Top 90 R&B Songs of the 1990s: Nos. 70-61

It’s day three of my personal Top 90 R&B singles from the 1990s and today we’ll cover numbers 70-61. In case you missed the first two installments, you can find them here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/07/03/top-90-rb-songs-of-the-1990s-nos-90-81/

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/07/04/top-90-rb-songs-of-the-1990s-nos-80-71/

Let’s get to it, shall we?

70. “Someone to Love” by Jon B. and Babyface (1995)

This duet was featured on the Bad Boys soundtrack and marked the biggest hit for Mr. B.

69. “Make It Hot” by Nicole (1998)

Written by Missy Elliot and produced by Timbaland, this marks one of the mega-producer’s most memorable beats.

68. “Another Sad Love Song” by Toni Braxton (1993)

The first official single from her debut album, this L.A.&Babyface produced ballad hit the top ten in the summer of ’93.

67. “Touch Me, Tease Me” by Case featuring Foxy Brown (1996)

A highlight from the The Nutty Professor soundtrack, this groove also introduced us to Ms. Foxy Brown.

66. “All 4 Love” by Color Me Badd (1991)

It may not be their biggest hit (wait until later on this list), but it’s a personal favorite of mine.

65. “Red Light Special” by TLC (1995)

Once again, Babyface is behind this one that marked the second single from TLC’s landmark album CrazySexyCool.

64. “Hit Me Off” by New Edition (1996)

The mega-group from the 1980s reunited in 1996 and it produced this terrific first single from their comeback album.

63. “Freak Me” by Silk (1993)

It’s got some of the most gloriously raunchy lyrics of any song to hit #1 and it marked a career highlight for this group.

62. “Waterfalls” by TLC (1995)

The summer jam of 1995, this TLC joint was most recently memorably featured in We’re the Millers.

61. “In the Closet” by Michael Jackson (1992)

The first appearance by Mr. Jackson is a Teddy Riley produced banger with a great video featuring Naomi Campbell.

And that’s today’s edition, folks! I’ll be back tomorrow with numbers 60-51.

Top 90 R&B Songs of the 1990s: Nos. 80-71

We have arrived at Day 2 of my list of personal Top 90 R&B Songs of the 1990s and this means numbers 80-71 coming your way. In case you missed Part 1, you can find it right here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/07/03/top-90-rb-songs-of-the-1990s-nos-90-81/

Let’s go right to it:

80. “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” by PM Dawn (1991)

The soul duo had their largest hit with this jam.

79. “I’m Going Down” by Mary J. Blige (1994)

Ms. Blige had a soulful hit with this cover of the Rose Royce 1970s song.

78. “Water Runs Dry” by Boyz II Men (1995)

The Boyz make their first appearance on the list with Babyface produced slow track.

77. “100% Pure Love” by Crystal Waters (1994)

Crystal Waters techno/R&B blend hit #1 on the dance chart.

76. “Keep On Walkin” by CeCe Peniston (1992)

CeCe has a number of hits and her signature song is considered “Finally”, but this one has always been my persona favorite.

75. “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston (1993)

Ms. Whitney makes her first list appearance with this David Foster produced ballad from The Bodyguard.

74. “Candy Rain” by Soul for Real (1994)

The boy band hit #1 on the R&B singles chart with this track produced by Poke&Tone and Heavy D.

73. “Tell Me” by Groove Theory (1995)

This male/female duo had their biggest hit with this jam.

72. “One In a Million” by Aaliyah (1996)

The late great singer makes her debut on here with the title track from her critically acclaimed second album which featured the beginning of her groundbreaking collaborations with Timbaland.

71. “The Best Things In Life are Free” by Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson

Featured on the soundtrack to the Damon Wayans comedy Mo’ Money, the Jam&Lewis produced track also features a rap cameo from Bell Biv Devoe.

And that’s all for today, my friends! Back again tomorrow with numbers 70-61!

Top 90 R&B Songs of the 1990s: Nos. 90-81

Two things: I love lists and I love 90s R&B music. And seeing that I’ve got this here handy blog, I figured why not do my own personal Top 90 R&B songs of that decade that people are beginning to get nostalgic about?

