50 Fun Facts About 90s R&B

Which country star wrote "I Will Always Love You", later a fourteen-week number one for Whitney Houston?

Dolly Parton wrote it in 1973 as a professional farewell to her mentor and business partner Porter Wagoner. Houston's 1992 cover then set a new record for weeks at number one.

Which singer's eleven-week run at number one in 1956 stood until Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" beat it?

Elvis Presley's double-sided single "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog" held the record for 36 years. Boyz II Men's 1992 ballad, recorded for the film Boomerang, stayed on top for 13 weeks.

Which duet by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men spent a record sixteen weeks at number one from 1995?

One Sweet Day kept the Hot 100 record for longest-running number one until "Old Town Road" passed it in 2019. It beat a fourteen-week run the group had shared with Whitney Houston.

Which 1995 TLC single, a warning about drug dealing and HIV, spent seven weeks at number one?

Waterfalls won Video of the Year at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards, making TLC the first African-American act to take the trophy. The clip shows a teenage dealer ignoring his mother's pleas.

Which actor co-produced "The Bodyguard" and starred opposite Whitney Houston in her 1992 acting debut?

Kevin Costner approached Houston himself about the role in 1989, three years before the film's release. Its soundtrack went on to become the best-selling soundtrack album of all time.

Which singer won five Grammys in one night in 1999, including Album of the Year for her solo debut?

Lauryn Hill, formerly of the Fugees, set a single-ceremony record for a woman with those wins. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill made her the first hip-hop artist to win Album of the Year.

Which 1998 duet by Brandy and Monica spent thirteen weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100?

The Boy Is Mine played on the media's talk of a rivalry between the two young singers. It was the best-selling song of the year in the United States, selling 2.6 million copies.

Which Yonkers-raised singer earned the title Queen of Hip-Hop Soul with her 1992 debut album?

Mary J. Blige was signed after recording an Anita Baker cover in a recording booth at a shopping mall. Her debut, What's the 411?, married soulful vocals to hip-hop beats.

Which singer's 1973 number one "Killing Me Softly with His Song" did the Fugees remake in 1996?

Roberta Flack later performed the song on stage with the Fugees. Their remake won the 1997 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group and was pulled from shops while still a hit.

Which UPN sitcom, launched in 1996, starred the singer Brandy as a Los Angeles teenager?

Moesha ran until 2001, with Brandy also singing its theme song. Co-star Countess Vaughn left in 1999 to lead a spin-off about her character's family.

Which former New Edition singer and "My Prerogative" hitmaker married Whitney Houston in 1992?

Bobby Brown left New Edition in early 1986 and scored five top-ten singles from his second solo album. He and Houston had a daughter together, born in 1993.

Which 1995 Mariah Carey single became the first by a female artist to debut at number one on the Hot 100?

Fantasy is built on a sample of Tom Tom Club's 1981 song "Genius of Love". Carey arranged a remix with rap verses from Ol' Dirty Bastard to help her cross over to hip-hop radio.

Which 1994 TLC album made the trio the first girl group to earn a diamond certification?

CrazySexyCool made its creators stars but not rich: the trio filed for bankruptcy in July 1995. Their label had refused to renegotiate their contract midway through the deal.

Which Houston group, managed by Mathew Knowles, scored a first number one in 1999 with "Bills, Bills, Bills"?

Destiny's Child began in 1990 as Girl's Tyme, rehearsing in a hair salon owned by Beyoncé's mother. Their breakthrough single knocked Jennifer Lopez's debut off the top of the Hot 100.

Which teenage LaFace singer topped the Hot 100 for the first time in 1998 with "Nice & Slow"?

Usher set a Star Search record at 13 for the longest note held by a young contestant, 12 seconds. "Nice & Slow" replaced Janet Jackson's "Together Again" at number one.

Which Oakland vocal quartet joined the rap trio Salt-N-Pepa on the 1993 hit "Whatta Man"?

En Vogue were assembled by producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy as a modern take on the classic girl groups. Their own singles "Hold On" and "My Lovin'" both reached number two.

Which trio of New Edition members reached number three on the Hot 100 in 1990 with "Poison"?

