Tony! Toni! Tone! "Whatever You Want"

Album: The Revival (Wing)
Songwriters: Tony! Toni! Tone!
Hit #1: April 20th, 1991 (2 Weeks)

Unlike the quickly drained Johnny Gill, The Revival's fourth stab at #1 saw the three Tony!'s remaining just as inspired and versatile as on the album's previous offerings. "Whatever You Want" quickly announced itself as another classic moment before it was even considered as a single.

Featuring lead vocals from Dwayne Wiggins, a capable vocalist, if not as commanding as bandmate Raphael Saadiq, "Whatever You Want" is sugar daddy pathos without the usual sleaze. Sounding like some dreamy escort service, Wiggins promises to indulge his lady in all the finer things in life, if she would just pick up the phone and call him ("Call 632-2135", the gentle hook nudges). Stressing he's not out to harm her ("What makes you think I would try/ To run a game on you/ Just as sure as my name is D'wayne/ I'll be there for you"), Wiggins seems to have the virginal intention act down pat, a sign he's been polishing his approach for a long time.

As with each TTT performance, you're bound to get some wide-screen musicianship and "Whatever You Want" simmers with the band's intricate chemistry. A delicate R&B soundbed formed from instruments perfectly nestled in place and spectral background vocals sparkling alongside Wiggin's honest advertising makes this quintessential "Quiet Storm" stuff and yet another reason why these guys were so damn popular. Kelly Price and Ludacris ("Splash Waterfalls") would both sample it if for their own respective hits.

Sadly, this would be the group's last #1. But don't think the quality of their work dropped off at all. Over the next six years, the group would churn out such prime cuts as "Me and You", "Anniversary", "Let's Get Down" and "Thinking of You" that, while not reaching the chart topping position, helped provide an alternative to the embarrassing crap that was making it to #1.

Best Moment: A lilting acoustic guitar bit that beautifully opens the track. (0:00)

Download: "Whatever You Want" (YSI)

Johnny Gill "Wrap My Body Tight"

Album: Johnny Gill (Motown)
Songwriters: James Harris & Terry Lewis
Hit #1: April 13th, 1991 (1 Week)

Johnny Gill got tons of mileage off of the one-two punch of it's first two singles and could've ended it's run there since follow-up singles "Fairweather Friend" (which peaked at #2) and "Wrap My Body Tight" obviously paled in comparison. Still, "Tight" managed to become the album's third #1 for a single week in the spring of '91.

A filler cut at best, "Tight" finds the team of Gill, Jam and Lewis sleeping their way through the New (though at this point, best called "Old") Jack motions. Even worse, it tries to convince us that Gill is ever lonely. Not the man who sung women in and out of their clothes on "My My My" or claimed to be some all-powerful sex warlock on "Rub You The Right Way".

Interestingly, "Wrap Your Body Tight" wouldn't be the only thing ruined by the success Johnny had had before. Gill would spend the rest of his career struggling to make something as indelible as his duo smash hits without much fortune. His voice kept him a critics' favorite, but the material just didn't muster the same feeling with audiences anymore. His solo album sales dropped off steeply, but collaborations with Shanice and Shabba Ranks brought him back into the Top Ten, and group efforts with a reunited New Edition (this time, including Bobby Brown) and the superstar trio LSG kept him on folk's radar.

Best Moment: A tight up-and-down bass groove in the opening instrumental section (0:14)

Freddie Jackson "Do Me Again"

Album: Do Me Again (Capitol)
Songwriters: Freddie Jackson and Paul Laurence
Hit #1: April 6th, 1991 (1 Week)

Jackson's final #1 was a fitting closure to the man's reign at the top of the charts over the previous six years. The sighing pulse of "Do Me Again" is prime baby-makin' material, Jackson embedding his crystal clear tenor within the track's sensual mixture of sublime keys, steamy vocoder effects and a sparse, drum track that gave men the perfect space to whisper all kind of nasty things into their lovers' ears.

Intertwined in his woman's naked embrace, both immersed in the afterglow of some tender love making, Freddie politely nudges for another session. The way he moans for her touch ("Every bit of you is what I need"), softly yearning to continue to slither the night away within silky sheets stained with perspiration and, cough, other bodily fluids, what woman in her natural mind could turn him down? Not the lady singers here; just as eagerly anticipating the next go 'round as much as he is, their wispy reciting of the title gives him all the permission he needs.

As the looming presence of hip hop forced R&B singers to take on the same raw explicitness, Freddie quickly found himself amongst a dying breed. Unwilling to update his approach, Jackson slowly lost the power he had once wielded over radio, but he would never lose his standing as one of the forerunners to a chivalrous art form that had helped spawn a generation of children.

Download: "Do Me Again"

Watch the clip that started it all:

Hi-Five "I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)"

Album: Hi-Five (Jive)
Songwriters: Bernard Bell, Teddy Riley and Dave Way
Hit #1: March 23rd, 1991 (2 Weeks)

A Texan vocal quintet that introduced us to the pure-voiced Tony Thompson, Hi-Five found a major boost on their debut album thanks to production aide from New Jack founder Teddy Riley. The second single from the eponymous LP, and follow-up to the funky Top 10 "I Just Can't Handle It", "I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)" ushered in the next contenders to become the "new New Edition".

