Essence’s Top R&B Songs

We started talking about Essence’s Top 50 R&B Songs on Good Morning H-Town, and the further down this list we got, the more I started realizing just how difficult it is to decide what belongs at the top. Early in the countdown, I had one prediction that I was almost willing to bet money on: “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey. I was convinced that song was going to crack the Top 10. It landed at No. 12. So clearly, I need to rethink my strategy!

Then we got to the Top 10, and the list started getting REAL serious. At No. 10, we had Lauryn Hill with “Nothing Even Matters.” At No. 9, Earth, Wind & Fire gave us “Reasons.” No. 8 was SWV’s “Weak.” No. 7 went to Luther Vandross with “Never Too Much.” And at No. 6, Donny Hathaway’s “A Song for You.”

That’s an incredible Top 10 already, and we’re not even at the Top 5! So now I’m sitting here wondering: What could possibly be left? If I had to make my prediction right now, I’m putting my money on The Isley Brothers’ “Between the Sheets.” And I’m not picking it just because it’s a great song. I’m picking it because of the CULTURAL impact. That record has been putting people in a mood for generations. It’s smooth, it’s seductive, it’s recognizable within seconds and, most importantly, people keep going back to it. Artists have sampled that record over and over again. You can hear its influence across hip-hop and R&B, and every new generation seems to find another way to flip that classic sound.

That’s the definition of an R&B classic to me. So as we wait to see what Essence has sitting at No. 5, No. 4, No. 3, No. 2 and No. 1, I’m making my prediction early. “Between the Sheets.”But now I’m curious. What do YOU think is taking the No. 1 spot? Because if Essence keeps pulling surprises like putting “We Belong Together” at No. 12, I might need to throw my entire prediction sheet in the trash. Bennett Knows.