Bell Biv DeVoe made their debut album with help from Public Enemy's producers, blending hip-hop with R&B. Its follow-up single "Do Me!" matched the title track's chart peak.

Which Detroit-raised singer teamed with Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her 1996 album "One in a Million"?

Aaliyah first drew notice at age 10 on the TV talent show Star Search. Timbaland and Elliott were still unknowns when they were flown to Detroit to work with her.

Which former Miss America topped the Hot 100 for five weeks in 1992 with "Save the Best for Last"?

Vanessa Williams was crowned the first Black Miss America in 1983 but resigned after a photo scandal. The ballad, her first number one, is credited with reviving her public image.

Which 1996 Blackstreet number one opens with a Dr. Dre rap over a sample of Bill Withers's "Grandma's Hands"?

No Diggity won the 1998 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Dre's opening verse nods to "Rump Shaker", a hit by producer Teddy Riley's other group.

Which Michael Jackson single had a 1992 video set in ancient Egypt with Eddie Murphy and Magic Johnson?

Remember the Time casts Jackson as a hooded wizard trying to entertain a pharaoh's bored wife, played by Iman. John Singleton directed the nine-minute clip, which was promoted as a short film.

Which 1993 film paired Janet Jackson with Tupac Shakur and produced her number one ballad "Again"?

Poetic Justice cast Jackson as a grieving poet on a road trip from South Los Angeles to Oakland in a mail truck. "Again" earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.

Which 1995 film's soundtrack gathered female stars from Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin to TLC?

Waiting to Exhale was Forest Whitaker's first feature as a director, adapted from Terry McMillan's novel. Its soundtrack spawned two Hot 100 number ones and earned eleven Grammy nominations.

Which 1997 Janet Jackson album includes "Together Again", her tribute to a friend lost to AIDS?

The Velvet Rope grew out of Jackson's long struggle with depression. Its single "I Get Lonely" became her 18th consecutive top-ten hit on the Hot 100.

Which R&B style, named in a 1987 Village Voice profile of producer Teddy Riley, ruled the early 1990s?

New jack swing got its name from the writer Barry Michael Cooper. Riley's sound set R&B singing to hip-hop beats, and his own group Guy was among its first hitmakers.

Which hitmaker, born Kenneth Edmonds, wrote Boyz II Men's fourteen-week number one "I'll Make Love to You"?

Babyface was given his nickname by the funk star Bootsy Collins. A 25-mile stretch of Interstate 65 through his home city of Indianapolis was later named after him.

Which Atlanta producer founded So So Def Recordings in 1993 after discovering the teen rap duo Kris Kross?

Jermaine Dupri met Kris Kross at a local mall and wrote their chart-topping single "Jump". He went on to sign the girl group Xscape and the rapper Da Brat to his new label.

Which Charlotte, North Carolina quartet scored three R&B number ones from its debut "Forever My Lady"?

Jodeci began as a duo of DeVanté Swing and JoJo before each added a brother. The quartet signed with Uptown Records in 1990 and released the album the following year.

Which Virginia-born singer helped launch the neo soul movement with his 1995 debut "Brown Sugar"?

D'Angelo's manager Kedar Massenburg coined the term "neo soul" shortly after the album became a success. The record offered an alternative to the producer-driven, digital R&B of the day.

Which Dallas-born singer, known for her large headwraps, was dubbed the Queen of Neo Soul in the late 1990s?

Erykah Badu's debut, Baduizm, won the Grammy for Best R&B Album. Its lead single "On & On" reached number 12 on the Hot 100 and took a Grammy of its own.

Which Michael Jackson song did the trio SWV build the hit 1993 remix of "Right Here" around?

Human Nature anchors a remix credited to Teddy Riley, with a young Pharrell chanting the trio's initials. SWV admitted they first found the remix boring and doubted it would be a hit.

Which 1994 All-4-One number one was first a country hit for John Michael Montgomery?

I Swear stayed on top of the Hot 100 for 11 consecutive weeks in its R&B version. In Britain it sat at number two for seven straight weeks, stuck behind Wet Wet Wet.

Which Boyz II Men single replaced the group's own "I'll Make Love to You" at number one in 1994?