What made Hi-Five stand out from the rest of the boy band pack? The mesmerizing Thompson, who, at fifteen years old, carried such a vibrant presence and sold any material he was given like a young pro. "I Like The Way" taps into the group's youth with it's cutesy, playful hook ("I like the way you kiss me when we're playing the kissing game") and Riley's plesant production, but the song's main pull relies on Tony, who you could easily imagine being so innocently lovestruck ("Just you and me/ This is so new/ We're still young at heart") amidst the song's teenaged summer romance.

A '90's favorite that wonderfully immortalizes the late Thompson.

Download: "I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)"

Rude Boys featuring Gerald Levert "Written All Over Your Face"

Album: Rude Awakening (Atlantic)
Songwriters: Larry Marcus
Hit #1: March 16th, 1991 (1 Week)

A Cleveland vocal quartet brought to the spotlight thanks to Gerald Levert, Rude Boys enjoyed an irresistible premiere to the world by way of the bouncy "Written All Over Your Face", a funk-addled midtempo that felt hand-crafted by George Clinton himself.

Driven by it's rubbery, descending bass line (one of the most underappreciated riffs to emerge out of the '90's), slinky vocals that flow like molasses and a gruffy cameo from Gerald, "Written..." is so overwhelmingly good, why the Rude Boys didn't become as huge as Boyz II Men solely based off of it is astounding.

The song centers on the highs of puppy love with the men's colorful voices singing the praise of a particular girl so taken by their partnership that the glow from her smile says it all ("You don't have to say how much you care for me/ Cause it's written all over your face"). Gerald Levert sounds like he's at the pulpit, committing to a stormy guest spot that sweats with both passion for the undeniable track and pride for his discoveree. For someone to get Levert amped up like this, they had to be really good, and the Rude Boys proved that a thousand fold on this beaming chart topper.

Best Moment: A groove so sticky, you needed to change your clothes after listening to it.

Download: "Written All Over Your Face"

What inspired Gerald's "Cat In The Hat" head gear?:

En Vogue "You Don't Have To Worry"

Album: Born To Sing (Atlantic)
Songwriters: Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy
Hit #1: February 9th, 1991 (1 Week)

The third straight #1 from their debut album, "You Don't Have To Worry" might not have been their most memorable release but it did prove that En Vogue had obviously found a comfortable niche from the get-go and were reaping huge success from it.

Sounding like a re-worked "Hold On", as "Lies" also did, "You Don't Have To Worry" works a nice jazz and hip hop-inflected R&B beat with Cindy taking over lead duties. Unlike those previous singles, though, "Worry" drops the ball with the lyrics (it stresses typical "I'll always love you"-type fodder), but the harmonies were still on point and the Foster/ McElroy-helmed groove remained inviting, even in this reheated form.

By the second album, the group would up the ante in creativity, playing with different genres and tackling deeper issues.

Whitney Houston "All The Man That I Need"

Album: I'm Your Baby Tonight (Arista)
Songwriters: Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore
Hit #1: March 2nd, 1991 (2 Weeks)

Originally recorded by disco diva Linda Clifford in 1982 before Sister Sledge gave it a sultry re-working a year later and earned a Top 50 R&B hit off of it, "All The Man That I Need" saw it's biggest success when Whitney Houston tackled it a decade later.

The second single from I'm Your Baby Tonight, Houston's awarding re-connection with Black audiences, "All The Man..." returned her to her balladeering role after flirting with new jack youth on the title track. Arista pulled out all the stops to make her version the definitive one, throwing in a gospel choir and sleek Kenny G sax solo alongside a bombastic orchestration that seemed to explode on the choruses.

Sledge had did their thing on their rendition (an odd male/ female duet) but Houston made "All The Man That I Need" sound like it was written especially for her. She pulls out another stunning vocal, delving full force into the lyric which displays utter devotion for a man that "fills me up" and gives her "more love than I've ever seen". The same critics that had balked at Whitney spending too much time showing off on ballads of this nature even had to give the woman her due here; her performance is virtually flawless.

Best Moment: The rumbling impact of that enormous chorus.

Download: "All The Man That I Need"

C+C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)"

Album: Gonna Make You Sweat (Columbia)
Songwriters: Robert Civilles and Frederick Williams
Hit #1: February 23rd, 1991 (1 Week)

A R&B/ dance songwriting/ production team who had moved up industry ranks with their club remixes for Janet Jackson and Fleetwood Mac and success as the force behind girl group Seduction ("Two to Make It Right", "Heartbeat"), Robert Civilles and David Cole soon turned attention to making music for themselves. Forming the faceless dance troupe C+C Music Factory (to feature a revolving door of fronting vocalists), the two scored a single deal with Columbia and came up with "Gonna Make You Sweat", a pulverizing dance workout that helped bring house music into the mainstream much in the way previous acts Technotronic, Snap! and Black Box had.

