with the wider meaning...

[jio]

R&B 1993 Top 40 part 3



By 1993 I was an R&B freak. My music world was ruled by artists such as Mary J. Blige, En Vogue and TLC whereas Prince's collection released in that year, introduced me to some of the best R&B music of the '80s and to my top artist of all times. Over in the charts, R&B had slowly but surely began a takeover (more felt in the States than in Europe), with more and more R&B songs becoming mega-hits. With Mary J. Blige's "What's The 411?" album having already been released in 1992, 1993 saw the release of the other historic album which transformed the face of R&B forever, Without revealing what that album was just yet, this is R&B's best of 1993... according to me... You can view the videos by clicking on the sleeves. Enjoy...
20.
Going Nowhere-GABRIELLE


And just when Lisa Stansfield's career began to cool down, British soulster Gabrielle appeared to fill the gap. Gabrielle was of course the lady with the eye-patch (not for cosmetic reasons, she actually had ptosis, a condition causing the eyelid to drop) and this single was her second release. It peaked at #9 on the UK Singles chart. Unfortunately, very few Gabrielle videos are available on youtube, they can just be found in her official website in rather low quality versions.

19.
I'm Back For More-LULU feat. BOBBY WOMACK


This rather unlikely trans-atlantic pairing was step two in the astonishing comeback of Lulu as a cool artist, a comeback which would eventually result in her first ever UK #1 hit later in 1993 as a featured artist in Take That's remake of the disco classic "Relight My Fire". This comeback was so unexpected because, not counting a re-release of her debut single in 1986, Lulu was completely absent from the charts for 18 years. Prior to that, she was quite a major star, having achieved 12 UK Top 40 hits in between 1964 and 1974. Back then she even managed to cross over to the States where she enjoyed four BB Hot 100 Top 40 hits, including a #1 (1967's "To Sir With Love"). Bobby Womack's career dates from the '60s too as he had 25 BB R&B Top 40 hits in between 1962 and 1985. This gorgeous soul record was the second single taken from Lulu's 1993 comeback album "Independence" and peaked at #27 on the UK Singles chart.

18.
I'm Every Woman-WHITNEY HOUSTON


The first half of 1993 was pretty much Whitney Houston's year. The diva was enjoying an enormously successful period with a hit movie and an even more successful soundtrack. "The Bodyguard" soundtrack went to #1 just about everywhere and so did its debut single (Whitney's "I Will Always Love You" which just broke record after record). This was the second Whitney single taken from the "Bodyguard" soundtrack and actually it was released while "I Will Always Love You" was still topping the singles charts everywhere. It is of course a dance remake of Chaka Khan's far superior '70s classic but Whitney did an excellent job. "I'm Every Woman" was the only Whitney Houston "Bodyguard" single to have a music video not focused on scenes from the film. But the video did feature R&B girl group T.L.C., Chaka Khan herself (interestingly Whitney Houston did not replace Chaka's name-calling in the end of the song so Whitney can be heard singing "Chaka Khan" in her version too), legendary soul songwriter Valerie Simpson, gospel singer Cissy Houston (Whitney's mother, hence besides "Chaka Khan" Whitney can be also heard screaming "mother" at some point) as well as a very visibly pregnant Whitney. The song peaked at #4 on both UK and BB Hot 100 charts, becoming another megahit in a career so full of them

17.
I'm In Luv-JOE


This was the single which launched Joe's career back in 1993 by peaking at #22 on the UK Singles chart and going Top 10 in the US R&B chart. Since then, Joe has managed eight Billboard Top 40 albums (five of which went Top 10), twelve UK Top 40 singles and eight BB Hot 100 Top 40 singles including two #1s in the '00s (with "Stutter" and as a featured artist in Mariah Carey's "Thank God I Found You"). The song screams 1993, mainly because of its reggae touches, as reggae was going through a full comeback during 1993.

16.
Right Here (Human Nature remix)-S.W.V.


"Right Here" was SWV's first single release back in 1992 albeit in a radically different version. The original version was just a minor R&B hit, but the song enjoyed enormous success in 1993, after SWV had already scored a couple of hits. That happened because the song's backing melody was replaced by the instrumental of Michael Jackson's 1983 hit "Human Nature" and this new version was used in the soundtrack of the movie "Free Willy", in which soundtrack Michael himself participated too. Of course "Right Here" could never be as good as Michael's "Human Nature" but nevertheless it became a massive hit peaking at #2 on the BB Hot 100 and #3 on the UK Singles chart becoming S.W.V.'s biggest hit single ever. Michael's voice can be still heard throughout the song so perhaps a feat. Michael Jackson should have been added in the title too? S.W.V.'s remix album features a longer version of the song which is essentially a mash-up of the two songs as it features whole verses of the original song. Chris Brown basically covered S.W.V.'s own cover in his rather horrid 2011 single "She Ain't You" (talking about lack of originality there) .