On Bended Knee made the group the first act since the Beatles to replace itself at number one. The ballad was written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Which Atlanta Falcons star's mansion burned down in 1994 after TLC's Lisa Lopes set fire to his sneakers?

Andre Rison reconciled with Lopes, and the pair dated on and off for seven years. She said she lit the shoes in a bathtub after a fight and never meant to burn the house down.

Which teen singer of the 1993 hit "Can We Talk" voiced the pop star Powerline in "A Goofy Movie"?

Tevin Campbell sang two songs as Powerline in the 1995 Disney film, "Stand Out" and "I 2 I". He had first been heard in 1989 singing lead on a Quincy Jones track.

Which 1998 K-Ci & JoJo ballad, inspired by JoJo's daughter, topped the Hot 100 for three weeks?

All My Life began as a song JoJo Hailey wrote with his daughter as the inspiration. The single also reached number one in Australia, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

Which city's Druid Hill Park gave Sisqó's vocal group Dru Hill its name?

Baltimore locals shorten the park's name to "Dru Hill". The singers first drew crowds while working at a fudge shop on the city's Inner Harbor, performing as they made the candy.

Which Toni Braxton ballad, written by Diane Warren, held number one for eleven weeks from late 1996?

Un-Break My Heart nearly went unrecorded, because Braxton disliked the song when it was first sent to her. It also led the Adult Contemporary chart for fourteen weeks.

Which six-foot-eight singer gave Def Jam its first R&B release with 1995's "This Is How We Do It"?

Montell Jordan sings over a drumbeat sampled from Slick Rick's "Children's Story". The single stayed at number one on the Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks.

Which British singer's "Return of the Mack" topped the UK chart in 1996 and hit number two in America?

Mark Morrison's single came out in the United States in January 1997, ten months after its British release. It climbed to its Hot 100 peak that June.

Which Toronto-born singer's "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" led the R&B chart for a then-record fourteen weeks?

Deborah Cox started out as a backing vocalist for Celine Dion. Her signature ballad also sat at number two on the Hot 100 for eight weeks without reaching the top.

Which 1998 number one by the trio Next contains a sample of Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'"?

Too Close topped the Hot 100 for five non-consecutive weeks. Its bassline was lifted from a holiday rap record released back in 1979.

Which quartet of Howard University students hit number two in 1992 with "If I Ever Fall in Love"?

Shai grew out of an a cappella group of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers. They got serious after winning a campus talent show, and the single sold over two million copies.

Which city's telephone area code gave the 1990s girl group 702 its name?

Las Vegas is where the singers formed in 1993 under the name Sweeter than Sugar. The producer Michael Bivins renamed them after signing them to his label.

Which Xscape singer and future "Real Housewives" star began writing TLC's "No Scrubs" on an envelope?

Kandi Burruss jotted down the idea while sitting in her car, then took it to her groupmate Tameka Cottle. The finished single spent four weeks at number one in 1999.

Which Harlem-born singer of the 1996 hit "Twisted" formed a supergroup with Gerald Levert and Johnny Gill?

Keith Sweat set the project in motion by phoning Levert with the idea of recording with Gill. The trio called itself LSG, after the first letter of each surname.

Which 1990 debut single by Mariah Carey is credited with popularizing melisma in pop singing?

Vision of Love was dubbed "the Magna Carta of melisma" by The New Yorker. The magazine credited the song with shaping later pop and R&B singers and television talent-show contestants.

Which singer, a nominee since 1982, finally won his first Grammy in 1991 for the ballad "Here and Now"?

Luther Vandross took Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for the song. A year earlier he had sung it during a wedding scene in the sitcom 227.

Which 1996 Ghost Town DJ's song returned to the Hot 100 in 2016 thanks to the viral Running Man Challenge?

My Boo reached a new peak of number 27 two decades after its release. The meme had people filming short clips of themselves doing a running-style dance to the track.

Which fairy-tale heroine did Brandy play in a 1997 television musical co-produced by Whitney Houston?

Cinderella first aired to 60 million viewers, with Houston appearing as the Fairy Godmother. Houston had planned to take the lead herself before deciding she had outgrown the part.