Though it can be easily dismissed as Euro-camp now, "Gonna Make You Sweat" was at the time recognized for being the sound of a new future. Staccato rock guitar lines, excited horn charts and ringing percussion helped construct this new brand of disco, while Freedom Williams, a buff Ice-T clone both in sound and look, urged you to "jump jump to the rhythm jump" with the calmed force of a patient physical trainer.

It's key element was the heaven-parting wail of Martha Wash, one half of The Weather Girls, whose super-sized order of "Everybody dance now!" amongst jazzy scats and other soulful belts added to the cut's multi-tracked delirium. Too bad you can't think of her epic contribution without referring to the controversial move to replace her in music clips and live performances with the slim, exotic-looking Zelma Davis. This ruthless, industry-backed choice led to a series of lawsuits that tainted the genre largely.

Still, you can't deny the overwhelming presence of this dance-pop juggernaut, a '90's nugget that became the peak of a new and exciting musical movement which would eventually succumb to the less fashionista sounds and images of grunge rock and gangsta rap. "Gonna Make You Sweat" would resonate for years as a ad-marketer's dream and unfortunately, become prime parody for a burgeoning sub-culture and cutthroat music industry.

Best Moment: "It's your world and I'm juts a squirrel/ Tryin' to get a nut/ To move your butt" (1:10)

Download: "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" (C'mon, you know you want to!)

Keith Sweat "I'll Give All My Love To You"

Album: I'll Give All My Love To You (Elektra)
Songwriters: Keith Sweat and Bobby Wooten
Hit #1: February 16th, 1991 (1 Week)

Sweat doesn't even give this seductive R&B ballad a chance to start before he's already down on his knees begging in desperate "baby baby baby"'s and "my my my"'s, as if we've just entered the picture mid-song. Those exclamations end up becoming about 90% of the track which is nothing but a series of half-thoughts and predictable promises anyway.

Sounding like Keith entered the vocal booth, let the track play and then persisted in freestyling his way through six-and-a-half minutes, it's a testament to the man's magnetism that women didn't even care that this really wasn't a complete song. All they knew was that he knew how to say all the right things ("I will never do anything to hurt you", "I can make you feel real good baby", "I don't wanna rush you baby if time is what you need the most", etc.). The perfect vehicle for live performances, when the man could woo your lady off your arm with natural ease, Sweat effortlessly schooled the various wannabes on how you're supposed to romance the opposite sex (no vulgarity involved) on this classic slow jam.

Best Moment: "Sometimes I get a little lonely baby" (3:45) (Cue thousands a women raising their hands/ bumrushing the stage to help fix that problem!)

Download: "I'll Give All My Love To You"

Pebbles featuring Babyface "Love Makes Things Happen"

Album: Always (MCA)
Songwriters: Babyface and LA Reid
Hit #1: January 26th, 1991 (2 Weeks)

Pebbles was married to Babyface's partner LA Reid at the time of this single's release, but judging the chemistry the two shared on this duet, you would have been forgiven for thinking they were the newlyweds instead.

Opening with a well-woven a capella vocal interplay between the two, "Love Makes Things Happen" celebrates the mythical power of love, both singers embodying the spirit of the song with a sweetened delivery that's the perfect accompaniment for a slow dance between lovers.

With neither having the throat power to truly take things to church, "Love Makes Things Happen" doesn't become an ad-lib showdown, remaining consistently soft to the touch it's entire run. With an equally gentle arrangement, this cut seems to float on air. Compared to Pebbles' upbeat material, "Love..." doesn't rank as one of her most distinctive, yet it's a fine treat that displayed a softer side you could appreciate.

Best Moment: The swirly woodwind accents add a certain spark to the understated production

Download: "Love Makes Thing Happen"

Surface "The First Time"

Album: 3 Deep (Columbia)
Songwriters: Bernard Jackson and Bernard Simpson
Hit #1: January 19th, 1991 (1 Week)

A songwriting threesome who decided to begin performing their own material as a R&B group, Surface didn't have stand-out vocalists or original lyrics to call their own, but it didn't stop them from collecting R&B hits with tunes like the bubbly "Happy" and hammy wedding ballad "Shower Me With Your Love".

Their fourth #1 and second Gold single arrived with 3 Deep's "The First Time". If "Shower Me..." found the band creeping into cheeseball territory, than "The First Time" was the result of them living in it. A recalling of corny "holding hands"/ "walking in the park" romantic memories, "The First Time" found Surface becoming the R&B version of REO Speedwagon or Chicago, unspooling gagging Valentine's sentiment soaked in Disney pastiche.

Gratingly slick and incorporating what sounds like a brief keytar solo (come on...KEYTAR!?!), songs like these should of have been left behind in the '80's. It can go unsaid that Surface would never hit #1 again.

Download: "The First Time"

Watch the video.

Freddie Jackson "Love Me Down"

Album: Do Me Again (Capitol)
Songwriters: Barry Eastmond and J. Scott Skinner
Hit #1: January 5th, 1991 (2 Weeks)

He wasn't a member of THE Jackson's, but Freddie ruled the R&B charts like one in the late '80's. Pulling off the slick, romancing gentleman role with ease, Freddie had a stranglehold on Black radio (never achieving much of a crossover profile) with a string of hits that solidified him as the go-to adult R&B sophisticate (at least when Luther Vandross wasn't dropping panties himself).