15.
Dreams-GABRIELLE


This was Gabrielle's breakthrough hit and one of the biggest "made in the UK" R&B hit singles ever. The song turned Gabrielle into a superstar overnight as it entered the UK Singles chart at #2, a feat never achieved by a debut single before. Of course the song was up to #1 the following week, where it stayed for three weeks and soon crossed over to the States as well, where it peaked at #26 on the BB Hot 100. Gabrielle would keep scoring hits for the next 10 years, bringing her grand total up to sixteen UK Top 40 hits by today.

14.
Let Me Ride-DR. DRE feat. SNOOP DOGGY DOGG


This was the third single taken from Dr. Dre's "Chronic" album and although it failed to repeat the Top 10 success of its two predecessors, it did become an international hit peaking at #34 on the BB Hot 100 and #31 on the UK Singles chart. Those low positions probably have something to do with the success of its parent album though, as by the time the single was released the album had already sold over a million copies in the States alone and was well on its way for the eight million copies of sales it has achieved by today.

13.
Born 2 B.R.E.E.D.-MONIE LOVE


It's not everyday that British female rappers achieve a level of American fame enough to attrack the attention of some of the biggest names in the U.S. R&B scene. But that's exactly what Monie Love had achieved with her debut album, the fab "Down To Earth" back in 1990, so when the time came for the release of her follow-up project, Prince composed two original songs for her. "Born 2 B.R.E.E.D." was one of them. The song was the biggest hit from her sophomore album "In A Word Or 2" by peaking at #18 on the UK Singles chart, but, at the same time, it was also Monie's final UK Top 20 hit. The fact that this song remains largely unknown is a shame because its marriage of rap and gospel make it one of the most interesting Prince-composed songs ever.


12.
I'm So Into You-S.W.V.


Despite SWV ending up more known for their take on Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" than anything else, this party anthem is both the song which introduced them to the world and one of the main songs responsible for popularizing R&B again on the international level back in 1993, as it peaked at #6 on the BB Hot 100 and #17 on the UK Singles chart. The song would be just the first of five hit singles to emerge from SWV's debut album "It's About Time", an album which eventually sold over 3 million copies in the States alone

11.
Shoop-SALT-N-PEPA


Salt-N-Pepa were the most successful R&B girl act of the late '80s and early '90s having achieved numerous hits since they first broke into the Top 40 in 1987. By 1993 however, they had a problem: as R&B had evolved, their music sounded way too soft and dance-oriented and way out of place in between the rest of the music R&B radio was playing circa 1993. So, for their fourth studio album, the girls hardened their sound in a major way and sexed up their image as well. The result was this comeback single which peaked at #4 on the BB Hot 100 and initially at #29 on the UK Singles chart (and at #13 upon re-release a year later). The whole effort worked wonders since Salt-N-Pepa's fourth studio album "Very Necessary" became the most successful of their career, going 5 times platinum in the States but at the same time it would also mark the last time when Salt-N-Pepa had a mega-selling album.

[Play]

I know I'm pretty late but I had to express my joy when I saw Real Love and Iron Lion Zian sooooo high on your chart, I love those tunes!

[jio]

R&B 1993 Top 40 part 4



By 1993 I was an R&B freak. My music world was ruled by artists such as Mary J. Blige, En Vogue and TLC whereas Prince's collection released in that year, introduced me to some of the best R&B music of the '80s and to my top artist of all times. Over in the charts, R&B had slowly but surely began a takeover (more felt in the States than in Europe), with more and more R&B songs becoming mega-hits. With Mary J. Blige's "What's The 411?" album having already been released in 1992, 1993 saw the release of the other historic album which transformed the face of R&B forever, Without revealing what that album was just yet, this is R&B's best of 1993... according to me... You can view the videos by clicking on the sleeves. Enjoy...
10.
Downtown-S.W.V.


And here's the big ballad from the "It's About Time" album. The song was the fifth single taken from the album in the UK, where it peaked at #19. In the States it was released as a double A-side with "Right Here". The song is (as usual with R&B ballads of the time) all about sex and for whoever doesn't understand where "downtown" is, just check the music video featuring the girls and a guy in a swimming pool with the guy trying to reach "downtown". As sexy as this song truly is, I just can't stand those nails the girls were proudly sporting in the video. Blah.

09.
Wish-SOUL II SOUL


After three international Top 40 albums (all of which went Top 5 in the UK), it was time for Soul II Soul to celebrate their career by releasing a compilation. And the compilation featured of course a brand new song. "Wish" was that song, released as a single in 1993 becoming the 9th UK Top 40 hit for the band by peaking at #24. This surprisingly low position probably reflects the changing trends in the R&B scene and the song's profound similarity to the band's 1990 Top 10 hit "A Dream's A Dream". Despite all that, the song remains a mega-hit in my world.

08.
Will You Be There-MICHAEL JACKSON


The year was 1993 and Michael was still releasing successful singles from his 1991 "Dangerous" album. "Will You Be There" was the 8th (and not even last, one more came in the shape of "Gone Too Soon") single to be released from that album and definitely the most musically diverse as what we have here is a straightforward gospel anthem. Used also in the soundtrack of the movie "Free Willy", the song became a massive hit, despite its late release and despite being accompanied with a very simple performance video, peaking at #7 on the BB Hot 100 and #8 on the UK Singles chart. The success of this single (to me Michael's best of the '90s) proves that good music always sells, no matter what.

