emerald
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Post by emerald on Oct 8, 2015 21:41:35 GMT -5
I've been thinking of doing this for quite some time, and now I think I'm finally ready to do it. I'll be ranking every Rhythmic #1 up to now in this review section. The creation of the format began in October of 1992, so I'll be starting from there. Wish me luck!
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emerald
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Post by emerald on Oct 8, 2015 22:42:22 GMT -5
#1. Boyz II Men - End Of The Road (From "Boomerang") October 03, 1992 - November 07, 1992This song was a massive hit in '92, achieving a record-breaking 13 weeks at #1 on the Hot 100. (A record that would then be broken by Whitney's cover of "I Will Always Love You", and then be broken again by Boyz II Men ) While this song is considered to be one of the biggest hits ever, is it any good? I think It is. It's about a break-up, (possibly even a divorce.) and one where the men of the song, confess of the lover of their life doing them wrong, thus coming to the end of the road of their relationship. The men plead for the lover to come back into their lives, despite the wrongdoings of their lover, as the men state in the song, It's unnatural to lose the person you love so much. The highlights for me personally are the strong vocals coming from the group. Greatly conveying the despair of the song's theme, as well as the lush, sorrow production coming from Babyface. One could argue that a lot of their ballads are interchangeable, which is kind of true, but this still remains one of their best. 8/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 8, 2015 23:39:21 GMT -5
#2. TLC - What About Your FriendsNovember 14, 1992One of the very first singles from one of the biggest girl-groups of all time. This song followed a streak of hit singles off their first album, which would then become a worldwide hit for them. The song itself is all about the greatness of friendship, and that's about it. (Definitely not as emotionally complex as the last song ) I think the track is solid. It's nowhere near as good as their future singles, but it's decent enough to warrant repeated listens every now and then. 7/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 8, 2015 23:39:54 GMT -5
#3. Mary J. Blige - Real LoveNovember 21, 1992This is without a doubt the signature r&b track of the nineties. A game-changer that would lead to the creation of hip-hop soul, a sub-genre of r&b that would be further implemented in future mainstream music. This song's theme is all about love. Finding love, searching for love, feeling love. It may be a simple concept, but Mary's vocals give so much soul to the topic, that and you can't help but feel immersed. This would become one of Mary's biggest hits, and for a good reason. It set the blueprint for what would come into the mainstream, and as withstood the test of time as a true classic. 10/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 9, 2015 22:57:09 GMT -5
#4. Shai - If I Ever Fall In LoveNovember 28, 1992Notable for being one of the very few A cappella songs to become top 40 hit, and it was in fact, very huge at the time, landing a whopping 8 weeks at #2 ("IWALY" was a monster at the time.) If I understand the context of this song correctly, It's about someone who assumingly had their heart broken one way or another, and if they would fall in love again, they would make sure that their lover is just a friend. They then go on to talk about how much they need each other in their lives, and wanting to share their love with their new friend. (Sounds more like lovers if you ask me ) The song itself is rather memorable, despite having no production on it. The group themselves are really good at harmonizing, which became the main highlight of the song for me. It's a little too down-tempo for my liking, but it is a pleasant listen. 7/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 9, 2015 23:40:17 GMT -5
#5. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You (From "The Bodyguard")December 05, 1992 - February 06, 1993This is without a doubt one of most iconic hits ever, which is incredible given the fact that's it's a cover of a song that already existed. While not my favorite Whitney track, it does earn it's place as a classic, given Whitney's powerful, heartfelt vocals, and that epic final chorus. The arrangement of this track is a bit too much of a show-stopper for my taste, but it is executed very well, and is well deserving as Whitney's signature song. 8/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 10, 2015 0:08:52 GMT -5
#6. Portrait - Here We Go Again!February 13, 1993Probably the most forgettable #1 I've come across so far. That's not to say it isn't good though. The song itself doesn't have much of a meaning to it, and is nothing more than a feel-good party jam. I think the reason why this song is so forgotten in comparison to it's similar new jack swing counterparts, is that this style of music has already been executed numerous times, and with more memorable results. Thus painting (No pun intended ) this song has nothing more than a generic re-hash of a popular sound. The song is catchy enough, despite it's lack of identity. If this were to come on shuffle, I probably wouldn't skip it, though there are plenty of new jack swing tracks that I would rather be listening to than this. 6/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 10, 2015 0:23:13 GMT -5