"Love Me Down", the first single from 1990's Do Me Again, scored Jackson his ninth trip to the top, and while his loverman shtick had grown kind of stale in an era that saw lyrics getting more and more suggestive, fans couldn't get enough of his sweet charms and smooth, effortless vocals especially with him delivering lascivious come-ons like "Come to me again/ It's been too long since we've touched like this".

This cut stuck to his formula well: champagne-kissed R&B sensuality that gently immersed itself in late-night jazzy sonics and Jackson singing all the right things to ensure a night of passion. Freddie could be accused of working the same angle into the ground, but with results that remained as strong as "Love Me Down", you couldn't mind the reiterations.

Best Moment: An ad-lib section caressed with a sexy saxophone solo and breathy female vocals (3:38)

Download: "Love Me Down"

Tony! Toni! Tone! "It Never Rains (in Southern California)"

Album: The Revival (Wing)
Songwriters: Tony! Toni! Tone!
Hit #1: December 22nd, 1990 (2 Weeks)

Going three for three in consecutive #1's from the much minable The Revival, T!3 swerved quite a bit from the celebratory funk of "Feels Good" when they released this stunning slow jam classic as a follow-up.

Highlighted by a paced soul base tickled with the tense accent of violins every now and then, "It Never Rains (in Southern California)" (a lovely titled stolen from '70's singer-songwriter Albert Hammond) proved Tony! Toni! Tone! were in a league of their own when it came to forming solid romance grooves and that Raphael Saadiq couldn't really be touched as one of R&B's sparkliest vocalists. This remarkable cut throbbed with the horny anxiety of a man flying cross-country from the wintry East Coast to be with his baby in a place where, he had been told, drizzly days didn't exist. Saadiq sings of Southern Cali like the most fantastical of vacation spots, squirming in his plane seat as he forges a list of everything he plans to do with his boo under the sun. He caresses his diamond in hand, ready to pop the question as soon as he touches down and his reconciled with her embrace. Meanwhile his brother Dwayne Wiggins pops up for lovely doo-wop-inspired background support as if he's cheering his sibling on from back home.

To this day, "Southern California" is treasured as one of the most seductive soul tunes of all time and the boys would continue to drop as-equally amazing records over the next few years. R&B just doesn't get more immaculate than this.

Best Moment: Dwayne playing the Pips, with the effervescent chime-in: "Now it may be cold on the East Coast/ But on the other side of town/ It never ra-aains..."

Download: "It Never Rains (in Southern California)"

Ralph Tresvant "Sensitivity"

Album: Ralph Tresvant (MCA)
Songwriters: James Harris and Terry Lewis
Hit #1: December 15th, 1990 (1 Week)

As the "voice" of New Edition, Ralph Tresvant helped realize the group's youthful spunk. His quirky, chipmunk-pitched tenor brought in the necessary cute factor for candy-coated hits like "Cool It Now" and "Popcorn Love". As NE matured, Tresvant was sidelined for the more manly sounds of Johnny Gill and Ricky Bell and suddenly the artist that seemed more likely to be the breakout solo star didn't seem like a sure bet anymore. The last of the group to release an album on his own, many were curious to see if the one-time favorite had the chops to at least match the revolutionizing sounds his former groupmates were selling millions with.

Things felt promising with the #1-charting of his first single, "Sensitivity", a euphoric midtempo that played to his strengths as a good-guy character and lightly toned singer. Another Jam & Lewis prime cut, "Sensitivity" stands out mostly from their efforts. The breezy melodies and silky organs provide a soft fluidity that warms you over in it's soft jazz haze: the complete opposite from the brittle, funk-addled dance cuts they were more known for.

Uncomfortable in the booty-obsessed tripe his peers warbled about, Tresvant opts on playing the heroic white knight, sweeping women off their feet by catering to their need for a man who "cares and dares to give himself completely". In comparison to "Poison" or "Rub You The Right Way", tunes that took urban music down more creative places with raunchy explicitness and a hard hitting street edge, "Sensitivity" just doesn't capture your attention as much, though. The instrumental is soothing and romantic, but more feels expected out of Tresvant. The man doesn't even really register on his own record, his thin voice too cloaked by the production.

If Ralph had in fact aimed for a "Don't Be Cruel"-ish demeanor, it probably wouldn't have been believable, but "Sensitivity" plays it way too safe, too wrapped up into it's theme and failing to really establish Tresvant as the future phenomenon we all had thought him to be on those early NE records.

Best Moment: Jam & Lewis' therapeutic arrangement

Download: "Sensitivity"

Watch Ralphie in his prime:

Al B. Sure! "Missunderstanding"

Album: Private Times & the Whole 9 (Warner Bros.)
Songwriters: DJ Eddie F, Nevelle and Al B. Sure!
Hit #1: November 24th, 1990

Memorable for his lighter-than-air tenor, light-skinned good looks and a thick ass unibrow, Al Brown (better known under the very-80's moniker Al B. Sure!) was one of the prime R&B romancers around the turn of the decade. His sensual 1988 #1 "Nite & Day" made the most out of bedroom-y synths and falsetto moans and made him an instant star, but by his second album, and like most other R&B artists of the time, what little identity he had was lost in new jack "pump-it-up" sheen as found on the single, "Missunderstanding".