Making this list was far more complicated than I anticipated. The main reason: where to draw the line between hip hop and R&B? This was a tricky proposition, but I ultimately arrived at this decision – if the song being considered could also potentially be on a Top 90 Hip Hop Songs, it would not be included here. This means no Heavy D and the Boyz, Salt n Pepa, Naughty by Nature, or “Good Vibrations” by Marky Mark or “Tennessee” by Arrested Development. Don’t be surprised if that hip hop list does surface on the blog in the future.

The other major decision I made – the songs had to have been singles. In other words, they were on the radio. I didn’t want to do a deep cuts list of tracks that you loyal readers have never heard of. So if you’re going to be a stickler – feel free to think of this as Top 90 R&B singles of the decade.

In the same way that 1980s were a golden age for pop (MJ, Prince, Madonna, etc…), I look at the 1990s as a golden age for rhythm and blues music with acts such as Boyz II Men, Bell Biv Devoe, Aaliyah, Whitney Houston, Aaliyah, Toni Braxton, TLC , Tony! Toni! Tone!, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, and many others dominating the charts. At the same time, producers of the genre like Teddy Riley, Timbaland, Dallas Austin, Jam and Lewis, and Babyface came to the forefront with fantastic work.

So let’s get to it, shall we? This will be a nine-part series posted daily. So put on your 90s overalls or cuff your jeans and enjoy these 1990s flashbacks!

90. “What About Your Friends” by TLC (1992)

The third single from TLC’s debut album marks their first appearance (but not last) on this list with production from Dallas Austin.

89. “Wanna Get With U” by Guy (1990)

Super producer Teddy Riley formed this group in the late 1980s and they were instrumental in developing the “New Jack Swing” sound that dominated the era. This is one of my favorites by them.

88. “I’m Dreamin” by Christopher Williams (1991)

Featured on the soundtrack to New Jack City, this new jack single gave Williams a #1 hit.

87. “Good Enough” by Bobby Brown (1992)

Brown’s second album produced this L.A.&Babyface made slow jam.

86. “If I Had No Loot” by Tony! Toni! Tone! (1993)

New Jack pioneers Tony! Toni! Tone! made the summer of 1993 a memorable one with this banger.

85. “If You Love Me” by Brownstone (1995)

The girl group had their biggest hit in 1995 with this memorable groove.

84. “Sensitivity” by Ralph Tresvant (1990)

Possibly the least talked about member of New Edition, Tresvant nevertheless hit #1 on the charts with this one in 1990.

83. “Can We Talk” by Tevin Campbell (1993)

Tevin Campbell, originally a Prince discovery, hit #1 with this Babyface produced track.

82. “Nobody” by Keith Sweat (1996)

Sweat had a whole lot of hits in the 1980s and 1990s and this is one of best and biggest that spent three weeks at #1.

81. “BBD (I Thought It Was Me)” by Bell Biv Devoe (1990)

The spinoff from New Edition makes its first appearance here with their third single from their debut album.

And that’s all for now! I’ll have part two covering numbers 80-71 coming tomorrow!

Updates:

Numbers 80-71 can be found here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/07/04/top-90-rb-songs-of-the-1990s-nos-80-71/

My Top 25 Michael Jackson Songs Of All Time: Nos. 5-1

All week I’ve been bringing you my personal Top 25 Michael Jackson Songs Of All Time and today – we reach the top five. Obviously MJ is one of my favorite artists in the history of music and he’s certainly one of the most significant pop culture figures of all time. This past Tuesday marked the release of his posthumous album Xscape, which has received high marks from critics. This June will mark five years since the King of Pop’s death.

If you missed my selections for numbers 25-6, you can find them here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/05/13/my-top-25-michael-jackson-songs-of-all-time-nos-25-21/

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/05/14/my-top-25-michael-jackson-songs-of-all-time-nos-20-16/

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/05/15/top-25-michael-jackson-songs-of-all-time-nos-15-11/

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/05/16/my-top-25-michael-jackson-songs-of-all-time-nos-10-6/

It’s been a pleasure writing these posts reflecting on his great career and now – the crème dela crème of his discography in my view:

5. “Man in the Mirror” (from Bad – 1987)

What many consider to be MJ’s most inspirational ballad served as the 4th single from Bad and it hit #1 on the charts. The powerful track would serve as Jackson’s closer on his tours following the album’s release. Its message of change through self resonated with listeners and still stands as one of his signature tunes.