07.
Another Sad Love Song-TONI BRAXTON


In Europe Toni became largely known from her UK Top 5 breakthrough hit "Breathe Again". But that song was actually just the second single taken from her debut self-titled album following this gem which was rightfully considered the strongest track by her label and got the pilot single treatment. "Another Sad Love Song" made it to #7 on the BB Hot 100 but became a UK hit only after Toni achieved fame with "Breathe Again", when it peaked at #15. The reverse chronological order of Toni's hit singles would continue with next UK hit single ("Love Shoulda Brought You Home") having actually been released even before "Another Sad Love Song" in the States. I have to say that Toni looks sexy as hell in the video of the song .

06.
The Floor-JOHNNY GILL


Veteran R&B legend Johnny Gill released his fourth studio album "Provocative" in 1993 following his double platinum self-titled breakthrough album. This was the first single to be taken from that album and the fact that it flopped everywhere proves just how much the music scene was changing, as the song would have surely been an enormous hit just a year earlier. But the single was pure new-jack swing released at a time when new jack-swing was going out of fashion and new hip-hop influenced R&B was the sound of the day. Despite all, I absolutely adore this single, just try to listen to it loud and not move. Simply impossible

05.
That's The Way Love Goes-JANET JACKSON


Like a moth to a flame burned by the fire, my love is blind can't you see my desire?... that's the way love goes... and that's the way legendary songs are made. Janet stepped straight into the '90s with this ultra-sexy 1993 comeback single which probably accompanied many many couples' intimate bedroom moments (including your host's second ever... but let's just leave it there lol). The song remains Janet's biggest ever hit, having spent a massive eight weeks on top of the BB Hot 100 and peaking at #2 on the UK Singles chart. Of course, Janet has yet to achieve a UK #1 hit (pretty unfairly may I add) but it was this single which pushed its parent album "Janet", straight to the top of the UK album charts, a feat no other Janet album has achieved over there.

04.
Love No Limit-MARY J. BLIGE


Now it really takes something special to top Janet's "That's The Way Love Goes" and that was the remixed version of this "What's The 411?" album track. It was both the 5th single taken from that album and the first taken from Mary's remix album, complete with two different videos. The single was the one which basically began the trend of Mary using very well-known samples in her songs with this remix built around a substitution of the beat of the album version with the beat of Keni Burke's "Risin' To The Top". Although "Love No Limit" was not a Top 40 hit, it still managed to go Top 5 on R&B, putting another brick in the process of building Mary's legend.

03.
Don't Walk Away-JADE


Jade released this single in late 1992 and by early 1993, they had a massive hit single on their hands with one of the most wicked basses in R&B ever. The song brought funkiness to new levels and became a massive success on both sides of the Atlantic peaking at #4 on the BB Hot 100 and #7 on the UK Singles chart. Despite such a grand opening in their career and despite their obvious vocal talents, Jade didn't manage to live up to expectations, although they did enjoy a short career resulting in four BB Hot 100 Top 40 and five UK hits.


02.
It Was A Good Day-ICE CUBE


This is one of those singles that deserve a place in anyone's playlist even to those who may not like the genre at all. Ice Cube of course is a legend, no question about it, who had already reserved his place among the all-time greats thanks to his N.W.A. rhymes but this was the single that really kicked off his solo career. Although it was his 9th solo single release, no other single of his had managed to hit either the American or British Top 40. "It Was A Good Day" changed all that by peaking at #15 on the BB Hot 100 and #27 on the UK Singles chart and the rest was history for Ice Cube. But which song could be even higher than this on my list?... well, it's another rap song...

01.
Nuthin' But A "G" Thang-DR. DRE feat. SNOOP DOGGY DOGG


I have such big memories from this song. This was essentially the song that made me a fan of the rap genre as I fell in love with it from the first time I heard it on radio. Based on the single alone, I purchased "The Chronic" first in LP format, then, when my turn-table broke down in cassette, and eventually on CD as well. "The Chronic" remains my favourite rap album of all time and one of the very few albums I still don't skip any song, even more than 20 years after I first heard it. The single peaked at #2 on BB Hot 100 and #31 on the UK Singles chart and its sleeve (a variation of the album's cover) just shows what the word "Chronic" means. Legendary song, legendary artists and a legendary position to go with it, this is my favorite R&B song of 1993 without any doubt

most mentions so far:

1. (1) Soul II Soul   6 
2. (5) Johnny Gill      5
3. (3) Lisa Stansfield    5
4. (2) En Vogue      5
5. (-) Dr. Dre     4.5
6. (-) S.W.V.     4
7. (8) Michael Jackson   4
8. (7) T.L.C.    4
9. (4) Mariah Carey     4          
10.(-) Monie Love   3.5

[Wardo]

Your top 10 is flawless!

Toni Braxton, Janet, Michael,Mary J, Cube,

My favourite, however, is Dre/Snoop! Great tune

[hun]

1993 was an amazing year.

Aside from Janet, there was Toni Braxton and I love 'Knockin Da Boots' and 'Freak Me'. SWV's 'Weak' is one of my favourite songs too.