A decent Keith Sweat/ Guy knock-off, "Missunderstanding" bubbles and pops in the standard swinging urban dance groove common place on nearly every song R&B radio was delivering at the time. The one thing it had going for itself that truly stood out was a different take on the sophomore blues, you know when artists that amassed amasing success on their first albums are concerned over new friends true intentions (Do they like me for me, or that new Mercedes in my six-car garage?).

Sure is seriously into this new hottie, but he can't help but worry himself over what she's really after ("You never know who's scheming/ Is she out for self?/ Nowadays you've got to be protected/ And it's not for health"). Though he asserts that he's not selfish with his riches, he does make it clear that if she wants the diamonds and rides in his flashy car she better be coming correct with some honest love.

Sure! might have been just another faceless new jack here, but Private Times & the Whole 9 continued his success with R&B fans, and spawned another Top Ten hit with "No Matter What You Do", an interesting duet with Diana Ross (!!) that expertly worked an older woman/ younger man love scenario.

Best Moment: In the spoken word intro, Al questions: "Why is it every time I see your face/ It's only when I got gas in my Chevy?" (Aww, snap!) (0:06)

Download: "Missunderstanding"

Watch the video for the remix!

Bell Biv Devoe "BBD (I Thought It Was Me)?"

Album: Poison (MCA)
Songwriters: Darrol Durant, Roney Hooks, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, Keith Shocklee and Paul Stewart
Hit #1: November 17th, 1990 (1 Week)

The second #1 from Bell Biv Devoe's debut and the follow-up from the raunchy favorite "Do Me", the clunksome titled "BBD (I Thought It Was Me)?" paired the hip hop/ R&B hybrid trio with the steely, nimble funk of Public Enemy beatsmiths The Bomb Squad.

Though not as instantly satisfying and heavily played as "Poison", "BBD..." remains memorable for it's storyline, flipping the script on men being the prime sexual deviants. Cruising the town looking to rock some woman's world, the boys end up being the ones rocked when they meet up with one particular lady whose much more to handle than they expected. Supported by the sleazy rhymes of Biv and Devoe, Ricky Bell plays the confounded role perfectly. Awarding his own ego with the thought that his undeniable macking skills had morphed this girl into a freak ("I thought it was me/ Who makes that girl this way"), a consultation with his peeps reveals that she was the one schooling him, as she had done with virtually every other guy in the neighborhood. Now he's the one whipped, feeling both empty and turned on by the power of this femme fatale.

Today she would have probably been labeled a ho, but "BBD..." never touches that double standard, instead playfully meandering the thought that a woman could be just as calculating (and horny) as any man. In a sense, you could point to this song as the jump-off template for TLC, a female version of Bell Biv Devoe, who would spend most of their catalogue turning the tables on men and proving that they could be as equally cold-hearted in the dating world.

Best Moment: Bivins wooing the women with an offer to spend an evening on his bachelor boat and get sea sick in his water bed.

Download: "BBD (I Thought It Was Me)?"

Mariah Carey "Love Takes Time"

Album: Mariah Carey (Columbia)
Songwriters: Mariah Carey and Ben Margulies
Hit #1: November 10th, 1990

It only took three months before Mariah had nabbed her second #1 Pop and R&B hit, an impressive feat for a newcomer. Too bad it ended up being the gagging, adult contemporary ballad "Love Takes Time". Compared to "Vision of Love", more of a soul-enhanced powerhouse belter that netted you in it's doo wop charm, "Love Takes Time" finds the singer trying to get the same results out of a less intriguing set-up. Carey's forlorn lyrics, following a woman realizing that dumping her lover might not have been the smartest choice, has the needed drama to make this a potential killer but despite the big voice, something rings hollow about her performance. Critics would dog Carey out for this "singing just for the sake of singing" technique, rarely, if ever, really connecting to the emotional material she was writing.

The syrupy melody (given by some cheap keyboard and sparse drum machine backing) does carry a George Michael-esque shimmer to it and the final chorus captures the awe of her vocal range well (that piercing whistle a strong stand out), but the overall results are bland and forgettable, a demo recording that should've never passed into the ending tracklisting. Though noted as a hip hop diva today (with a less powerful voice to offer), Carey's early material leaned heavy on boring songs like these. Still, young girls ate it up as the karaoke candy it was and it became an instant fan and radio favorite. Thankfully the singer would dole out much better versions of this type of balladry as time went on.

Best Moment: The background vocalists' injecting some sense of raw soul.

Download: "Love Takes Time"

Samuelle "So You Like What You See"

Album: Living In Black Paradise (Atlantic)
Songwriters: Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy and Samuelle
Hit #1: October 27th, 1990 (2 Weeks)

Former member of Club Nouveau ("Lean On Me", "Why You Treat Me So Badly"), Samuelle Prater teamed with Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy on his 1990 solo debut, but not even the star power behind En Vogue would give him much beyond the forgettable hit it produced, two-week #1 "So You Like What You See".

