Best R&B Song of All Time

AZ_Gato

I personally would put "I Put a Spell On You" over "Feeling Good" for Nina Simone. It may be because: 1.) I hear the latter too much in commercials/covers, or 2) I like Nina's more pensive/darker stuff.

However, I am a sucker for "Come Live With Me" by Ray Charles--it's sentimental but honest.

I thought about putting a Spell over You above Feeling good for that same reason, but I can't late radio diminish the worth of that song. Now Ray Charles...I Got a Woman is just too good. I think it trumps Come Live With me.

Candi_land

H-Town-Knockin Boots

Swv-weak

Jagged Edge-Promise

Mary J. Blige-Real Love

Xscape-Just kickin in

Sade-Cherish the Day, No ordinary love, is it a crime

The Chi-lites-Have you seen her

The Stylistics-Betcha by golly wow

Rose Royce-Wishing on a star

Barry White-Never Never gonna give you up

Rick James and Teena Marie-Fire and Desire

Eddie Holman-Hey there lonely girl

The Delfonics-Hey love

Smokey Robinson and the miracles-Ooh baby baby

That's just off the top of my head..

I could go on and on, I love and appreciate all music but oldies Motown I grew up on. As a little girl my Mom would blast it while she was having some drinks, and I remember it used to annoy me back then but now as an adult I find myself doing the same thing when I'm home alone. I also love 50's Doo Wop thanks to my Wela, and old school Puerto Rican salsa music but that's another thread..

ItsMeGee3

Marvin Gaye - Let's Get it On
EW&F - Just about all their songs

michelefrench

how about the Brothers Johnson - Stomp...or ANYTHING by Bill Withers

dirty_dirty_eater

Completely UnPossible to pick "best" out of all of the great stuff out there.

A few that come to mind:

Papa Was A Rolling Stone - The Temptations
Use Me Up - Bill Whithers
Sinnerman - Nina Simone

emjaycazz

I thought about putting a Spell over You above Feeling good for that same reason, but I can't late radio diminish the worth of that song. Now Ray Charles...I Got a Woman is just too good. I think it trumps Come Live With me.

Definitely a good point re: "Feeling Good" and radio/covers. I'll have to re-listen. Still partial to Come Live With Me (for the same reason I like Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home to Me"). I have yet to hear much from the 80/90's that evokes the same type of emotion--and I listened to my fair share of 90s R&B.

Edit to add--"Sinnerman" also a good choice. I'm not sure there's anything from her catalog that I DON'T like.

ZombieGeezUs

Hmmmm

If I ever fall in love- shai

Water runs dry- boys II men

Fullsterkur_woman

dafuq?! What the crap is a dude doing singing "This Woman's Work?!" What next? "The Kick Inside?!"

Pshhht... guess I'm just old. Most of this crap ain't R&B. OK, I'm sure I'm leaving out a bunch, but this is as far as I could narrow it down right now.

Me And Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
Green Onions - Booker T. & The MG’s
Tell It Like It Is - Aaron Neville
Sweet Soul Music - Arthur Conley
Memphis Soul Stew - King Curtis
(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding

Fullsterkur_woman

Oh. I see. You guys are confusing "Contemporary R&B" with actual R&B.

arghbowl

The best one is whatever helps me get it in m'lady the fastest.

AZ_Gato

Oh. I see. You guys are confusing "Contemporary R&B" with actual R&B.

You are confusing your thoughts to be mine. Any R&B...and Maxwell's piece cannot be denied to belong right up there. Everything about it is amazing.

Cali_Chica

MmmBop - Hanson

Deserves a mention.

WeepingAngel81

I was never big into R&B, but Peggy Lee's Fever (even though it's more Jazz) is one of my fav's!

Fullsterkur_woman

Oh. I see. You guys are confusing "Contemporary R&B" with actual R&B.

You are confusing your thoughts to be mine. Any R&B...and Maxwell's piece cannot be denied to belong right up there. Everything about it is amazing.