#7. Jade - Don't Walk AwayFebruary 20, 1993As far as new jack swing tracks go, this one is really good. Much like the last song, It's a feel-good party jam, but I much prefer this track, mostly because It has the better groove, and more energy-filled vocals. ....And that's about it. Not much to really cover Still a great song though. 8/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 10, 2015 1:11:49 GMT -5
#8. Silk - Freak MeFebruary 27, 1993 - May 22, 1993Easily my least favorite hit so far. The song just doesn't work for me. It's a sex song about all the ways these men can get "freaky" with their lover. It's supposed to be erotic, which I'm not gonna judge on, but there definitely should have been stronger, or more confident vocals to convey the theme of the song. There's not much of a groove either. One thing I will give it credit for, is the slow, seductive production, which is quite hypnotizing, despite of my major issues with the song. In it's current state, it just sounds awkward to listen to. 5/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 10, 2015 1:39:34 GMT -5
#9. Janet Jackson - That's The Way Love GoesMay 29 1993 - June 12, 1993What an incredible r&b classic that I will never get sick of. This is Janet's biggest hit according to Billboard, and I can see why. Clearly a love song (I lied. It's obviously about sex ) that sounds silky smooth, and incredibly sexy. Janet's vocals fit perfectly with this song, and feel alive without feeling any kind of strain whatsoever. The song, while not instantly catchy, has an incredible atmosphere to it, that will sound just as good as soon as you begin to listen to it another time. I can think of very few r&b tracks that have aged as better as than this one. A classic that I will no doubt be coming back to in the future. 9/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 10, 2015 2:10:41 GMT -5
#10. SWV - WeakJune 19, 1993 - August 07, 1993Now that I think about it, I think this might be the signature r&b track of the nineties. The song itself about how great love is, and how it makes the group feel weak. They confess about how they can't help on fighting the feeling of their affection, thus feeling weak to overcome their and their lover's loving. I absolutely love this song. The arrangement is nearly flawless, the singing is on point, and It just sounds like a well-crafted, feel-good r&b ballad. 9/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 10, 2015 13:30:37 GMT -5
#11. Jodeci - LatelyAugust 14, 1993 - August 21, 1993This song is a rather strange case for a #1 hit. It's a cover of the Stevie Wonder track that ended up on an unplugged MTV album with a bunch of other artists on it. Then it was released as a single from that album, and became the group's biggest hit on the Hot 100. I'm not that familiar with the original, but from what I've heard, it's a really good heartfelt ballad. Jodeci on the other hand, do the song justice with their almost-identical vocals, though it does drag on for a bit too long. Given the live proportions of the song, with it's live recording setting that I do find to be a bit too off-putting for my taste, does make sense for the kind of slow-tempo ballad this is. I don't think the song is incredible or anything, though I do understand the soul and craft that went into it. 7/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 10, 2015 13:50:18 GMT -5
#12. SWV - Right Here/Human NatureAugust 28, 1993 - September 11, 1993This song was another big hit for SWV. This time, it's a remix of an already well known song by the king of Pop himself. The song samples and amplifies "Human Nature's" production, and keeps some of Micheal's background vocals as well. As far as themes go, it's simply a straight-forward love song and nothing more. While it's not much of an improvement over the original, the group's vocals do sound sweet and caring, which become the main highlight of the song for me. Though it's not the best song I've heard from them, it is one of their stronger efforts. 8/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 10, 2015 14:20:38 GMT -5
#13. Mariah Carey - DreamloverSeptember 18, 1993 - October 23, 1993With the release of Dreamlover, MC would then further her status as one of the most successful singers of the nineties decade. The song's content is about how Mariah is waiting for the right kind of lover to take her away, and spend the rest of her life with. This is easily one of Mariah's most well known songs, and rightfully so. The sweet, effortless vocals found on this song have so much passion and soul behind them. The production is also very well-crafted, greatly complimenting Mariah's elegant vocal style. As much as I love this song, It still isn't my favorite song from her catalog, which speaks to how strong it is. 9/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 10, 2015 14:48:30 GMT -5
#14. Xscape - Just Kickin' ItOctober 30, 1993 - November 27, 1993Here's a relaxing slow jam I greatly enjoy listening to. Xscape was a new group at the time, and scored a bit hit with "Just Kickin' It" in late 1993. The song is about how the group thinks a man should be satisfied. Spending time together as friends, cooking for him, that kind of stuff. Then before all said is done, the group tells their man to relax and just kick it. There's a really good atmosphere to this song that I really dig, with it's smooth beat, and convincing vocals. Definitely a great listen, though I'm not sure why Jermaine (Producer of the song) felt the need to include all those n-bombs towards the end So unnecessary. 8/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 13, 2015 21:46:20 GMT -5