Known more for it's Teddy Riley-produced remix, featuring a pre-"Rump Shaker" cameo from Wreckx N Effect, if it wasn't for "So You Like What You See"'s appearance in the "Grand Theft Auto: Sam Andreas" video game, most probably couldn't recall the tune. The problem is that Samuelle's just not that interesting of a singer, and lacing him with B-rate Black pop beats does little to help. What the cut does have going for it is an interesting plot: Intrigued by a stalker's continued obsession with him (she leaves love letters on his car), Samuelle encourages her to emerge from behind the bushes and actually talk to him. Why? Not so he can figure out if he needs a restraining order or not but because he's "not used to girls that are shy". Ooookay.

A mildly likable tune from a solo career that went nowhere. The first of many lackluster chart toppers to arrive this decade.

Pebbles "Giving You The Benefit"

Album: Always (MCA)
Songwriters: Babyface and LA Reid
Hit #1: October 3rd, 1990 (3 Weeks)

Pebbles might have had a small voice and cartoon character nickname, but she shattered any preconceptions with big dance/pop beats and a tough record persona. Whether coaxing a crush to "take a ride" in her Mercedes or encouraging her friend to dump her no-good boyfriend ("He's just a canine runnin' 'round in heat"), the easy-on-the-eyes Pebbles asserted that she was no push over, a winning trait that lifted her amongst the platinum ranking of similar-minded divas Karyn White and Jody Watley in the late '80's.

On her second album lead-off "Giving You The Benefit", Pebbles had softened a tad, aiming to not be as harsh in the name of love this time around. Another Babyface/ Reid-constructed R&B no-brainer, "Benefit" struts with new jack crackle as the singer opts on giving her man one last chance to redeem himself in her eyes ("I'll be giving you the benefit of the doubt/ Giving you a minute to try to work it on out"). Given her past work, "Benefit"'s subtext hints that he's probably going to have to turn water into wine to win her over again, especially since she seems to be one mini-disappointment away from going off and throwing all his stuff on the front lawn ("I could be a trip", she menacingly warns).

The slight change in attitude ("Girlfriend"-era Pebbles would've kicked him to the curb the minute he didn't open a door for her) was a little disheartening and could of caused her selling half as much on her sophomore outing than on her debut, but few could deny the chemistry she shared with Face and new husband LA Reid. That magic kept her in the penthouse spot for an amazing three weeks (something that hadn't been achieved in over a year), giving her the biggest hit of her career.

Best Moment: The icily-delivered, self-mocking "poor little me" lines she throws in the verse, after listing all the reasons why he's not worth her time

Download: "Giving You The Benefit"

Prince "Thieves In The Temple"

Album: Graffiti Bridge (Paisley Park)
Songwriters: Prince
Hit #1: September 29th, 1990 (1 Week)

There wasn't much good to say about Prince's 1990 silver screen embarrassment, Graffiti Bridge. A poorly conceived semi-sequel to Purple Rain, it was an expensive misstep for the musician who had spent most of the 1980's wooing listeners by doing whatever the hell he wanted. With Bridge, the film, he had finally went too far, but the accompanying soundtrack was a different story. Mainly a collection of revamped unreleased cuts featuring the likes of Tevin Campbell, Mavis Staples and George Clinton, Bridge achieved it's biggest hit with "Thieves In The Temple", a new song that was added at the last minute.

Re-introducing us to his mythical musical universe, "Temple" is a stellar mystic pop confection, a moody "done me wrong" paean marked with ominous keyboards, sharp drum programming, feisty splashes of rock guitar and a sweltering harmonica solo. Prince looks to the romance Gods for aid, desperately searching for a path out of the dark cloud a broken heart, courtesy of the titular "thieves", has left him under ("Love if u're there come save me/ From all this cold despair/ I can hang when u're around/ But eye'll surely die/ If u're not there"). For someone whose music was much built on ego and conceit, Prince's ability to capture the dire feeling on the other side of the coin is impressive. "Love come quick/ Love come in a hurry", he begs, showing a rare submission to a force beyond his control. By song's end, he's a broken mess, a series of dramatic exclamations ("U lie!/ U were supposed to take care of me!") leading to piercing screams and the sounds of shattered glass, a disturbing climax that magnificently illustrated the suicidal distress the song had conveyed.

Another artistic and commercial triumph, "Thieves In The Temple" demonstrated that while Prince wasn't destined to be a celluloid great, when it came to music, he was was a revered genius who, even on his worst days, could pull off a mighty winner like this one.

Best Moment: That out-of-nowhere harmonica additive, filling out the song's bluesy narrative (1:43)

Download: "Thieves In The Temple"

The Boys "Crazy"

Album: The Boys (Motown)
Songwriters: The Boys
Hit #1: September 22nd, 1990 (1 Week)

Beating '90's R&B/ hip hop teen acts Another Bad Creation and Kris Kross by years, brothers quartet The Boys had previously topped the charts with age-appropriate-titled bubblegum-soul ditties "Dial My Heart" and "Lucky Charm" from their 1988 Motown debut, Message From The Boys. From the looks of things it seemed that the legendary label had found their new "Jackson 5".

