The 10 Best The Stylistics Songs of All-Time
In 1968, two music groups from Philadelphia, The Monarchs and the Percussions put their creative minds together to form one group, The Stylistics. Among the members was Russell Thompkins, Jr. whose falsetto voice helped to earn the band a large audience.
The success of the group can also be attributed to the collaboration between Linda Creed, their songwriter, and Thomas Randolph Bell, their producer. The group did so well that in May 2004, it was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Here are the ten best The Stylistics songs of all time.
10. Can’t Help Falling In Love
This popular song is an adaptation of a French love song recorded in 1784. Elvis Presley was the first artist to see its potential and released his version in 1961.
It was written by music producers Luigi Creatore and his cousin Hugo Peretti who teamed up with George David Weiss to write this song. Presley’s version spent four weeks topping the British charts. Perhaps this success motivated other bands, including The Stylistics, UB40, and A-Teens to release their versions.
9. Rockin’ Roll Baby
According to uDiscover Music, this song was released in the last weeks of 1973 and it still is one of the band’s biggest R&B hits to date. Written by Creed and Bell, it tells of a young boy whose father thrust him into show business before he could hardly walk. The father is proud of his son who was born in a theater in Bluefield, Virginia. This third studio album by The Stylistics marked the band’s final collaboration with Bell who had been their producer for years.
8. You’re A Big Girl Now
This is the ideal song for fathers who adore their little girls. It is a dedication to those who cannot believe their daughters who once loved ponytails are no longer kids but are blossoming into young women. The lyrics were written by The Stylistics’ road manager, Marty Bryant, with some help from Robert Douglas, a member of Slim and The Boys.
The song was recorded in 1970 by Sebring Records, and it cost the producer Bill Perry $400. Once Avco Records signed The Stylistics in 1971, the song did much better, climbing to No.7 on the Billboard R&B chart.
7. Let’s Put It All Together
“Let’s Put It All Together” is the band’s fourth studio album, and the first ever album to be recorded outside of Philadelphia. It was another collaborative effort of Hugo & Luigi, producers who helped this R&B group scale the heights of the music industry.
While the album peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 chart, the title track also performed well on various charts, peaking at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100. It, unfortunately, became the group’s last single to be on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
6. You Make Me Feel Brand New
According to Songwriters Hall of Fame, Creed was determined to be a lyricist, and the first time someone ever recorded her song was when Creed was 22. Later on, she began collaborating with Bell, The Stylistics’ music producer. Among the many songs they wrote and produced together was “You Make Me Feel Brand New.” It is assumed that she wrote it to express the love she had for her husband, Stephen Lee Epstein since she wrote it shortly after their wedding.
5. I’m Stone In Love With You
People are willing to go the distance for those they love and this song shows just how much. The lyrics talk of an average man who would do anything to prove his love for his girlfriend. If he had the money, he would buy her a house on the moon and other expensive gifts as tokens of love. Since he does not have the financial muscle, he is doing the best he can because he is madly in love with her.
The song was written by Creed, Bell, and Anthony Bell and became one of the band’s best-selling singles. It sold over a million copies in 1972, facilitating The Stylistics to be awarded a gold disc.
4. You Are Everything
From the lyrics, it appears that the singer broke up with his girlfriend and every woman he sees seems to resemble his ex. He loves her so much that he cannot stay focused. He keeps comparing all women he meets with her and he finally realizes that she was his everything. It is a classic love song penned by Creed and Bell. It earned the band its first gold disc and it has since been featured in a few television series.
3. Stop, Look Listen (To Your Heart)
This song marked The Stylistics producer Bell’s first time partnering with Creed as a songwriter. It was so successful, reaching No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart which encouraged future collaborations.
The song’s success also saw other artists want to share in its popularity, thus in 1974, Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye also produced their version under the Motown label. It did much better that The Stylistics version as it reached No. 25 in the UK singles chart; thus, it was adopted as a soundtrack for “Bridget Jones Diary.”
2. Betcha By Golly Wow
This is a beautiful love song that never loses its touch despite it being over five decades old. It was co-written by Creed and Bell and was first recorded by Connie Stevens in 1970. However, Stevens’ version was not as popular as The Stylistics’, who released their version two years later. When Stevens’ recorded the song, it was titled “Keep Growing Strong,” as per the last line of the chorus. However, The Stylistics changed the title to “Betcha By Golly Wow.”
1. Can’t Give You Anything But My Love
Hugo & Luigi teamed up with George David Weiss to write this song. They then used arrangements from Van McCoy to record it. The music producers had collaborated with McCoy on another song, “The Hustle,” that also performed well on the charts. Therefore, it was no coincidence that even this song by The Stylistics topped the charts for three weeks in the UK. It became the first and only single by The Stylistics to become No.1 in the UK.
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