[jio]

R&B 1994 Top 40 part 1



1994 is my absolute top year of the '90s as far as R&B is concerned. As the genre continued becoming more and more popular, this is the year that some of the most classic R&B albums were released. That was to be expected of course because the previous two years had brought the two albums (Mary J Blige's "What's The 411" in 1992 and Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" in 1993) which provided the blueprint on how to create R&B jams and 1994 was the first year that the artists of the genre took full advantage of the trend. So this is R&B's best of 1994... according to me... You can view the videos by clicking on the sleeves. Enjoy...
40.
My Love-MARY J. BLIGE


After having changed the course of R&B forever with her "What's The 411?" album, everyone was expecting Mary J.'s next move. However, nobody was too thrilled when Mary J. came up with lacklustre new single "You Don't Have To Worry" from the soundtrack of the film "Who's The Man". In the end it turned out that even the zilionth (actually the sixth) single release from the "What's The 411" album was a better song than "You Don't Have To Worry". "My Love" was released in remixed form in the UK only where it outpeaked the soundtrack song, despite not having a video, by peaking at #29 on the UK Singles chart. Both "You Don't Have To Worry" and the single version of "My Love" were included in Mary's remix album "What's The 411? Remix"

39.
Something In Common-BOBBY BROWN & WHITNEY HOUSTON


Ever since the surprise affair and subsequent marriage of R&B star Bobby Brown with pop/soul diva Whitney Houston, people were expecting a career move from the couple since, in the beginning, nobody believed this was a real affair. People were focused on the public persona of Whitney as the girl next door (her cocaine addiction was unknown then) and on Bobby's reputation as a ladies' man (parents hide your daughters was the moto going around in his concerts) so everyone just assumed this was a career move to resurrect both stars' declining careers. See, the marriage hapenned in mid-1992 after Whitney's "I'm Your Baby Tonight" album which, despite selling in excess of 10 million copies worldwide, it sold less than half of her previous two albums and at a time when Bobby was absent from the music scene for well over 2 years. By the time this single was released however, Whitney had achieved the biggest sales of her career with "The Bodyguard" soundtrack whereas Bobby faced slipping into irrelevance after the weak sales of his third studio album "Bobby". So it is understandable that the single was taken from Bobby's album and it was musically very much a Bobby Brown track and not a Whitney Houston one and it fared accordingly. It was less successful than all "The Bodyguard" Whitney Houston singles as it peaked at #16 on the UK Singles chart and flopped in the States and, at the same time, it was more successful than all "Bobby" singles in the UK, whereas in the US it was the second straight flop for Bobby Brown.

38.
Murder Was The Case-SNOOP DOGGY DOGG feat. DAG NIGGA DAZ


After a smashing 1993, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and their label, "Death Row", were riding really high not just among rap circles but also among pop circles in general. The artists had managed to take rap's popularity to previously unheard of levels and managed to sell well over 3 million copies each with both Dr. Dre's and Snoop's debut albums. So the two artists in 1994 took their game to a whole new level by filming a short film for this album track from Snoop's "Doggystyle" album and releasing a whole soundtrack for it (although the song is actually the only one which can be heard fully on the film itself). Because this was not a proper single, it did not chart anywhere but it remains a major move in both Dre's and Snoop's career, hence its inclusion here. The cover above links to the whole movie which clocks in at 15 minutes (about the same time as the average Michael Jackson video, the song begins at the 11th minute of the film)

37.
Got Me Waiting-HEAVY D. & THE BOYZ


Heavy D. was one of those artists which, despite ruling the rap and R&B world as early back as 1991, his music already felt out of vogue with the brand new rap climate. The rapper attempted a comeback in 1993 with his fourth studio album "Nuttin' But Love" and achieved his third (and final) platinum album with it. Also the final two hit singles of his career came from this album, the biggest of which was this single which peaked at #20 on the BB Hot 100, helped by the very prominent sample of Luther Vandross' 1981 classic "Don't You Know That"

36.
Your Body's Calling-R.KELLY


R.Kelly was one of those few artists which managed to build a career out of f*ck songs, helped of course by the man's actual talents in composing sweet mellow ballads. This one was the third single from R. Kelly's breakthrough album "12 Play" and became a rather sizeable international hit by peaking at #13 on the BB Hot 100 and #19 on the UK Singles chart. Making an appearance in one of the remixes of the song is R. Kelly's girlfriend and protege at the time and future major R&B star, Aaliyah.

35.
Oh Baby I...-ETERNAL


Changing continents but remaining on the ballad side, this was the big ballad out of UK's biggest R&B girl group Eternal's debut album and its title track as well. Unlike the ballads being produced in the States at the time, the UK was taking a more traditional approach to the genre singing about love, not sex. The song was a major success spending more weeks in the UK Top 40 than any other Eternal single and eventually peaking at #4 on the UK Singles chart, showing that indeed Eternal were planning to stick around "Always And Forever".

34.
Here Comes The Hotstepper-INI KAMOZE


Jamaica kept producing one star after another. The latest artist to emerge from the country, after Shabba Ranks and Shaggy the previous couple of years, was Ini Kamoze who rocked the reggae world with this zillion-songs-sampling anthem. "Here Comes The Hotstepper" was included in the soundtrack of the film "Pret-A-Porter" and sent the lyrical gangster to the top of the charts worldwide. It spent 2 weeks on top of the BB Hot 100 and peaked at #4 on the UK Singles chart.