4. “Human Nature” (from Thriller – 1982)

The fifth single from Thriller is an absolutely beautiful ballad that would serve as a highlight for MJ tours. This is #1 for me among Jackson slow tracks and it would later be covered famously by 90s R&B group SWV with their hit “Right Here”.

3. “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” (from Thriller – 1982)

Next is the fourth Thriller single. The fast-paced “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” with its propulsive and infectious beat is the track that opens the magnificent Thriller album and it’s unforgettable. Note: it’s pronounced “Mama-say mama-sah ma-ma-coo-sah”.

2. “Smooth Criminal” (from Bad – 1987)

The seventh Bad single would develop into one of MJ’s most famous tracks. Simply put, there’s nothing that quite sounds like “Smooth Criminal” and it’s brilliant. After a quarter century, we’re still not clear if Annie is, indeed, OK.

1. “Billie Jean” (from Thriller – 1982)

MJ’s most well-known track from his most well-known album is also the very best. The singer’s performance of “Billie Jean” on the Motown 25 celebration would cement his place his history when he introduced the moonwalk to viewers. The song has one of the most distinctive bass lines in musical history. In a career with so many fabulous tracks, “Billie Jean” stands out at the top.

And that’s my list, ladies and gentlemen! It’s been fun.

My Top 25 Michael Jackson Songs Of All Time: Nos. 10-6

We have now entered the very upper echelon of my personal favorite 25 Michael Jackson tracks with the bottom half of the top ten. If you missed numbers 25-11, you may find them here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/05/13/my-top-25-michael-jackson-songs-of-all-time-nos-25-21/

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/05/14/my-top-25-michael-jackson-songs-of-all-time-nos-20-16/

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/05/15/top-25-michael-jackson-songs-of-all-time-nos-15-11/

Tomorrow brings the top five and now – numbers 10-6:

10. “Dirty Diana” (from Bad – 1987)

A slow grind of a rock ballad about groupies, this is MJ’s fifth single from the Bad album and made it five out of five to hit #1. Featuring stellar guitar work from Steve Stevens, it’s also got a memorable live concert video.

9. “Off the Wall” (from Off the Wall – 1979)

The third single and title track from his breakout solo album, “Off the Wall” is a joyous disco groove that, in my mind, just eclipses bigger hits from the album “Workin’ Day and Night” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”.

8. “Beat It” (from Thriller – 1982)

This rocker featuring Eddie Van Halen’s brilliant guitar work is the third single from the landmark album and one of MJ’s signature tunes. It’s also got choreography from the great music video that many 80s kids attempted to copy.

7. “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” (from Thriller – 1982)

One of MJ’s fastest and most infectious grooves served as the sixth Thriller single. It’s got his sisters LaToya and Janet singing backup and what sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks singing along as well towards the end. My apologies, but this is the one track I couldn’t find a decent YouTube version of (what up with that?).

6. “Rock with You” (from Off the Wall – 1979)

The fourth biggest song of 1980, Michael Jackson created one of the best disco tracks of all time just as the era was ending. It’s the best song on a wonderful album. Others from “Off the Wall” worth a spin that didn’t make the cut: “Girlfriend”, “Get on the Floor”, “I Can’t Help It”, “It’s the Falling in Love”, and the ballad “She’s Out of My Life”.

And that will do it until tomorrow when I reveal my top five King of Pop songs ever.

My Top 25 Michael Jackson Songs Of All Time: Nos. 15-11

Continuing along with my personal Top 25 Michael Jackson Songs Of All Time – tonight comes part three with numbers 15 through 11. You can read my two previous posts covering 25-16 here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/05/13/my-top-25-michael-jackson-songs-of-all-time-nos-25-21/

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/05/14/my-top-25-michael-jackson-songs-of-all-time-nos-20-16/

15. “I Wanna Be Where You Are” (from Got To Be There – 1972)

MJ’s oldest song on the list was released when he was just 13 years old and certainly sounds more Jackson 5 than anything else on here with its Motown roots. It reached #2 on the R&B chart. It’s not too well-known anymore, but it should be. This is the only song on the list pre-Off the Wall from 1979, but other noteworthy early MJ songs include “Got To Be There”, “Ben”, and “We’re Almost There”.