By their eponymous second album, The Boys had taken over songwriting and production duties with plans to conquer the world the same way they had become regional, then national, sensations. First single "Crazy" embodied everything the first LP had dealt: cute, prepubescent charm (the song centered on the young singers losing their sanity over a girl) delivered over trendy R&B beats. Think Bobby Brown or Bell Biv Devoe minus the overt sexuality but keeping the same rambunctiousness and you have "Crazy". The accompanying video was a favorite for it's time, a high-budget affair that pulled out all the stops, including a dream sequence that featured the boys hilariously spoofing clips from Brown, George Michael, Milli Vanilli, Madonna and Michael & Janet Jackson.

Despite all the momentum and strong label support, The Boys lost their identity in a sea of similar-styled boy bands (BBD, Troop, etc.) then dominating radio. The song and video were great, but it didn't take long before audiences' attention had quickly moved elsewhere. A long simmering battle between Motown and the kids' parental management, and the group's yearn to fully manage their own sound did little to help their careers and by the release of their mostly-ignored third album, The Boys promising run had reached a sudden, anti-climactic end.

Best Moment: "She rocks it to the east/ She rocks it to the west/ I need some time/ Cause my head is such a mess"

En Vogue "Lies"

Album: Born To Sing (Atlantic)
Songwriters: En Vogue, Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy and Khayree Shaheed
Hit #1: September 15th, 1990

Not only were En Vogue four beautiful women with four incredible voices, the quartet took it a step further by being artistically creative both in their fashion sense and musical choices. "Lies" quickly followed the breakthrough smash "Hold On" as their second #1, and although the backing beat was essentially the same, the single's subject matter presented the ladies' first stab at being socially conscious.

The first single to feature all four members as lead, "Lies" was notable for ignoring typical romantic dribble for a deeper cause. Co-handled by Bay Area producer Khayee Shaheed, "Lies" offered street-smart condemnation of those unable to tell the truth ("The nation's leaders/ As well as teachers/ Practice lies as a way of life"). Sassy delivery and classy harmonies (two En Vogue signatures) as well as a sophisticated hip hop-soul base made this cut a radio fixture, but it was the cutting lyrics that garnered massive attention.

Though En Vogue held their own with a powerful performance, it was a cameo from female emcee Debbie T that really touched down on the topic. At the time, R&B was rarely touching on such issues despite it being a mainstay subject in the soul music of the '70's; rap music, not trapped in trying to sugarcoat anything, had taken over as the essential raw release focused on society's ill. So it was an obvious move that En Vogue grab a rapper to really push the song's sentiment. A precursor to the uzi-fire flow of Da Brat and Left Eye, Debbie stole the show with her thought-provoking rhymes, pushing the notion that it wasn't only politicians who couldn't resist telling a fib, but people closer to home like cheating husbands and those involved in the still-rampant crack epidemic ("A smoker lies about the money that he stole/ And a dope dealer never tells you how he got his gold").

Best Moment: Debbie turns the tables on her fellow women with the killer line: "We lie about our hair/ And we know we got a weave" (2:46)

Download: "Lies"

Tony! Toni! Tone! "Feels Good"

Album: The Revival (Wing)
Songwriters: Tony! Toni! Tone! and Carl Wheeler
Hit #1: September 1st, 1990 (2 Weeks)

Like a modern day Parliament or James Brown, Tony! Toni! Tone! knew how to keep a party moving with all-encompassing party-oriented funk/ soul, especially on "Feels Good", a platinum #1 that ended the summer of 1990 on a high note.

Incorporating gospel elements and the relentless energy of the new jack world in their big band Black-pop swing, "Feels Good" found the three T!'s reaching a peak of sorts, constructing a upbeat celebration that indeed made you feel good. Saadiq's satiny croon praises the exciting feeling he gets when he's with his girl ("Last night was so fun/ Loving one on one/ I was holding you so tight/ That I might make you my wife") while synths zip last him like lasers and drum machines go into overdrive. It was a nice blending of the synthetic and the organic, rich organs adding a church-like spunk towards the end as Saadiq testifies his allegiance to the beat in an enthusiastic outro ad-lib ("I feel it all in my bones/ I feel it all in my soul").

R&B had become dominated by singers and beat twiddlers resulting in electrifying productions that felt cold in comparison to the analog grooves that had preceded them. Tony! Toni! Tone! fiddled around with some technological effects on "Feels Good!" but it was the accompanying live instrumentation that really sold this cut into being the dance floor behemoth it remains.

Best Moment: The "uh uh baby" robo-female moans on the hook that seemed so X-rated for the time!

Download: "Feels Good"

The Time "Jerk Out"

Album: Pandemonium (Paisley Park)
Songwriters: Prince
Hit #1: August 25th, 1990 (1 Week)

A decade old song that at first had been dismissed by lead singer Morris Day for being too lewd, "Jerk Out" rotted in the Prince vaults for years before being released as a single on The Time's 1990 reunion album, Pandemonium, and becoming the Prince dance/ funk offshoot's biggest hit ever.