33.
Fa All Y'All-DA BRAT


Da Brat was one of the most successful female rappers of the '90s. The lady had accumulated no less than eight BB Top 40 singles by the time the decade ended and featured in remixes of some of the biggest hits of the decade including being featured in remixes of no less than three Mariah Carey BB Hot 100 #1 hits ("Always Be My Baby", "Honey" and "Heartbreaker"). This funky single peaked at #37 on BB Hot 100 and was the second single taken from Da Brat's platinum debut album "Funkdafied"


32.
Natural Born Killaz-DR. DRE & ICE CUBE


Another rap song to make my 1994 list, this single teamed Dr. Dre's out-of-this-world producing talents with Ice Cube's out-of-this-world rapping talents. The name of the single caused some confusion as many assumed it was coming out of the soundtrack of the Oliver Stone film of the same name which opened in theatres just a week before the release of the single, but this was actually taken from the soundtrack of the Dre/Snoop Dogg short film "Murder Was The Case"

31.
Save Our Love-ETERNAL


This was the first original track released by Eternal after their breakthrough cover of "Stay". The song was another hit for the act peaking at #8 on the UK Singles chart and becoming the second Top 10 hit from the "Always & Forever" album, an album which would end up four times platinum in the UK alone

[Chun]

Yes, these were the days, I know every song! Oh Carolina haha. Loved it.

[Wardo]

Murder Was The Case - WHAT a song!

[jio]

R&B 1994 Top 40 part 2



1994 is my absolute top year of the '90s as far as R&B is concerned. As the genre continued becoming more and more popular, this is the year that some of the most classic R&B albums were released. That was to be expected of course because the previous two years had brought the two albums (Mary J Blige's "What's The 411" in 1992 and Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" in 1993) which provided the blueprint on how to create R&B jams and 1994 was the first year that the artists of the genre took full advantage of the trend. So this is R&B's best of 1994... according to me... You can view the videos by clicking on the sleeves. Enjoy...
30.
Bop Gun (One Nation)-ICE CUBE feat. GEORGE CLINTON


A major collaboration in the R&B world, circa 1994 was this partnering among one of rap's all-time greats, Ice Cube and funk legend, George Clinton, updating Funkadelic's (the band through which George Clinton became known) own classic "One Nation Under A Groove". The song became another hit in the career of both men peaking at #23 on the BB Hot 100, still though it probably did not receive the attention it deserved.

29.
I Believe-SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS


As R&B was becoming more and more popular during the '90s, the climate became more welcoming to a resurgence of the R&B subgenre it all started from in the first place: gospel. Several artists had gospel-influenced hits in the '90s, yet no band took more advantage of the sub-genre than The Sounds Of Blackness, a gospel choir from Minneapolis who managed to score seven UK Top 40 hits in between 1992 and 1997. This re-working of an old traditional track became their first ever UK Top 20 hit, peaking at #17 on the charts.

28.
Crazy-ETERNAL


1994 was the Eternal year in the UK. The band released no less than 7 singles from their debut album "Always And Forever" which at some point seemed poised to release every single song it included. The seventh and final single was an E.P. featuring what was the most classic gospel-influenced original track in the whole album, backed by three covers of famous R&B and gospel songs, only one of which was included in the album itself. Released without a video, the E.P. reached #15 on the UK Singles chart on the back of the song's strength and the girls' popularity alone. "Crazy" would be the last single to feature Eternal as a quartet as Louise left the group straight afterwards to pursue a solo career in pop.

27.
A Deeper Love-ARETHA FRANKLIN


If there is one lady who needs no introduction at all in R&B circles is miss Aretha. The queen of soul has a career dating back to 1956 and has accumulated no less than 81 (!!!) R&B Top 40 hits including 20 genre #1s. Well, in 1994, Aretha compiled her greatest hits in a European-only compilation and covered this Civilles & Cole dance track as the new song in the album. She did not change the song much to be honest but, with Aretha adding her vocals on it, the song took a more gospel direction and became a massive European hit, peaking at #5 on the UK Singles chart.

26.
Space-PRINCE


1994 wasn't too bad for Prince. The man released one of his best (and less lengthy) albums of the '90s during this year, in which he proclaimed that Prince is dead (and indeed he would stop using the name Prince in subsequent releases), even adding an obituary stating "Prince 1958-1993" and "ended up" Prince's career with the last "song" on the album which was... an orgasm. Anyway, the "Come" album included ten songs with one-word titles, all of which were initially supposed to be parts of the soundtrack of a film project abandoned by Prince. This was the second (and final) single taken from the album and it was released in a radically different version with different lyrics and all but, what charts here is the much superior album version.

