Don't know if this has been done before, but list your ONE favorite R&B album each year of the 90's. (No "remake" or "best of" albums allowed obviously) When you're done, if you want to, list which years were hard for you to decide on.

Note: Favorites by year are chosen by release date. (Example: Jodeci's 'Diary of a Mad Band' was released late December in 1993 but made all its noise during 1994, it would still be considered a '93 album, instead of '94 due to its release date)


Mines:

1990: Johnny Gill - Johnny Gill

1991: Keith Washington - Make Time For Love

1992: After 7 - Takin' My Time

1993: Mint Condition - From The Mint Factory

1994: Mary J. Blige - My Life

1995: D'Angelo - Brown Sugar

1996: Tony! Toni! Toné! - House Of Music

1997: K-Ci & JoJo - Love Always

1998: Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation Of... (but if you don't consider it a full R&B album, then: Dru Hill - Enter The Dru)

1999: Silk - Tonight



The hardest years for me to make decisions on were '92, '95 and & '99.

1990: Johnny Gill
1991: Michael Jackson - Dangerous
1992: Prince and the New Power Generation -
1993: Tony Toni Tone - Sons of Soul
1994: Tevin Campbell - I'm Ready
1995: R. Kelly - R. Kelly
1996: Toni Braxton - Secrets
1997: - Crystal Ball
1998: Lauryn Hill
1999: - Rave In2

daPrettyman said:

nice list!

Here are my initial thoughts:

1990: Guy - The Future
1991: Michael Jackson - Dangerous
1992: Mary J. Blige - What's the 411?
1993: Shai - Right Back at Cha [if this doesn't count, Terence Trent D'Arby - Symphony or Damn... if that doesn't count, Babyface - For the Cool in You]
1994: Mary J. Blige - My Life
1995: D'Angelo - Brown Sugar
1996: Aaliyah - One in a Million
1997: Erykah Badu - Baduizm
1998: Playa - Cheers 2 U
1999: Mary J. Blige - Mary

Easiest choice: 1995, because Brown Sugar is the R&B album of the decade IMO
Toughest choices: 1992 (with apologies to En Vogue, Shai, Silk, and Tevin Campbell) and 1998 (I feel for Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and Brandy's Never Say Never, but I have to go with Playa)

AlexdeParis said:

hmm. i was thinking of putting the guy album and whats the 411 too. good list. but playa over lauryn hill? dru hill? maxwell? i dont know about that one. LOL.

1990-Mariah Carey
1991-Michael Jackson-Dangerous and Mariah Carey-Emotions
1992-Madonna-Erotica
1993-Janet.
1994-TLC-CrazySexyCool and Brandy
1995-Michael Jackson-HIStory
1996-Toni Braxton-Secrets and Aaliyah-One In a Million
1997-Mariah Carey-Butterfly and Janet-Velvet Rope
1998-Brandy-Never Say Never
1999-TLC-Fanmail and Destiny's Child-Writings on the Wall
[Edited 10/17/08 7:40am]

junebug18 said:

Are soundtracks allowed?

what about Cephus and Reecie for 92

thatruth said:

Good question. Go for it, but you must list your favorite studio of that same year as well.

AlexdeParis said:

How is Playa's album? I've seen it, but never picked it up. I didn't care for the title track.

raveun2thejoyfantastic said:

Blood on the Dancefloor and NPS?

1990 - I'm Your Baby Tonight/Whitney
1991 - Forever My Lady/Jodeci
1992 - Dangerous/MJ & Oooh on the TLC Tip/TLC & What's the 411/MJB
1993 - janet./Janet
1994 - My Life/MJB & CrazySexyCool/TLC
1995 - Miss Thang/Monica & Faith/Faith Evans & HIStory/MJ
1996 - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill/Lauryn Hill
1997 - Velvet Rope/Janet
1998 - My Love is Your Love/Whitney
1999 - Writings on the Wall/Destiny's Child

shesoffthewall said:

That was definitely their best effort. You can actually tell they took their time to pick the right songs. After that, they were downhill.

raveun2thejoyfantastic said:

OH
MY
GAWD
WHAT
THE
FUCK


[Edited 10/17/08 13:03pm]

daPrettyman said:

I agree, it's the last DC album I fully enjoy.

shesoffthewall said:

Lauryn Hill's album came out in '98, MJ's Dangerous came out in '91.