14. “Scream” (from HIStory – 1995)

The lead off single from 1995’s HIStory is from mega-producers Jam&Lewis and features his only duet with his sister Janet. It’s my highest track listed from that album, but other quality songs include “They Don’t Care About Us”, “Stranger in Moscow”, “This Time Around”, and “Smile”.

13. “Black or White” (from Dangerous – 1991)

The lead single from 1991’s Dangerous featured a controversial video that included Macaulay Culkin and MJ turning into a panther, but it’s a fantastic song with memorable guitar work from Guns&Roses’ Slash. This is the final Dangerous track included. Those that missed the cut but are great include “Jam”, “Who Is It”, and “Give In To Me”.

12. “Thriller” (from Thriller – 1982)

The title track from the bestselling album of all time is a Halloween time classic with one of the best known music videos ever shot. While one of his most famous songs, there’s plenty of other Thriller tracks still to come in top ten.

11. “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” (from Off the Wall – 1979)

The first single from his breakout solo work Off the Wall is a disco-infused club jam that marked MJ’s first #1 single on his own. The track also gave the artist his music video as a solo artist — a medium he would perfect better than anyone before or since.

Tomorrow – we get into the Top Ten! Stay tuned.

My Top 25 Michael Jackson Songs Of All Time: Nos. 20-16

This evening comes part two of my personal Top 25 Michael Jackson Songs Of All Time, covering numbers 20-16. Yesterday I gave you entries 25-21 and you can peruse them here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/05/13/my-top-25-michael-jackson-songs-of-all-time-nos-25-21/

Let’s get to it:

20. “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” (from Bad – 1987)

This romantic ballad is a duet with Siedah Garrett and served as Michael’s first single from the Bad album. During the Bad tour, MJ would sing the track with an unknown backup singer by the name of Sheryl Crow.

19. “Workin’ Day and Night” (from Off the Wall – 1979)

MJ’s first entry on the list from his breakthrough solo album Off the Wall served as the B-side to “Rock With You”. This fast paced dance groove might not have ever been an official single, but it became a live performance staple from the King of Pop.

18. “The Way You Make Me Feel” (from Bad – 1987)

Bad‘s third single was a deserved monster hit and also became a staple of Jackson’s live performances.

17. “Remember the Time” (from Dangerous – 1991)

This was the second single from the Dangerous album and like “In the Closet” features terrific production from Teddy Riley. The music video featured Eddie Murphy, Magic Johnson, and model Iman.

16. “Another Part of Me” (from Bad – 1987)

This Bad heavy portion of my list concludes with “Another Part of Me”, which served as the album’s sixth single. It may not be quite as well known as “The Way You Make Me Feel” or the title track itself, but it’s always been one of my favorites from the album.

***Since the Bad album has received so much love in this portion, now might be a good time to announce that title track “Bad” did not make my personal Top 25 cut. It was close, but there were just too many other great choices that leapfrogged it.

And that’s all for now! I’ll be back tomorrow with numbers 15-11!

My Top 25 Michael Jackson Songs of All Time: Nos. 25-21

I’m taking a rare break from movie talk for a blog series about the King of Pop himself Michael Jackson. Today marks the release of MJ’s well reviewed posthumous album Xscape, which I’ve dutifully already downloaded on iTunes. However, I’ve yet to have the opportunity to get into it, but plan to shortly. We’re also approaching the five year anniversary of the superstar’s death in June.

This has led me to creating my personal Top 25 MJ songs of all time. A couple of caveats: this list does not include any Jackson 5 tunes and covers just Michael’s solo work. So if you’re looking for “I Want You Back” or “The Love You Save” or “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” or “I’ll Be There”, perhaps a Jackson 5 top ten list will come in the future. Also, being that I haven’t listened to the new album hardly at all, no tracks will be included from that one. However, I will say the current single “Love Never Felt So Good” featuring Justin Timberlake is fantastic.