#15. Salt-N-Pepa - ShoopDecember 04, 1993 - February 12, 1994Notable for being the first rap song to hit #1 on the Rhythmic chart. It also spent a whopping 11 straight weeks at the top, making it one of the longest running #1's on the chart. It's a sex song that surprisingly doesn't use any profanity. (They're not that vulgar of a group any ) The highlight for me are the distinctive rappers themselves on the track, spitting high-energy unique verses of how Salt & Pepa get with their man. (A theme similar will be used in their next big hit.) The sample used throughout the track is also well implemented. There is a bit of a burn-rate with this song, given how the rapping and sample can be on this song. It's still a rap classic however. 8/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 17, 2015 2:01:40 GMT -5
#16. Salt-N-Pepa f/ En Vogue - Whatta ManFebruary 19, 1994 - February 26, 1994 & March 12, 1994 & March 26, 1994 The group's next big hit would become one of the group's most recognizable singles, and for a good reason. While it's man-favoring theme was already explored in their previous single, I prefer this track instead. It has more chilled out rapping, that goes perfectly with the funk-flavored production, which just sounds fantastic. This would be the last time we would cover Salt-N-Pepa on this list, but their singles have left an iconic impact on mainstream radio. 9/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 17, 2015 2:18:46 GMT -5
#17. All-4-One - So Much In LoveMarch 05, 1994 & March 19, 1994 This is the debut single from All-4-One, a new r&b group at the time, and it's surprisingly good. The song is a cover of the 1963 track by The Tymes, which is just simply a phenomenal song. So how does this cover hold up? I'd say, pretty well. All-4-One's updates the song with more modern sounding production, laced with hand claps and harmonizing, almost sounding like an A capella track. While the singers on this song aren't the best singers ever, they do show confident, and emotional vocals throughout the song while still keeping that fantastic melody. ......If only their next single was this good. 8/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 17, 2015 2:43:01 GMT -5
#18. R. Kelly - Bump N' GrindApril 02, 1994 - May 14, 1994This iconic R&B track is easily one of the most quotable, and memorable slow jams ever. From the iconic intro, throughout the entire song, R. Kelly is just a very stellar musician, from his seductive grooves, to his strong, distinct voice. Though this song is at a slow pace, It's musical values are well worth listening to. 9/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 17, 2015 2:53:47 GMT -5
#19. All-4-One - I SwearMay 21, 1994 - June 19, 1994I'm gonna be completely honest, I don't like this song at all. The track is a cheesy love song that's made even worse with plodding production, and weak vocals. I just don't like the way the song sounds, and it gets even worse towards the end. I was just never a fan of this dreadful song. 3/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 17, 2015 3:14:23 GMT -5
#20. Janet Jackson - Any Time, Any PlaceJune 25, 1994 - July 02, 1994 & August 13, 1994 How was Janet supposed to eclipse the sexiness of "That's The Way Love Goes"? With a sprawling slow jam that goes on for 7 whole minutes. The content of this sex song is a bit more specific than "TTWLG". This time depicting Janet and her lover having sex in public. Throughout the song, you get these erotic lyrics, as well as Janet telling how much she wants her lover, despite there being people around watching them make love in public. The song is incredibly classy despite it's raunchy subject matter, and Janet does a very good job at staying relaxed and cool throughout the entire song, letting the listener becoming emerged within it's atmosphere. Definitely one of Janet's many high point singles in her career. 9/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 22, 2015 17:43:12 GMT -5
#21. Aaliyah - Back & ForthJuly 09, 1994 - August 06, 1994 This was the debut single from one of the biggest breakout singers of 90's R&B, known as Aaliyah. Despite her young age at the time, her vocals sound very mature for someone of her age. It's a party song about hanging out with your friends, and so on. The song is surprisingly low-key for a party song, but it works due to Aaliyah's relaxed and convincing vocals, giving a very nice laid-back feel from the song overall, as well as with it's production. I can say this right now that this is nowhere near my favorite Aaliyah track, but it did show a promising future to this R&B star. 8/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 22, 2015 18:00:53 GMT -5
#22. Da Brat - FunkdafiedAugust 20, 1994 This is the debut single from an Da Brat, who was a new rapper at the time, and scored it big with her debut single entitled, "Funkdafied." It's a G-Funk track, that's all about how great Da Brat and her producer Jermaine Dupri is. The boasting would probably make this song boring from a lyrical perspective, but thankfully, Da Brat has a pretty fun flow with some amusing references that more than make up for it. The production is also superb as well, obviously taking influence of other big rap singles of the early 90's that utilized this sound. It may be somewhat forgotten today, but I did find it to be quite enjoyable. 8/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 22, 2015 18:13:17 GMT -5
