Brandy Source

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34. Monica, "Ring da Bell" (The Boy Is Mine)

A ballad soulful enough to earn the affected vinyl scratchiness of its production, the Dallas Austin-helmed "Ring da Bell" finds Monica bemoaning her no-good man for not only cheating on her, but also knocking up the woman he's creeping with. ("Confessions 0.5"?) The waltzing beat threatens to overwhelm the singer with sentimentality, but there's that titular bell showing up every fourth measure to snap her back to reality, reminding her it's to carry on and move along. -- A.U.

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47. Mya feat. Missy Elliott, "Bye Bye" (Mya)

Mya was still finding her footing when she released her self-titled debut in 1998, led by the singles "It's All About Me" and "Movin' On" (featuring Sisqo and Silkk the Shocker, respectively) as well as the ballad "My First Night with You.? ?Bye Bye? was passed over, despite the fact that guest Missy Elliott was edging closer to mainstream ubiquity, yet it stands as one of the funkiest, head-nodding of the bunch -- featuring a giggle-worthy opening line from Elliott where she raps, ?What?s the issue? All up in that booty like tissue." -- STEVEN J. HOROWITZ

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17. Destiny's Child feat. Pras, "Illusion" (Destiny's Child)

It's easy to forget that Destiny's Child broke through not because of Beyonce's diva-caliber belting skills, but because of her half-rapped, double-time rhymes on "No, No, No Pt. 2." The Pras collaboration "Illusion," from the group's self-titled debut, took that same energy and Beyonce's motormouth delivery, but it outfitted them with a sweeter, stronger hook melody -- borrowed from Isaac Hayes' "Hung Up On My Baby," via "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" from fellow H-Towners the Geto Boys -- and (surprise!) actual contributions from the other members: that's Kelly Rowland on the first verse, and LaTavia Roberson coming through with a rapped bridge. -- N.F.

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6. Brandy, "Never Say Never" (Never Say Never)

The title track to Brandy's star-cementing third album, "Never Say Never" was ultimately released as a single in German-speaking Europe(?) in 2000, but never got a push in the U.S. Must've just been a question of volume -- Never had already spun off five fairly successful singles stateside, though it's hard to imagine that this wouldn't have been bigger than at least one or two of 'em -- but the Rodney Jerkins-produced jam remains one of the R&B icon's finest. Leading the song's arresting mix of dreamy guitar curls, dub-like bass, and softly propulsive drums, Brandy sings in casual disbelief about a relationship improbably thriving despite the haters, while the song's riff underlines her incredulity with every chorus utterance of the title phrase. It feels like the answer to the anxiety and heartbreak in the central question of the album's Hot 100-topping "Have You Ever?" Yes, and this is why. -- A.U.

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24. Whitney Houston, "If I Told You That" (My Love Is Your Love)

After an eight-year break following the release of 1990?s I?m Your Baby Tonight, Whitney Houston made her bold return in '98 with My Love Is Your Love. The album traded in her signature pop flair for experimentation with hip-hop, reggae ,and classic R&B. Despite not being a single at the time, ?If I Told You That? became an immediate highlight, partly due to Rodney Jerkins? club-ready production. Houston?s vocals were as crisp as ever, and they matched the song?s punchy beats. The song was too damn good to stay buried, and was later re-recorded -- with additional vocals from pop-star peer George Michael -- and released as a single in 2000. -- B.G.

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3. Lauryn Hill, "To Zion" (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill)

It?s almost a crime to choose a favorite song from Lauryn Hill?s debut masterpiece, which is filled with 16 self-reflective songs that tackle jealousy, redemption, heartbreak, gender stereotypes, and more. But ?To Zion,? the singer?s beautiful ode to her first child, is one of the album?s most gripping tales. Once it was revealed that Hill was pregnant, some people around her encouraged her to get an abortion, as she was in the height of her solo career. But instead of giving into the pressure, she thought with her heart and decided to give her baby life. Laid over tender flicks of Carlos Santana?s guitar, Hill?s vocals travel through emotional hills and valleys as she reflects on new motherhood. By the time Hill?s voice begins to crack while shouting ?My joy!? towards the end of the song, you're probably wiping tears away.

As proven too many times, the darkest parts of the music industry are often directed towards women, where they are instructed to choose between their own happiness and conventional wisdom about success. Hill brought that conversation to the forefront with ?To Zion,? and the topic still continues 20 years later with Cardi B -- the only female rapper since Ms. Hill to have an unassisted No. 1 atop the  Hot 100 -- who hid the initial months of her pregnancy because she was fearful of judgment by those who didn?t think she could balance being a parent and artist. But icons like Hill helped lay the foundation for fellow female artists by showing the strength in saying ?no.? Now, the significance of ?To Zion? has come full circle, with Zion himself welcoming his first child in February 2017. -- B.G.

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22. Lauryn Hill feat. D'Angelo, "Nothing Even Matters" (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill)

It's no question that The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has become the standard of excellence among soul-inflected hip-hop albums. Not to be lost in the mix is "Nothing Really Matters," Hill's heartfelt six-minute balled with D'Angelo, which details how being in love makes everything else -- including Ms. Hill's "boss calling" to "some natural catastrophe"-- seem irrelevant. It's an extremely romantic turn on an album filled with cautionary tales and upbeat R&B jams, and the pair's alternating verses complement each other beautifully -- leaving you wishing both were even slightly more prolific, so there'd be a chance of them collaborating again. -- XANDER ZELLNER

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25. Maxwell, "Everwanting: To Want You to Want" (Embrya)

Maxwell's '96 downtempo masterpiece of a debut album, Urban Hang Suite, could hardly be faulted for being too urgent or too busy, so it was a little surprising when two years later, he decided to make his sophomore LP even more meditative and chill. Embrya produced no hits, but it had grooves to spare: thick, luxurious soul workouts that could make you sweat without ever risking any of their own perspiration. The seven-minute second track, "Everwanting," was perhaps the set's highlight, all submerged bass, gentle waves of percussion, strings floating by like clouds above, and Maxwell adrift in the middle of it all, happily drowning in the sea of love. -- A.U.

Quote from: AYR on May 31, 2018, 06:46:56 PM
Im just glad Bran placed high again
with a deep cut
and Mya, ppl are finally embracing her greatness. Dont like Bye Bye though

Quote from: The Serpent & The Rainbow on May 31, 2018, 07:12:14 PM
Monica is making a lot of these lists .. Whew her power

Quote from: Young on May 31, 2018, 07:41:25 PM
Street Symphony is missing

Quote from: Young on May 31, 2018, 07:41:51 PM
Da fuk is Angel in Disguise

Quote from: Lazarus on May 31, 2018, 07:45:03 PM

Quote from: Young on May 31, 2018, 07:41:25 PM
Street Symphony is missing

I don't think Street Symphony would qualify since it was released as a single.

Quote from: Lazarus on May 31, 2018, 07:45:27 PM

Quote from: Young on May 31, 2018, 07:41:51 PM
Da fuk is Angel in Disguise

Definitely should've been added.