25.
Back And Forth-AALIYAH


This was the debut single of one of the most suddenly and tragically stopped careers in the R&B world. Aaliyah began as R. Kelly's protege, a partnership which ended up in scandal as the two got married when the singer was just 15 years old, using a fake certificate stating she's 18. The marriage was annuled later on and R. Kelly escaped pedophilia conviction in one of the most bizzare stories in R&B like ever. Despite all, this party anthem was a major hit in 1994 peaking at #5 on the BB Hot 100 and #16 on the UK Singles chart.

24.
Bump 'N' Grind-R. KELLY


R. Kelly was not just busy marrying underage girls during 1994. He was also releasing some of the most memorable f*ck songs of all times (which perhaps made the scandal even bigger as some people couldn't help listening to the lyrics of his songs and not thinking he sings about young girls). This was R. Kelly's biggest hit for the year, spending one month on top of the BB Hot 100 and peaking at #8 on the UK Singles chart. R. Kelly would go on having more #1 hits of his own, as well as composing some very memorable #1 hits for others (including Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone"), yet this is probably his best #1 hit of the '90s for me.

23.
Anytime Anyplace-JANET JACKSON


Janet was sending some major sexual vibes during 1993 and 1994. If releasing one of the most sexy grooves of 1993 with "That's The Way Love Goes" wasn't enough, Janet released one of the most sexy ballads ever in 1994 with the fifth single taken from her international #1 album "Janet" in the shape of this song. The single peaked at #2 on the BB Hot 100 and #13 on the UK Singles chart, while it became Janet's biggest R&B hit ever by spending no less than ten weeks on top of the R&B charts. And quite fairly may I add

22.
Whatta Man-SALT-N-PEPA & EN VOGUE


Duets among R&B singers was nothing new in the genre but, partnering between two different R&B girl groups was quite unusual. But, that's exactly what Salt-N-Pepa did with this single which features vocals from En Vogue. The combination of the most successful R&B girl band of the late '80s and the most successful R&B girl band of the early '90s would have been enough to make the song a major hit but, the song by itself was pretty good too. The single peaked at #3 on the BB Hot 100 and #7 on the UK Singles chart, becoming the last major hit for Salt-N-Pepa, although En Vogue would have a few more.

21.
You Want This-JANET JACKSON feat. M.C. LYTE


This was the party anthem off the "Janet" album. It was a simple little funky song, released in a slightly remixed form featuring an added rap by M.C. Lyte and it simply confirmed Janet's status as R&B's biggest diva. The song peaked at #8 on the BB Hot 100 and #15 on the UK Singles chart, despite being the sixth single release from its parent album. All in all, this was the 20th Top 10 hit for Janet on the BB Hot 100 and the 15th Top 20 hit for the diva on the UK Singles chart.

[jio]

R&B 1994 Top 40 part 3



1994 is my absolute top year of the '90s as far as R&B is concerned. As the genre continued becoming more and more popular, this is the year that some of the most classic R&B albums were released. That was to be expected of course because the previous two years had brought the two albums (Mary J Blige's "What's The 411" in 1992 and Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" in 1993) which provided the blueprint on how to create R&B jams and 1994 was the first year that the artists of the genre took full advantage of the trend. So this is R&B's best of 1994... according to me... You can view the videos by clicking on the sleeves. Enjoy...
20.
If You Love Me-BROWNSTONE


And here is yet another R&B girl group making it big in the '90s. Brownstone's career didn't last long, it was three years, two albums, two BB Hot 100 Top 40 hits and five UK Top 40 hits before it was all over for the girls. Despite that, their presence in the lists of all-time R&B classics is pretty much guaranteed thanks to their debut single, "If You Love Me". The song was an international Top 10 smash peaking at #8 on both the BB Hot 100 and the UK Singles chart and it is pretty amazing. The only version of the video available on youtube is the acapella one, so I included a lyrics video which features the song properly with its beat and all.

19.
Anything-S.W.V.


"Anything" was originally the opening ballad in S.W.V.'s breakthrough debut album "It's About Time". Yet, for its single release the song undertook an extensive makeover which turned it into another R&B club anthem. This version of "Anything" was included in the soundtrack of the film "Above The Rim" and it was the first single taken from that soundtrack. But it was also essentially the seventh single taken from "It's About Time" making the album one of the most successful of the '90s in its genre. "Anything" peaked at #18 on the BB Hot 100 and #24 on the UK Singles chart.

18.
You Know How We Do It-ICE CUBE


This was the first single taken from Ice Cube's "Lethal Injection" album. Ice's previous album, "The Predator" had made the rapper a household name and this new album was aiming at maintaining this position. Indeed this comeback single did not dissapoint. It firmly keeps Ice Cube within the G-funk school of rap, popularized by Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg the previous year and it was another hit for the man peaking at #30 on the BB Hot 100. It samples "The Show Is Over" by '80s R&B diva Evelyn "Champagne" King but Ice Cube's version also created some samples of its own, most famously by Mariah Carey, who sampled "You Know How We Do It" in her own song "Irresistible".

17.
Everyday Of The Week-JADE


This song was taken from Jade's sophomore album and it became a major club success, suggesting that the girls were on the road to a long career. Sadly, the girls failed to have another hit and as a result "Everyday Of The Week" could be considered their swan song of sorts. It peaked at #20 on the BB Hot 100 and #19 on the UK Singles chart and remains a big fave of mine.

