For this installment of the top four, we’re taking it back to my elementary and middle school days for the R&B that bring on the nostalgia. Whatever happened to R&B groups anyway?
1. Boyz II Men
From the cheesy “Motownphilly” to the Mariah Carey collab “One Sweet Day“, Boyz II Men ruled the roost of elementary and middle school dance R&B for a couple of years. It’s weird now but this group was huge – maybe the only thing to approach them these days is the Jay Z juggernaut.
“End of the Road” From Cooleyhighharmony (bonus track).
“Water Runs Dry” – “I’ll Make Love to You” and “On Bended Knee” were bigger hits. From II.
2. Ginuwine
Of all the R&B acts that came out in the 90s and after, Ginuwine might be my favorite. Actually, D’Angelo probably takes that title but he doesn’t have the nostalgia factor. I still remember hearing “Tell Me Do You Wanna” for the first time on BET. His first two albums – both collaborations with Timbaland – were full of great songs.
“Pony”. From Ginuwine…The Bachelor
“What’s so Different”. I also love that song “So Anxious” from this album. From 100% Ginuwine.
3. Dru Hill
I was never a huge fan of Dru Hill but I owned their first two albums and I never changed the channel when “In My Bed” was on BET. What’s funny is that the biggest Dru Hill related hit was “Thong Song” but that was a solo Sisqo effort. Still, they had a few great songs.
“Tell Me”. From Dru Hill
“How Deep is Your Love for Me”. From Rush Hour Sdtrk/Enter the Dru. The version with Redman is even better.
4. 112
At first I had trouble coming up with a fourth group but then I remembered how much I listened to these guys back in the day. Their first album was pretty tight and the second one was good too.
“Only You”. From 112. Always thought Biggie’s cameo was great.
” Love Me”. From Room 112. You know, in retrospect, I really like Mase. Has there ever been anyone else like him in rap music?
Honorable Mention
Blackstreet – Besides “No Diggity” and “Fix“, I don’t remember any other songs so they miss out on the list.
Next – Suffer the same fate as Blackstreet despite how huge “Too Close” was.
TLC – Can’t discuss 90s R&B without this supergroup with songs like “Waterfalls“, “No Scrubs,” “Creep,” “Red Light Special” and “What About Your Friends“
All 4 One – “I Swear” might be the most bewildering smash hit of the 90s (besides the Macarena)
Just wanted to leave a quick shout out to Dru Hill’s “Five Steps” – my personal favorite from that group. Holla.
Favorite Dru Hill song was actually one of their new ones called “Enchantment Passing Through”. If you haven’t heard it, it’s probably one of the most lyrically nonsensical songs you’ll ever hear in your life, but the way the song progresses is perfect.
I have CDs from every group up there, although I gave my Ginuwine CD away a while ago. Excellent choices. I’d add Jodeci, Mint Condition, and maybe a couple others to the honorable mentions.
I think Jodeci and Mint Condition were a tad early for my nostalgia. Part of my thinking was I should only include artists whose CDs I owned and those two groups, despite their influence, weren’t in my collection. By the way, I didn’t own All 4 One, and that was kind of a joke honorable mention. One guy I forgot was Usher. It’s weird thinking he’s been around for a decade but he had a couple smash hits with You Make me Wanna and My Way when I was 14-15.