A Black, Gay Music Critic’s 100 Favorite Singles
Last week I shared my 50 favorite albums in response to Rolling Stone’s list of “500 Greatest Albums.” This week, I decided to compile my 100 Favorite Singles based on 50+ Black, gay years of listening to music and more than two decades of writing about it. (Check tha resume.)
One caveat: I only included singles that were available on Spotify, so Aaliyah and some of my most beloved club divas (Vikki Love, Kechia Jenkins, Chanelle, etc…) are missing. Nevertheless, this list represents my personal — sometimes painful, often joyous — journey through life as represented by the songs I love. [Spotify playlist]
CRAIG SEYMOUR’S TOP 100 SINGLES
- “Ain’t Nobody” — Rufus and Chaka Khan
2. “Be Happy” — Mary J. Blige
3. “The Pleasure Principle” — Janet Jackson
4. “Can’t Knock The Hustle” — Jay-Z with Mary J. Blige
5. “Come and Talk To Me (Hip-Hop Remix)” — Jodeci
6. “Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)” — Soul II Soul ft. Caron Wheeler
7. “There’ll Never Be” — Switch
8. “Angel” — Aretha Franklin
9. “Can We Talk” — Tevin Campbell
10. “Unbelievable” — The Notorious B.I.G.
11. “Mountains” — Prince and the Revolution
12. “Wait For Love” — Luther Vandross
[Bonus: Faith Evan’s lovely — yet poorly recorded — live, cover of “Wait For Love”]
13. “You Brought the Sunshine” — The Clark Sisters
14. “Over And Over (12” Version)” — Sylvester
15. “What Can I Do For You?” — Labelle
16. “Make Yours a Happy Home” — Gladys Knight & The Pips
17. “Baby, I’m for Real” — Esther Phillips
18. “Baby Be Mine (Live)” — Miki Howard
19. “Time Will Reveal (Extended Version)” — DeBarge
20. “I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)” — Hi-Five
21. “You’ll Lose A Good Thing” — Barbara Lynn
22. “Weak (Bam Jams Jeep Mix)” — SWV
23. “Hypnotized” — Linda Jones
24. “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” — Cissy Houston
25. “The Healer” — Erykah Badu
26. “Ex-Factor” — Ms. Lauryn Hill
27. “The Boss (12” Remix)” — Diana Ross
28. “The Roof (Back In Time)” — Mariah Carey
29. “Needed Me” — Rihanna
30. “Got ‘Till It’s Gone” — Janet Jackson ft. Q-Tip
31. “Baltimore” — Nina Simone
32. “God Is Amazing” — Deniece Williams
33. “The Glow of Love (Long Version)” — Change ft. Luther Vandross
34. “Young Love’” — Teena Marie
35. “Thinking of You” — Sister Sledge
36. “I Want Your Love”- CHIC
37. “When Love Calls” — Atlantic Starr
38. “Funkin’ for Jamaica” — Tom Browne
39. “Flowers” — The Emotions
40. “Something In The Way (You Make Me Feel)” — Stephanie Mills
41. “Friends (Extended Version)” — Jody Watley ft. Eric B. & Rakim
42. “In My Songs” — Gerald Levert
43. “The Sweeter He Is — Pt. 1&2” — The Soul Children
44. “Was That All It Was (12” Version)” — Jean Carn
45. “You Used To Hold Me So Tight” — Thelma Houston
46. “It’s Alright” — Sterling Void
47. “This Is for the Lover in You” — Shalamar
48. “So Gone” — Monica
49. “Heaven Knows” — Lalah Hathaway
50. “Bitch Better Have My Money” — Rihanna
51. “Next Lifetime (Live at the Jazz Cafe, London)” — Erykah Badu
52. “Lady (Just The Beat Mix)” — D’Angelo ft. AZ
53. “Full Moon” — Brandy
54. “Just Us” — Two Tons Of Fun
55. “Promised Land” — Joe Smooth
56. “That’s The Way Love Goes” — Janet Jackson
57. “Love Light In Flight (12” Mix)” — Stevie Wonder
58. “Always Be My Baby (Grove A Pella)” — Mariah Carey
59. “Saturday Night, Sunday Morning” — Thelma Houston
60. “Jump to the Beat” — Stacy Lattisaw
61. “When You Get Right Down to It” — Ronnie Dyson
62. “The Fruit Song” — Jeannie Reynolds
63. “No Time” — Lil’ Kim
64. “Inside Out (12” Version)” — Odyssey
65. “Touch and Go (12” Version)” — Ecstasy, Passion & Pain
66. “Buffalo Stance (Arthur Baker’s ½ Way 2 House Mix)” — Neneh Cherry
67. “Cold World (RZA Mix)” — GZA ft. D’Angelo
68. “Steelo” — 702
69. “Always” — Pebbles
70. “If You Should Ever Be Lonely” — Val Young
71. “Misdemeanor” — Foster Sylvers
72. “You Know How To Love Me” — Phyllis Hyman
73. “I Was Born This Way (12” Vocal)” — Carl Bean
74. “Good Beat (Extend the Beat Mix)” — Deee-Lite
75. “Don’t Look Any Further” — Dennis Edwards ft. Siedah Garrett
76. “Superficial People” — Ten City
77. “Baby Love” — Mother’s Finest
78. “You’re Gonna Need Me” — Dionne Warwicke
79. “Reasons (12” Version)” — Minnie Riperton
80. “Soon as I Get Home” — Faith Evans
81. “One Woman Man” — Dave Hollister
82. “The Agony and The Ecstasy” — Smokey Robinson
83. “Theme From Which Way Is Up” — Stargard
84. “Muscles (12” Version)” — Diana Ross
85. “Can’t Get Enough” — Liz Torres ft. Master C & J
86. “Anger (Extended Mix)” — Marvin Gaye
87. “Rejoicing (Deee-Liteful Stomp Mix)” — Ultra Naté
88. “Day To Day” — Evelyn “Champagne” King
89. “There Goes My Baby” — Donna Summer
90. “This Time (The Bomb Mix)” — Chanté Moore
91. “Feelin’ Lucky Lately” — High Fashion
92. “High Energy” — The Supremes
93. “I Like” — Kut Klose
94. “Flawless (Remix)” — Beyoncé ft. Nicki Minaj
95. “I’m On Your Side” — Jennifer Holliday
96. “Crush” — Grace Jones
97. “Change The Beat” — BeSide ft. Fab 5 Freddy
98. “Thinking About You (Bruce Forest Dub Version)” — Whitney Houston
99. “Yu-Ma/Go Away Little Boy” — Marlena Shaw
100. “High Noon (Part 2)” — Two Sisters
Thanks for taking this musical ride with me. If you’d like to check out more of my work, you can go to RandBeing.com; read my biography, Luther: The Life & Longing of Luther Vandross and my memoir, All I Could Bare: My Life in the Strip Clubs of Gay Washington, D.C.; follow me on Twitter; and sign up for my weekly music newsletter.