16.
Secret-MADONNA


It is a testament to R&B's popularity at the time that when the career of the most successful pop icon of all-times fell into trouble, the lady turned towards R&B and used it to return back to commercial success. That was the case with Madonna and her "Bedtime Stories" album which achieved its goal as it gave the material girl two of her biggest American hits ever with "Secret" and "Take A Bow". "Take A Bow" spent seven weeks on top of the BB Hot 100, a feat no other Madonna single before or after has achieved, whereas "Secret" spent 20 weeks inside the Top 40 portion of the BB Hot 100, a feat only "I'll Remember" had achieved before for Madonna. All in all, this single peaked at #3 on the BB Hot 100 becoming Madonna's 27th American Top 10 hit and peaked at #5 on the UK Singles chart becoming Madonna's 36th UK Top 10 hit.

15.
Anytime You Need A Friend-MARIAH CAREY


By the time this gospel anthem was released, Mariah had released eleven singles, all of which had gone Top 5 in the States and the vast majority of which (eight) had gone all the way to #1. It is quite funny then that one of her best singles ever was the one which broke the trend as this fantastic single peaked at a mere #12 on the BB Hot 100. Maybe it had something to do with it being the fourth and final release from the diamong mega-selling "Music Box" album but it is an injustice nevertheless. The song also made it to #8 on the UK Singles chart becoming the fifth consecutive (and sixth overall) Top 10 hit for Mariah Carey there. Accompanying the single was a rather wonderful dance remix.

14.
The Most Beautiful Girl In The World-PRINCE


By the time this single was released Prince had had no less than 33 UK hit singles, however this melow jam was his first (and to date only) single to reach the top of the UK Singles chart. Indeed, the song became Prince's biggest hit of the '90s by spending two weeks on top of the UK Singles chart and peaking at #3 on the BB Hot 100. This being Prince, the song did not appear on Prince's 1994 studio album release "Come" (which was instead released without a promo single) and fans had to wait for about a year for "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World"'s parent album ("The Gold Experience") to come out. Even there, a slightly altered version of the song was included so the only way to get the single version of this song is, well, to buy the single.

13.
Uptight-SHARA NELSON


Shara broke into fame as the vocalist in several early Massive Attack singles, including the classic "Unfinished Sympathy" from 1991. In 1993, Shara launched her own solo career and she accumulated a total of five UK hit singles. "Uptight" was the biggest of them but still, it's #19 peak is extremely low for this classy R&B jam. One of my favorite (and sadly least known) tunes from 1994 and Shara Nelson's best moment ever to me.

12.
What Would You Do-THA DOGG POUND feat. SNOOP DOGGY DOGG & JEWELL


After three huge megastars (and a British lady) in a row, let's go back to the Death Row label which, with the help of Dr. Dre's productions of course, kept on releasing classic after classic. This rap party anthem was another song taken from Snoop Dogg's short film "Murder Was The Case" and was the debut single release for one of the most important underground rap acts ever. Snoop Dogg, perhaps sensing the classic nature of the song, got a feature credit in it.

11.
Just A Step From Heaven-ETERNAL


Yes, there is more Eternal in my countdown. "Just A Step From Heaven" is easily my fave single off their debut album and easily one of its most funky ones. The single version is actually slightly altered (and improved) in comparison to the album version, perhaps to make it sound more appropriate for American radio. See, the girls had managed BB Hot 100 chart success with "Stay" and were probably hoping to repeat it with this single. In the end it did not happen but still, they had another UK Top 10 in their hands as "Just A Step From Heaven" peaked at #8 on the UK Singles chart.

[jio]

R&B 1994 Top 40 part 4



1994 is my absolute top year of the '90s as far as R&B is concerned. As the genre continued becoming more and more popular, this is the year that some of the most classic R&B albums were released. That was to be expected of course because the previous two years had brought the two albums (Mary J Blige's "What's The 411" in 1992 and Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" in 1993) which provided the blueprint on how to create R&B jams and 1994 was the first year that the artists of the genre took full advantage of the trend. So this is R&B's best of 1994... according to me... You can view the videos by clicking on the sleeves. Enjoy...
10.
Sweetness-MICHELLE GAYLE


"Sweetness" was one of the most pleasant R&B surprises to come out of the UK in 1994. Michelle Gayle sang the song that Mariah Carey's "Dreamlover" wanted to be the previous year and achieved a megahit in her home land. The song peaked at #4 on the UK Singles chart becoming the biggest ever hit for Michelle but the lady had many more. All in all her career culminated in seven UK Top 40 hits in between 1993 and 1997.

09.
Skip To My Lu-LISA LISA


The truth is that this was just a minor hit for Lisa Lisa peaking at a mere #34 on the UK Singles charts and missing the BB Hot 100 altogether, a far cry from her '80s classics such as the American #1s "Head To Toe" and "Lost In Emotion", but it is also true that absolutely nobody can deny the catchiness of this song. "Skip To My Lu" combines disco with a g-funk beat and became the last hit in Lisa Lisa's career.