Simply put, I grew up on MJ and he is extraordinarily high on my favorite musical artists of all time. When you listen to pop music, his influence is omnipresent. Listen to “Rock Your Body” by Justin Timberlake. Or “Let the Groove Get In” by JT. Or “Treasure” by Bruno Mars. Or Pharrell music or Chris Brown. It goes on and on.

Let’s get to it, shall we? This will be a five-part series and feel free to comment when all is said and done with your own MJ personal faves.

25. “Baby Be Mine” (from Thriller – 1982)

It’s from the best selling album of all time and yet it’s probably the least talked about track on the record. It’s still great though and is highly reminiscent of his Off the Wall dance tracks that came three years earlier (and will show up on this here list).

24. “Will You Be There?” (from Dangerous – 1991)

Sort of cheesy? Yes. Best remembered for its video and inclusion in the film Free Willy? Yep. Call this a guilty pleasure MJ track if you will, but I love Michael’s vocals on here and the choir that closes it out.

23. “You Are Not Alone” (from HIStory – 1995)

My second MJ slow jam was written and produced by R. Kelly and is the first single in U.S. history to debut at #1. It’s got a pretty memorable video featuring then wife Lisa Marie Presley, too.

22. “In the Closet” (from Dangerous – 1991)

The third single from 1991’s Dangerous album is a Teddy Riley produced New Jack Swing banger. Once again – the B&W music video featuring Naomi Campbell and directed by famed photographer Herb Ritts is a classic.

21. “Earth Song” (from HIStory – 1995)

This environmentally conscious and operatic tour de force served as MJ’s third single off 1995’s History and is my favorite among his socially conscious anthems (you won’t find “Heal the World” on this list). It’s the artist’s largest selling single ever in the United Kingdom.

And that’s all for now, folks! I’ll be back tomorrow with part two and numbers 20-16.

The Rolling Stones

Well, it took me all of two months to break my promise of only writing about movies on this here blog of mine. Oh well. I can’t help it. I’ve been thinking about the greatest rock and roll band of all time today, The Rolling Stones.

As any of you who see my Facebook posts may be aware, my parents saw The Stones in concert last night in Newark, New Jersey. I ordered the concert on pay per view so I could watch along with them and it’s unbelievable how those four lads can still get it done after FIFTY years. They were joined by Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, the Black Keys, and John Mayer in the show, but Mick, Keith, Bill, and Charlie were the attraction.

Let’s begin with the obvious: Mick Jagger is the greatest frontman of all time. Case closed. Any questions? His moves have inspired a hit song. There’s no one like him and if you could bottle whatever “it” is that Mick has, we’d all drink it.

More importantly, the Stones have been able to do something maybe no other band has done – take five decades of musical genres and master them, from rock to blues to R&B to country to disco to pop to ballads and on and on. That’s another thing that makes them special. Other bands have come and gone, but the Stones have stuck around, stayed with the times, and now are deservedly considered the best ever to do it. I love The Beatles. I love Led Zeppelin. I love The Doors. But The Stones… they’re just something else and their longevity may have a lot to do with it.

This longevity is something that struck me last night as I watched their incredible concert. They did an amazing job covering many in their extensive catalog of hits: “Get Off My Cloud”. “It’s Only Rock and Roll”. “Paint It Black”. “Gimme Shelter”. “Wild Horses”. “Miss You”. “Honkytonk Woman”. “Midnight Rambler”. “Start Me Up”. “Tumbling Dice”. “Brown Sugar”. “Sympathy for the Devil”. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. “Jumpin Jack Flash”. “Satisfaction”. I don’t know about you, but just reading that list of songs makes me smile.

And, what’s even more astonishing is the number of songs that they COULD have played and the crowd still would’ve gone crazy. We’re talking dozens more songs. That’s what 50 amazing years in music provides to the fans. That’s why it takes seven minutes for The Rolling Stones to sell out a concert.

Just so I’m “fair” in keeping this a “movie blog”… um, Martin Scorsese LOVES to use R.S. songs in his movies, particularly “Gimme Shelter”. And Mick Jagger had the unfortunate distinction of starring in the really bad 1992 sci-fi dud Freejack with Emilio Estevez and Anthony Hopkins.

Back to the music. If reading that incredible list of tracks made you smile, here’s 12 more personal favorites of mine that weren’t played last night.

From the 1966 album Aftermath, “Under My Thumb”