9. Brandy, “I Wanna Be Down”Ĭharles: Brandy burst on the scene with this light hip hop feeling ode to the object of her affection. “Breathe Again” was another joint to remind the masses that she was definitely here to stay. Nicolette: Toni’s debut project was filled with hits. Fugees, “Killing Me Softly With His Song”ġ1. Deborah Cox, “Nobody’s Supposed to be Here”ġ2. The lead single from her Love Deluxe album, “No Ordinary Love” became a fan favorite in 1993 and today is considered a classic by many.ġ8. Javacia: Four years after the release of her Stronger Than Pride album, the queen of sophisticated soul glided back onto the scene and reclaimed her throne with this sultry ballad. Keith Sweat featuring Athena Cage, “Nobody”Ģ1. SWV, “Right Here (Human Nature Remix)”Ģ2. Keith Sweat featuring Kut Klose, “Twisted”Ģ3. En Vogue, “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)”Ģ7. Juwan: Usher was at his best with this one, a real slow jam for our generation.Ģ8. Mint Condition, “Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)”ģ1. Whitney Houston, “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)”ģ4. Javacia: Singing about that kind of love that makes the whole world disappear, Lauryn’s and D’Angelo’s voices sound smooth as honey on this classic R&B track.ģ9. Lauryn Hill featuring D’Angelo, “Nothing Even Matters” Eric Benet featuring Tamia, “Spend My Life With You”Ĥ1. Whitney Houston, “I’m Your Baby Tonight”Ĥ6. The haunting image of her in black sunglasses and head scarf from the video only add to this emotionally raw song.Ĥ8. With a Babyface-crafted backdrop, Mary gets it totally right. From the first moan of the intro, Mary grabs you and delivers a song that paints a dim yet vivid picture of what she has gone through in a wasted a relationship. Blige is so popular because she makes you feel what she is feeling through her songs. Juwan: This is the Faith Evans I love, raw emotion and passion in her singing. Whitney Houston, “All the Man that I Need” 60. Hi-Five, “I Like the Way (Kissing Game)”Ħ1. Maxwell, “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder)”Ħ5. You can’t help thinking about the “beauty” in your life when you hear this song.Ħ9. Add a simple but ethereal track with Sisqo proclaiming his love backed up with that classic Dru Hill harmony, you have a hit that will stand the test of time. Dru Hill, “Beauty”Ĭharles: Lyrics like “Walks by me every day Her and love are the same The woman that’s stolen my heart And beauty is her name”, are enough to make you fall in love with this song. Boyz II Men, “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday”ħ1. Javacia: In case you somehow weren’t convinced of Mariah Carey’s phenomenal vocal talent by her debut release, this lead single from her sophomore album showed off her awe-inspiring range once again.ħ6.
Lisa Fischer, “How Can I Ease the Pain” 80. He learned from one of the best, with this track still being fondly remembered today.Ĩ1. Jon B, “They Don’t Know”Įdd: I remember kids at school thinking Jon B WAS Babyface, that’s how smooth his vocals were. Brandy featuring Wayna Morris, “Brokenhearted”ĩ1. And what a way to get started – “So Into You” has become one of her signature tracks, sampled endlessly and forever tied to her career.ĩ8. But back in 1998, her career was just beginning. Tamia, “So Into You”Įdd: Today, Tamia is known as one of R&B’s most reliable stalwarts.
Total featuring The Notorious B.I.G., “Can’t You See” Tony Toni Tone, “It Never Rains (In Southern California)” Now, take a look at the best the genre has to offer. This is the result, the best R&B songs from 1990 to 1999.Īnd the list is also available in Spotify playlist form right here. Those tracks were merged into one giant master list, which we all ranked.
To create this list, each panelist submitted their 30 favorite tracks. Wifey Javacia Bowser, matriarch of Soul In Stereo. My dude Juwan Dickerson, who is hilarious as he is insightful Nicolette Carney, occasional Soul In Stereo columnist and photojournalist extraordinaireĬharles Williams, who has encyclopedic knowledge of this R&B game This list was compiled by members of The Soul In Stereo Cypher, our Facebook group where we talk music just about 24/7. So it’s time to look back at the best of the decade.
It’s the era legends were made and legitimate classics were delivered on almost a monthly basis. It’s the decade that pushed boundaries, giving us the rise of New Jack Swing, the marriage of R&B and hip-hop, and the genesis of neo-soul. And there has been no era for R&B in my lifetime like the 1990s. If you know this site, you know we love R&B.