08.
I'll Wait-TAYLOR DAYNE


Taylor was another major force in blue-eyed soul with a voice that caused many of us to scream "Taylor" when we first heard Anastacia singing. Taylor is of course more known for her '80s megahits such as "Tell It To My Heart" and "Prove Your Love", but the lady did release also three studio albums in the '90s and '00s and in 1993 she tried a more soul direction. The results were not spectacular commercially but were great artistically. This single peaked at #29 on the UK Singles chart becoming the fourth (and final) UK Top 40 hit for Taylor (excluding a re-release of "Tell It To My Heart" two years later) and remains a big fave of mine.

07.
Letitgo-PRINCE


While most people who bought Prince's 1994 "Come" album did so looking in vain for "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" among its tracklist, that little album had a lot more to offer. Among its nine absolutely fantastic one-word-titled songs is this little funky jam. "Letitgo" was the first official single taken from that album and it peaked at #31 on the BB Hot 100 and #30 on the UK Singles chart. The low chart positions had a lot to do with the lack of any type of promotion for either song or album (since Prince released it in order to fullfil his Warners contract) and with the fact that it was actually released just a week prior to the album itself.

06.
Gin And Juice-SNOOP DOGGY DOGG


After Dr. Dre handled all the production and about half the raps (the other half were handed over to Snoop Dogg) in his own debut album "The Chronic" in 1993, he recorded a follow-up album in 1994 called "Doggystyle" which was credited to Snoop Dogg and where Dre handles all the production like in "Chronic" but Snoop handles all the rhymes. That album turned Snoop Dogg into the biggest rapper of the moment and provided him with a few megahits, as well as his own mini-movie with "Murder Was The Case". "Gin And Juice" was the second single taken from "Doggystyle" and peaked at #8 on the BB Hot 100 and #39 on the UK Singles chart.

05.
You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)-DAWN PENN


It may sound bizarre but Jamaica's biggest reggae export of 1994 was a lady who had a career back in... the '60s. Yet, Dawn Penn found international fame only in 1994 thanks to this remake of her own 1967 song "You Don't Love Me" which was itself a cover of an older song. The new version peaked at #3 on the UK Singles chart becoming a sort of legendary song since it has been covered or sampled by a variety of artists including Kano, Ghostface Killa, Eve, Aswad and even Rihanna and Beyonce.

04.
Regulate-WARREN G & NATE DOGG


If one ever writes the history of '90s G-Funk, there is only one song which can be consider a classic not to miss of the genre without any involvement from Dr. Dre and that song is undoubtly the biggest rap hit of 1994. "Regulate"was taken from the soundtrack of the film "Above The Rim" and became the most successful single from that album, peaking at #2 on the BB Hot 100 and #5 on the UK Singles chart. It also began a short-lived career for Warren G who quickly lost the magic touch of this single by a string of rather uninspired releases. He still managed seven BB Hot 100 Top 40 and eight UK Top 40 hits, though. In most other years this song would have been my #1 for the year easily but, 1994 was exceptionally strong and there are three songs which are even better.


03.
Creep-T.L.C.


TLC had huge American success with their debut album but not many people took the girls seriously and the world outside the States hardly noticed them. All that changed however with second album "CrazySexyCool" which became an enormous international success and is widely considered as perhaps the best R&B album of the decade. "Creep" was the first single taken from that album revealing the girls in a new, more funky, more mature and far more sexy type of vibe and became an enormous hit spending one month on top of the BB Hot 100 early in 1995. In the UK the song initially peaked at #22 (itself an improvement of sorts since the girls hadn't scored a UK hit since their debut single) but it climbed as high as #6 upon re-release a year later.

02.
Be Happy-MARY J. BLIGE


Also back with the best album of her career during 1994 was Mary J. Blige who released the now legendary "My Life" album, the only R&B album which could possibly give "CrazySexyCool" a run for its money. "Be Happy" is the final track on the album but was its first single release, peaking at #29 on the BB Hot 100 and #30 on the UK Singles chart. The song samples Curtis Mayfield's 1979 R&B hit "You're So Good For Me" and it's undoubtly one of the biggest R&B classics in Mary's career.

01.
I Wanna Be Down-BRANDY


Despite extremely strong comebacks by both Mary J. Blige and T.L.C., it was a total newcomer who rocked my world during 1994. Brandy, already famous by the TV sitcom "Moesha" jumped into music with this R&B anthem. The song peaked at #6 on the BB Hot 100 but it just charted at #36 on the UK Singles chart. "I Wanna Be Down" was the first single in one of the longest and most underrated careers of an artist to emerge in the '90s in the R&B world. To date, Brandy had had no less than 14 American and 11 UK Top 40 hits .

most mentions so far:
* features receive just half a point

1. (4) En Vogue   6
2. (1) Soul II Soul     6
3. (5) Dr. Dre   5.5
4. (-) Ice Cube      5.5
5. (-) Snoop Doggy Dogg   5.5
6. (-) Mary J. Blige    5
7. (-) Prince      5
8. (2) Johnny Gill      5
9. (-) Janet Jackson     5          
10.(3) Lisa Stansfield     5

[TheResonantIpod]

Yeas At Regulate being #1.

Awesome throwback of a countdown

[jio]

But it's #4 lol