#23. Boyz II Men - I'll Make Love To YouAugust 27, 1994 - October 29, 1994This big single would prove to be another gigantic hit for the group, holding a record for most weeks at number on the hot 100. (They would soon surpass this with an all-time record with the Mariah duet.) Despite this being such a very big hit, I can't really say that I enjoy it that much. For one, it's incredibly basic, simple meaning about wanting to make love is about as broad as you can get, and is a clear drop-off from the emotionally complicated, "End Of The Road". The men of the group sing fine, but It's not noteworthy in really any category. The production is also not very good, sounding a bit too stock at times. I think the song is rather memorable, specifically it's chorus, but I was never really a fan of it. 5/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 22, 2015 18:35:58 GMT -5
#24. Ini Kamoze - Here Comes The HotstepperNevember 19, 1994 - November 26, 1994 Ini Kamoze is a reggae/dancehall artist from Jamaica, who made it big in 1994 with a big hit known as "Here Comes The Hotsetepper." Though this became is only hit on the charts, I think this song is an absolute jam. From what I understand, it's a song about boasting, and sex, but uses so much slang that you could barley even make out what he's saying. This isn't a bad thing, considering that Ini himself is very good at his Melodically rap flow, that's a delight to hear each time. It also uses a lot of iconic Hip-hop samples that pretty much turn this song from being a jam, into a DJ staple. Definitely something I look forward to listen to in the future. 9/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 22, 2015 18:45:53 GMT -5
#25. Boyz II Men - On Bended KneeDecember 03, 1994 - January 21, 1995The single that followed their previous hit, while not as big, become one of their most recognizable, and biggest hits to date. The song itself, is very much "EOTR" Part 2, both musically, and lyrically. It's another song about the men begging for their lover to come back into their lives, despite their wrongdoings. I find it interesting that in this song, it's the men themselves that make that mistake to drive their lover out of their lives, as opposed to it being the lover, from their other song. It's an alright song, but I much prefer "EOTR", mainly because that song had better production, and rhythm. I prefer this to their previous single, but it's still not something I would go out of my way to listen to. 6/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 23, 2015 23:01:44 GMT -5
#26. TLC - CreepJanuary 28, 1995 - March 04, 1995This was TLC's big comeback single, along with their new album "CrazySexyCool". Not only were the singles and album a big commercial success, but they were also seen as one of 90's R&B's defining moments. The song lyrically, portrays somebody who knows they're being cheat on by their lover, and decides to cheat on them as well, as a way to earn their affection. This whole theme of cheating on others, does seem unjustified, but the vocals are very well convincing, and you can feel for the passion of the intent of it's central message, with it's dark, sexy vibe. The production is pretty much flawless that is perfect for the clubs while still having a sensual feel to to it. It's one of the most iconic 90's R&B tracks for a reason, and I still to this day can't get enough of it. 9/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 23, 2015 23:16:11 GMT -5
#27. Soul For Real - Candy RainMarch 11, 1995 - March 25, 1995 & April 08, 1995This group's debut single, "Candy Rain", is a song that has shown a lot of love from R&B fans, that still listen to it to this day. I myself, couldn't really get into the first time I listened to it. I thought it sounded pretty dated, and that the vocals were a bit too squeaky for my taste. After revisiting it, I started to warm up to it. The vocals, while not that strong, do show lots of passion that I do like. The production is also really great, having that hip-hop soul sound, that sounds very smooth. Despite my lukewarm feelings towards in the beginning, I eventually grew to love it. 8/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 24, 2015 0:02:33 GMT -5
#28. TLC - Red Light SpecialApril 01, 1995 & April 15, 1995Probably the most iconic slow jam of the 90's, and of the most iconic slow jams ever. This steamy track, is one of the most definitive slow jams ever. It's got the best production, best lyrics, and best vocals to set the mood. It's so flawless that I pretty much have nothing bad to say about it. My favorite TLC track. 10/10
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Post by emerald on Oct 24, 2015 0:20:25 GMT -5
#29. Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do ItApril 22, 1995 - June 03, 1995This is pretty much the ultimate party anthem ever, or at least the most recognized one at that. The song has a rough, hip-hop sound to it, while still technically qualifying as R&B. It uses an enhanced sample Slick Rick's "Children's Story", and uses that song's back-beat for the entire duration of this song. This track also has Montell alternate from singing and rapping, which makes sense given the sample. It's not my personal favorite party track, but I do like it a lot. 8/10
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