Awash in traditional Minneapolis funk pedigree, "Jerk Out" compiled everything there was to love about The Time during their early-to-mid-'80's heyday: chicken scratch guitar, funky disco basslines and the "too-cool-for-the-room" humor of the always enjoyable Morris Day. It seemed a fluke that something so retro in sound could top the charts in 1990, but for fans feening for some of that old Purple Rain-era Prince flair, it was the perfect antidote.

Cleaning up the oft-putting misogynist and racist overtones of the original (Prince' justification for tying up some chick before the freakin' begins: "Maybe I was wrong/ But what the hell/ It didn't matter to me-she was White!"), the radio edit retained Morris' pompous oversized ego during a night on the prowl for some new flesh ("I got the cash/ I got the ride/ Oh Lawd! Got to make some love tonight"). As the backing groove tirelessly pumps away, Day woos some fine 'Stella' to his crib with his bulging bankroll and slick talk, only to kick her out following a satisfyint time with the best brush-off line ever: "I said 'Baby don't get too comfortable/ Cause I really like to sleep alone/ Leave your number on the table by my data bank/ I love you but you got to go".

"Jerk Out" would be the final hurrah for the original The Time lineup who would soon after disband, once again, due to inner drama, but this #1 single offered a brief return to one of the greatest, and much-missed, eras in Black music when it paid to be as rude and crude over some of the funkiest party riffs this side of Parliament.

Best Moment: In the extended version, Morris Day offers a lesson in etiquette: "Uh that sure is a lovely blouse you have on/ (Thank you)/ Can I take it off?"

Download: "Jerk Out"



Embrace the coolness of one of the best funk tunes ever, "777-9311"!:

Mariah Carey "Vision of Love"

Album: Mariah Carey (Columbia)
Songwriters: Mariah Carey and Ben Marguiles
Hit #1: August 11th, 1990 (2 Weeks)

The song that started it all, singles charts would never be the same after the premiere of the multi-octave Carey on this epic pop-soul ballad. It didn't take long before the "shy girl with the big voice" was bearing the title of being "the next Whitney" once people got a chance to hear what this chick could do with a vocal riff.

With Mariah's voice no longer the flawless instrument it once was and her music now less important than her more tabloid-friendly skimpy attire and divalicious demands, it's shocking to remember how simple things seemed when "Vision of Love" hit the airwaves. All you could do was sit back and watch with awe as this young girl tore into this personal love song, a "light at the end of the tunnel"-type opus that bore a spiritual tone that would characterize a lot of her early material. The lyrics are at times overweight in inspirational shlock ("Had to be strong/ So I believed/ And I now know I've succeeded/ In finding the place I conceived"), but Carey's songwriting was impressively mature for her age and she sold the tune with an undeniable conviction that shook you to the core, especially when her wailing reached a skyscraping gospel peak in the melismatic bridge and outro.

Originally recorded in a much faster tempo and with more of a '50's flair, producer Rhett Lawrence initiated a seductive MOR feel, carefully keeping in throwback doo wop elements (the background parts are classic girl group fodder) and a tender melodicism that would become a Carey signature. The ending result was the ultimate in pop grandeur (from it's ominous Star Wars-opening to that final, elongated note) and it would forever change the way female pop and R&B singers would handle their craft.

Best Moment: The entire final third to which Mariah entered a vocal class no one could touch. (2:13)

Download: "Vision of Love"

After 7 "Can't Stop"

Album: After 7 (Virgin)
Songwriters: Babyface and LA Reid
Hit #1: August 4th, 1990 (1 Week)

On After 7's second and final #1 hit, the group once again enjoyed the golden chemistry of Babyface and La Reid with the sheer good times exuberance of "Can't Stop", a cheerful ditty centered on a post-sex high.

It's hard not to listen this without getting a goofy grin plastered on your face. It's silky and sweet uptempo groove captures lead vocalist Kevon Edmonds giddy mood to the tee. "Last night/ You brought something special out of me," he sings, his gentle tenor soaring with uncontrolled glee following a fireworks-laden evening of love making he won't soon forget. Even though the topic was a bit raunchy, "Can't Stop" had a kiddie sensibility that made it a universal favorite. The first time you heard it, you were immediately swept away by it's happy glow, anxious to feel the same feeling Kevon was describing.

After 7 never achieved another chart topper, but their tight vocal harmonies and classy romantic gestures earned them a few more hits over the next two albums, before the trio split up for good in the mid '90's. In 1997, the Edmonds brothers would team with Babyface and another R&B sibling duo, K Ci & Jo Jo, to form the one-off group for the Soul Food hit single, "I Care 'Bout You" and Kevon would find modest success as a solo artist towards the end of the decade, but nothing would match the summery perfection of "Can't Stop", a track that still garners considerable airplay to this day.

Best Moment: "I'm diggin on you/ You diggin' on me/ We diggin on we!!"

Download: "Can't Stop"