The 10 Best Boyz II Men Songs of All-Time

Nathan Morris and Marc nelson met each other at the Creative and Performing Arts High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although they’d been singing together for a few years, everyone else in their group kept graduating.

Finally, they met Wayna Morris and Shawn Stockman. They formed the group Unique Attraction. Sneaking backstage at a Bel Biv DeVoe and wowing Michael Bivins with their acapella rendition of New Edition’s Can You Stand

The Rain was what got them noticed. Bivins offered them a record deal on the spot. However, Nelson left the band shortly after because there was tension between him and other band members.

The group’s first album was Cooleyhighharmoney, released on Motown records. Even though they were under the headline hip hop doo-wop, most of their sound was Rhythm and Blues. In 1992, they joined MC Hammer on his Too Legit To Quit tour.

The group didn’t hit a sophomore slump with their second album II. It was released at number one on the charts. Boyz II Men spent a lot of time touring in 1995.

Interesting Collaborations with Other Artists

Additionally, several of the group members recorded collaborations with top artists like Brandy and Babyface. One of their most significant accomplishments was the duet with Mariah Carey, One Sweet Day, spending 16 weeks at number one, smashing the group’s chart-topping record again.

In late 1995, the group left Motown Records after they cashed in on The Remix Collection without the group’s approval. So, they signed a distribution deal with Sony and created their own imprint, Stonecreek.

However, this was also the beginning of the end for the chart-topping group. Even though their album Evolution debuted at number one, it hit a slump because they were no longer on Motown. Moreover, they had to cancel their tour when Wayne Morris developed a polyp on his vocal cords. After he recovered, the group made another transition to Universal.

At the beginning of the 00s, Boyz II Men had more control over their music and released several albums that went gold. They had another lineup change when Michael McCray left the group due to complications with scoliosis.

In 2011, they celebrated the group’s year mark with the album Twenty. It featured remixes of their songs as well as few new recordings. In 2014, they released Collide, which featured a collaboration with Brian McKnight. These are the 10 best Boyz II Men songs of all time.

10. Can You Stand The Rain

This song is solemnly exquisite with harmony that is graceful and haunting. The imagery of rain in the lyrics and the group’s pitch-perfect harmony produced a haunting and romantic song. This song was also the one they performed for Michael Bivins, creating their big break.

9. 50 Candles

This song is a part of a sub-genre of music called the baby maker. Basically, it’s slow jams that relax you and get you in the mood for a passionate evening. Much like the group’s later hit, I’ll Make Love To You, this song is about a seductive evening with someone you love.

One of the things that stands about this group is where many groups took encounters like this to tawdry levels. Boyz II Men created songs that convey the full range of emotions when you are genuinely in love with someone.

8. 4 Seasons of Loneliness

The opening of this song has a new age feel. However, it quickly blends into the group’s signature sound of slow evocative lyrics set against soft instrumentation. Once again, their voices are so powerful, there’s no need to add a lot of background instrumentation.

The lyrics describe love by season. Typically, people look at the seasons in different ways; spring for renewal and winter for renewal. However, this song’s lyrics area bout how the seasons are blending together, and every day is a collection of lonely moments since being left by someone who was their world.

7. Yesterday

It seems fitting that one chart-topping group would cover a song by another. Boyz II Men keeps the song’s original feel, adding an acapella twist with the quartet’s smooth harmonies. It’s an updated version of one of The Beatles most well-known songs.

Even though some groups and singers have covered the world-renowned group and added their own touches, Boyz II Men keeps the original feel of the music and only adds a few soft elements, updating it for a new generation.

6. Water Runs Dry

Like many other songs in the group’s catalogs, grab tissues before listening. When a relationship dies, and you’re still holding on, hoping for something to change is one of the most heartwrenching parts of a relationship ending. As the lyrics continue, the song becomes one of hope and trying to work things out.

5. Motownphilly

The group’s first fit couldn’t be more different from everything that followed. Throughout the song, you can hear influences from Bel Biv Devoe. It’s an uptempo tribute to the city where the group started.

4. I’ll Make Love To You

This song stayed topped their previous record of 13 weeks, staying on the charts for 14, matching Whitney Houston’s brief title of the longest song on the charts. According to Billboard, originally, Boyz II Men were unsure if this song should be on their second album since it sounded so much like the single End of The Road.

However, Motown knew it would be a hit since the group was already known for slow ballads. The song is sensual and graphic yet so romantic it’s hard not to get swept up in the lyrics.

3. On Bended Knee

Even though some groups may not have been able to keep the buzz going with their second single on an album, this song replaced I’ll Make Love To You and stayed at number one for six more weeks.

Previously, only Elvis Presley and The Beatles had been able to achieve that feat. Sometimes, you watch a person leave and decide to swallow your pride and do everything you can to keep them from leaving. This song’s plaintive lyrics are an emotional story about knowing you did wrong and trying to make it better by wearing your heart on your sleeve.

2. It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday

The song was initially dedicated to LaTasha “MC Trouble” Rogers, who died on June 4, 1991. However, after the group’s tour manager Khali Roundtree was shot in Chicago, the group dedicated this song to him.

Later, at the 2020 Grammy’s, they performed this song with Alicia Keys to honor Kobe Bryant, who died earlier that year in a plane crash. When we lose someone unexpectedly, it’s even harder to find a way past the hurt and emotion. It’s a flood of memories and wondering how they are already over.

1. End of The Road

This song was on the soundtrack for the Eddie Murphy film, Boomerang. Before this song, Elvis Presley held the record for the longest time at number one with his theme Don’t Be Crue/Hound Dog.

However, Boyz II Men stayed on top of the pop charts for 13 weeks. Some people are meant to be. Yet, even those couples you think sometimes part. At the beginning of a relationship, we all make promises, and sadly, some of them are not kept.

You can also read:

• The 10 Best Salt N Pepa Songs of All-Time
• The 10 Best Backstreet Boys Songs of All Time
• The 10 Best Bell Biv Devoe Songs of All-Time