Wasn't Bobby solo in 86, it should be 86-94 if you wanna include "Girlfriend" and "Girl Next Door?"

Wasn't Bobby solo in 86, it should be 86-94 if you wanna include "Girlfriend" and "Girl Next Door?"

Yep and Bobby had his first number-one Billboard (R&B) single in 1986. As far as I'm concerned, Bobby and BBD are the only ones to have a number-one pop hit, or is it just Bobby?

Timmy84 said:

Uh, who was talking about pop No. 1 hits? FWIW, every New Edition offshoot had at least one top five pop hit. Any way, think about what each act did -- it's rare that a group has every member release a solo album and had the success Bobby Brown, Bell Biv DeVoe, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant had.

One of the few pop or R&B group had a moderately successful to very successful solo career. Few groups have achieved this before or since. The best part was that each solo project had something for everybody. Johnny and Ralph headed up the silky bedroom jams, Bell-Biv-DeVoe were doing their Hip-hop thing. And at that point Bobby was the king of New Jack Swing (although this is debateable).

This reminds me of elementary school....I loved:

Sensitivity
Stone Cold Gentleman
When Will I See You Smile Again? (One of my favorites)
BBD (I thought it was me)
Do Me
Poison
The entire Don't Be Cruel album (a masterpiece)
Stroke (Rub You the Right Way) (I wish Johnny had done more uptempo songs)
My My My
Fairweather Friend (underrated in my opinion)
Money, can't buy you love (from the Mo' Money Soundtrack)
Get Away (also underrated IMO)
Good Enough
Humpin' Around
[Edited 11/23/07 15:03pm]

Here's New Edition's run of number-ones group and solo over the years:

NEW EDITION:
*1983: "Candy Girl" (also #1 UK pop)
*1984: "Cool It Now"
*1984: "Mr. Telephone Man"
*1989: "Can You Stand the Rain?"
*1996: "Hit Me Off"

BOBBY BROWN:
*1986: "Girlfriend"
*1988: "Don't Be Cruel"
*1988: "My Prerogative"
*1989: "Every Little Step"
*1989: "On Our Own"
*1992: "Humpin' Around"

BBD (Bell-Biv-DeVoe):
*1990: "Poison"
*1990: "Do Me"
*1991: "Word to the Mutha"

RALPH TRESVANT:
*1990: "Sensitivity"

JOHNNY GILL:
*1989: "Where Do We Go From Here?" (w/Stacy Lattisaw)
*1990: "Rub You the Right Way"
*1990: "My, My, My"
*1991: "Wrap My Body Tight"
*1997: "Your Body" (w/L(eVert)S(weat)G(ill))

So that's, what, 22 Billboard number-ones between them?

Timmy84 said:

Actually, Bell Biv DeVoe's "B.B.D. (I Thought It Was Me)" was a No. 1 single, not "Word to the Mutha!"

Not only that, but the list doesn't include several songs that just missed reaching No. 1 (Ralph Tresvant's "Stone Cold Gentleman" and "Do What I Gotta Do," Johnny Gill's "Fairweather Friend," Bobby Brown's "Roni," Bell Biv DeVoe's "When Will I See You Smile Again?").

"Do Me" peaked at number four but "Word to the Mutha" did hit #1.

Timmy84 said:

According to Billboard magazine, "Word to the Mutha!" peaked at No. 11 in late 1991.

The point I was making is that from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, nearly every single from the New Edition was a top five single (generally landing in the top three, if not No. 1).

Then Billboard's people are funny. Guess you can blame it on All Music because the Billboard chart numbers have that song peaking at number 11 so take it up with Joe Whitburn.

Here is the compilation I put together for my brother:

NEW EDITION: THE SOLO YEARS 1988-1994

DISC ONE:

Cruel prelude
Bell Biv DeVoe "Word to the Mutha!" (WBBD - Bootcity version)
Johnny Gill "Rub You the Right Way" (DJ Eddie F. 12" version)
Bobby Brown "Humpin' Around" (extended version)
Ralph Tresvant "Money Can't Buy You Love"
Bobby Brown "Don't Be Cruel"
Bell Biv DeVoe "Poison" (extended version)
My, My, My reprise
Bobby Brown "Roni"
Johnny Gill "Giving My All to You"
Ralph Tresvant "Do What I Gotta Do" (BW's Groove version)
Bell Biv DeVoe "Something in Your Eyes"
Johnny Gill "My, My, My"
Bobby Brown "Rock Wit'cha" (remix version)

DISC TWO:

Ralph Tresvant "Sensitivity" (extended version)
Johnny Gill "Fairweather Friend" (extended version)
Bobby Brown "Every Little Step" (extended remix)
Bell Biv DeVoe "B.B.D. (I Thought It Was Me)" (remix version)
Johnny Gill and Shabba Ranks "Slow and Sexy"
Bobby Brown "Get Away" (extended version)
Ralph Tresvant "When I Need Somebody"
Johnny Gill "Let's Just Run Away"
Bell Biv DeVoe "When Will I See You Smile Again?" (extended remix version)
Johnny Gill "I'm Still Waiting"
Bobby Brown "On Our Own" (extended version)
Ralph Tresvant "Stone Cold Gentleman" (remix radio version)
Bell Biv DeVoe "Gangsta"

DISC THREE:

Bell Biv DeVoe "Let Me Know Something?!?" (WBBD - Bootcity version)
Bell Biv DeVoe "She's Dope!" (WBBD - Bootcity version)
Bobby Brown "My Prerogative"
Johnny Gill "Wrap My Body Tight" (Jazzie B. remix version)
Ralph Tresvant "Yo, Baby, Yo" (extended version)
Ralph Tresvant "Who's the Mack?"
Bobby Brown "I'll Be Good to You"
Bell Biv DeVoe "Do Me!" (remix video version)
Johnny Gill "The Floor"
Bobby Brown "That's the Way Love Is"
Rizzo's interlude
Bell Biv DeVoe "I Do Need You" (WBBD - Bootcity version)
Bobby Brown "Good Enough" (extended Jeep version)
Johnny Gill "There U Go"
Ralph Tresvant "Last Night"
Johnny Gill "Quiet Time to Play"
[Edited 11/23/07 15:23pm]

Has anyone heard "Supernatural" off the Ghostbusters II soundtrack at all? I never can find that disc!!!!

Wow! That's an excellent compilation set Najee. I know your brother will enjoy it.

One of the few pop or R&B group had a moderately successful to very successful solo career. Few groups have achieved this before or since. The best part was that each solo project had something for everybody. Johnny and Ralph headed up the silky bedroom jams, Bell-Biv-DeVoe were doing their Hip-hop thing. And at that point Bobby was the king of New Jack Swing (although this is debateable).

DarkSideOfBeauty said:

Thank you. The only noticeably missing song is Johnny Gill's duet with Stacy Lattisaw, "Where Do We Go from Here," but that's only because my brother didn't want that song. But I feel I covered all the bases here.
[Edited 11/24/07 9:50am]

Lovesexy82 said:

That was the amazing thing -- each splinter act had its own style and none of them were similar to the sound they had collectively as New Edition. Bobby Brown was from the mold of the New Jack Swing sound. Bell Biv DeVoe were basically a hip-hop vocal trio, with the sensibilities of the rap acts. Johnny Gill was straight from the Teddy Pendergrass/Alexander O'Neal school of hardcore singing. Ralph Tresvant had the mack-daddy smooth style but would bust out a rap occasionally to let the fellows know he was still down with the street vibe.
[Edited 11/24/07 12:19pm]