90: Tracie Spencer / Make The Difference
91: Vanessa Williams / The Comfort Zone
92: TLC / Ooooooh ...On The TLC Tip
93: Meshell Ndegeocello / Plantation Lullabies / Xscape / Hummin' Comin @ Cha / Tony Toni Toné / Sons of Soul [3-WAY TIE]
94: Brandy / Brandy
95: Groove Theory / Groove Theory
96: Aaliyah / One In A Million
97: Janet / The Velvet Rope.
98: Brandy / Never Say Never
99: Kelis / Kaleidoscope / Meshell Ndegeocello / Bitter [TIE]

junebug18 said:

Forgive me I was in a rush. Fixed it.

raveun2thejoyfantastic said:

Get rid of Madonna
and I 100% agree with this list. Good work!!!
And NPS is a must!!!!!
[Edited 10/17/08 18:21pm]

How can I forget,1998's ENTER THE DRU!!! There was no album that year I played the most. Damn I'm not good at compiling these lists, I always fuck it up.

1990- Graffiti Bridge

1991- Dangerous, Cooleyhighharmony, Forever My Lady, Coolin' At The Playground Ya' Know, W.B.B.D. Bootcity, T.E.V.I.N., I could go on and on

1992- Ooohhh on the TLC Tip

1993- Janet

1994- My Life

1995- The Gold Experience

1996- Another Level (BLACKstreet)

1997- Baduizm

1998 - The Mis-education of Lauryn Hill

1999- ???

daPrettyman said:

I absolutely love it. I bought it because it was on sale for like $6.99 (especially cheap in '98) and it ended up being my favorite impulse purchase ever. It's more cohesive and consistently good than albums by bigger acts like Boyz II Men and Jodeci IMO. I think it has some of Timbaland's best and most underrated work. Just listening to it takes me back to my junior year of college. Good times, good times...

I was always holding out hope for a Playa reunion, but Static's death this year ended that.

1990:More of the night-The Whispers
1991:New Jack City Sdtrk
1992:Love Deluxe-Sade
1993:For The Cool in You-Babyface
1994:
1995:Naste-Roy Ayers
1996:Urban Hang suite-Maxwell
1997:Adriana Evans-self titled /Rasaan Patterson-self titled/Erykah Badu-Baduism
Cool Relax-Jon B
1998:
1999:

I was buying old school R&B and Gangsta rap in 98/99 with my first job.Lol! Now 1994.I was bugging my parents to buy me old school music

1990 - The Revival - Tony Toni Tone'
1991 - Forever My Lady - Jodeci
1992 - What's The 411? - MJB
1993 - Sons of Soul - Tony Toni Tone'
1994 - CrazySexyCool - TLC
1995 - Brown Sugar - D'Angelo
1996 - Urban Hang Suite - Maxwell
1997 - Rahsaan Patterson - Rahsaan Patterson
1998 - Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill
1999 - Where I Wanna Be - Donell Jones
[Edited 10/22/08 20:02pm]

AlexdeParis said:

The Future came out in 91.

1990 Mikki Bleu-I Promise
1991 BBD-Bootcity The Remixes
1992 Portrait-Portrait
1993 U.N.V.-Somethin's Goin On
1994 P.O.V.-Handin Out Beatdown's
1995 Jodeci-The Show The Afterparty The Hotel
1996 Tony Rich Project-words
1997 Christion-Ghetto Cyrano
1998 Gerald Levert-Love & Consequences
1999 Montell Jordan-Let's Ride

MuthaFunka said:

actually "Future" came out aroud late 89'-90', but Teddy had a sound so strong it carried over to Bobby Brown's 3rd album which more or less would've been the 3rd Guy album....

diamondpearl1 said:

Yep, you are correct. Amazon has it originally being released November 13, 1990, the CD version was released in 1991.

MuthaFunka said:

Hmm..... real good list, I have all those albums. (except for 1997, i'm not a fan of him)