OK, I see, yes, I thought it was referencing your FL post wherein you referred to "old school", but I now see that you didn't put that in this thread.

AZ_Gato

Oh. I see. You guys are confusing "Contemporary R&B" with actual R&B.

You are confusing your thoughts to be mine. Any R&B...and Maxwell's piece cannot be denied to belong right up there. Everything about it is amazing.

OK, I see, yes, I thought it was referencing your FL post wherein you referred to "old school", but I now see that you didn't put that in this thread.

So you, a woman, are admitting you're wrong? Yes? : )

DymonNdaRgh40

Started this discussion on my FL...the nominees:

Donna Summer - On The Radio
Bill Withers -
Maxwell - This Woman's Work
PM Dawn - I'd Die Without You
Smokey Robinson - Being With You
Aretha Franklin - Respect
Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing
Otis Redding - These Arms of Mine
Diana Ross - Love Hangover
Floaters - Float On
Ben E King - Stand By Me
Al Green - How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

What's your vote for best R&B song of all time?

Edited to add nominees:
Blackstreed - No Diggity
Bell Biv Devoe - Do Me
Bill Withers-Lovely Day
Earth, Wind, & Fire-Let's Groove Tonight
Prince-I Would Die 4 U
Sade-Paradise
Isley Brothers-Between the Sheets
Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On, Sexual Healing,
Let's Stay Together - Al Green
Chaka Khan - Cant Choose just one....
Candy Girl, If It Isn't Love - New Edition
Secret Garden - Barry, El, James, Al B
Tenderoni - Bobbi Brown
Motown Philly and End of the Road - Boys II Men
Diamonds and Pearls - Prince
Man in the Mirror - Michael Jackson
One In a Million - Aaliyah
Forever My Lady - Jodeci
You're All I Need - Mary J & Method Man
Sade - No Ordinary Love & Sweetest Taboo
Nina Simone - Feeling Good
Stevie Wonder - Superstition
The Four Tops- Standing in the Shadows of Love
The Four Tops- All their work
The Delfonics- Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time
Marvin Gaye- When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You
The Stylistics- People Make the World Go 'Round
112- Anything by them
Nina Simone - I Put A Spell On You
Ray Charles - Come Live With Me
Ray Charles - I Got A Woman
Mary J. Blige - Real Love
Al Green - Simply Beautiful (one of my wedding songs)
Prince - Most beautiful Girl in the World
After 7 - Ready or Not
Ready for the World - Let me Love You Down
Method Man and Mary J Blige - You're all I need
Michael Jackson - Rock With You

I don't see it on your list but I want to cast my vote for Love and Happiness by Al Green. This song is timeless. Even the young whipper snappers like it

Fullsterkur_woman

Oh. I see. You guys are confusing "Contemporary R&B" with actual R&B.

You are confusing your thoughts to be mine. Any R&B...and Maxwell's piece cannot be denied to belong right up there. Everything about it is amazing.

OK, I see, yes, I thought it was referencing your FL post wherein you referred to "old school", but I now see that you didn't put that in this thread.

So you, a woman, are admitting you're wrong? Yes? : )

See, and just yesterday I was telling my husband "I can just *be* wrong. I find that fact to be very liberating." Perfectionism is exhausting.

vtmoon

R&B in the broader sense I guess based on those listed.

I wanna say something really racist about people picking "Sexual healing" over "I Heard it through the Grapevine", but I will just roll with it and nominate "I heard it through the Grapevine".

Sitting on the dock of the bay - Otis Redding
Brick House - The Commodores
Maybellene - Chuck Berry (some argue this was the birth of Rock & Roll)
A Song for You - Donny Hathaway (If you truly loved someone this song will bring you to tears thinking about them)

The rest were mentioned by others.

vtmoon

I don't see it on your list but I want to cast my vote for Love and Happiness by Al Green. This song is timeless. Even the young whipper snappers like it

I was going to listed it but thought it was top 10 for me, great song.

beckyzalldat

Mary J and Method Man....All I need!!!!!!