The 20 R&B Albums That Shifted The 90s

kuskklassic
kuskklassic Members Posts: 1,006 ✭✭✭✭
Every decade has its defining albums, like "Whats Going On" and "Songs In The Key of Life" in the 70s, "Purple Rain" and "Thriller" i the 80s...

these albums and artist helped to not only blueprint how to make classic albums but how to bring something new to an genre who roots date back to slave songs and gospel music. The 90s was an era that seen Soul music take a back seat to Hip Hop. But it also allowed a few groundbreaking artist to combine and mix the genre into what would become now as Hip Hop Soul. Only 90s Icons Mary J Blige, R.Kelly, & Toni Braxton ? the list TWICE !! From New Jack Swing to Neo Soul and everything in between, these are the defining R&B ALBUMS OF THE 1990s..

20. Writings on The Wall - Destinys Child

19. Sons of Soul - Toni Tony Tone

18. Faith Faith Evans

17. Toni Braxton/Secrets - Toni Braxton

16. Whats The 411? - Mary J Blige

15. janet. - Janet Jackson

14. *insert a any of these soundtracks* (Waiting 2 Exhale, Boomerang, Soul Food, etc)

13. Its About Time - SWV

12. CrazySexyCool - TLC

11. Love Deluxe - Sade

10. Daydream - Mariah Carey

9. II - Boyz 2 Men

8. Baduzim - Erykah Badu

7. One In A Million - Aaliyah

6. Maxwell Urban Hangsuite - Maxwell

5. Brown Sugar - D'Angelo

4. Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill

3. 12 Play/R.Kelly - R.Kelly

2. Diary of A Mad Band - Jodeci

1. My Life - Mary J Blige


sidenotes...i feel like D'Angelo "Voodoo" is one of the GREATEST SOUL ALBUMS EVER. Although it dropped in 1999...the lasting impact was in the year 2000. I say its the first GREAT ALBUM OF THE Y2K

Comments

  • kuskklassic
    kuskklassic Members Posts: 1,006 ✭✭✭✭
    Dru Hill dropped great albums and thier run i the 90s cant compete with the best in history. But the reason they dot ? the top 20 is because u have to give credit to the originals first. Jodeci and Boyz 2 Men were the gold standard for 90s male groups. It was hard to narrow down which Jodeci album to pick and Boyz 2 Men second album was the biggest R&B album of the decade. Dru Hill are mos def legends but i cant include them a not include the rest of Jodeci's catalouge. Or without givin a node to group like 112 and Next as well. Now if we do GROUP ALBUMS OF THE 90s...Dru Hill makes the list TWICE !
  • kuskklassic
    kuskklassic Members Posts: 1,006 ✭✭✭✭
    it hurt me not to include albums by Groove Theory

    Monica, Brandy, & Usher released great albums in this decade. But i feel out of thier peers Aaliyah was actually pushing the genre forward. Usher was the man after My Way but his best albums are in 02 and 04 respectively. Monica debut is classic but she didnt put it all together beautifully until After The Storm in the 2000s. Brandy debut was good and Never Say Never was better but still not reaching the creativity of One In A Million.

    whats Mariah Carey album would u have picked ??

    Xscape, En Vogue, & Total are great but TLC, Destinys Child, & SWV gave the blueprint for most girl groups and solo females after.

    Brain McKnight, Joe, Jon B.....are classic acts....but they didnt change the game. They pretty muched stayed in they lane and killed it perfectly. Not enough to be top 20 tho.

    Michael Jackson last classic album was made in the 90s......does he deserve a spot for Dangerous ? what about Prince and Whitney Houston releases ?
  • kuskklassic
    kuskklassic Members Posts: 1,006 ✭✭✭✭
    is Babyface the greatest songwriter of the 90s?? or R.kelly ??
  • Bodhi
    Bodhi Members Posts: 7,932 ✭✭✭✭✭
    is Babyface the greatest songwriter of the 90s?? or R.kelly ??

    babyface
  • Bodhi
    Bodhi Members Posts: 7,932 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2016
    Baduizm, Hang Suite and Brown Sugar are my top three 90s R&B albums.
    The "neo soul" movement was and always will be dope to me.
    Those three albums laid the blueprint.
    They paved the way for artists like Jill Scott, Bilal, india.arie, etc.
  • Tsotsi Cape Town
    Tsotsi Cape Town Members Posts: 1,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You buggin' if you think DC were better than En Vogue in the 90s.

  • Cleveland7venty6
    Cleveland7venty6 Members Posts: 1,285 ✭✭✭✭✭
    if youre 35..... ? it.
  • kuskklassic
    kuskklassic Members Posts: 1,006 ✭✭✭✭
    En Vogue had 2 albums i debated on including but when you look at the overall lasting influence Destinys Child was bigger. Vocally En Vogue wins put DC helped pushed the genre
  • JokerzWyld
    JokerzWyld Members Posts: 5,483 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Tony Toni Tone >>>> Jodeci.

    Sons of Soul >>>>> Diary of a Mad Band.
  • Rue_Flexington
    Rue_Flexington Members Posts: 1,874 ✭✭✭✭✭
    No love for Ginuwine The Bachelor?
  • Tsotsi Cape Town
    Tsotsi Cape Town Members Posts: 1,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    No love for Ginuwine The Bachelor?

    Word. That ? had its paws all over the early 00s