Top-ten 1990's male R&B groups

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When egos weren't clashing and it was cool to dance in almost-exact sync with your three or four bandmates, the life of a member of an all-male R&B outfit was the life. The groupies, the after-parties, the hotels........ You couldn't go anywhere without women drooling all over you and your friends. And the bond these groups kept was almost unbreakable....... almost. But when greed and jealousy got in the way, you ended up breaking your best friend's nose and leaving the room, then the group. Arguing over who get lead vocals on each song, who slept with whose girlfriend the night before and who gets the most benefits of a record contract is what killed the R&B groups of any era. But the 1990's, the last domain of the R&B band, was the most breathtaking decade, because they came out of nowhere and in droves, all in the name of fortune and acclaim, but more imporatntly, love. Here is a list of the '90s' biggest all-male, multi-member acts.

10. LSG

Long after the late Gerald Levert's group, Levert, disbanded, the copulent heartthrob joined forces with Johnny Gill, known as the New Edition member who replaced Bobby Brown in 1989, and solo act Keith Sweat for a new project called LSG, the initials of their last names, obviously. In 1997 the album LSG was released with each member sharing equal lead-singer duties on almost every track. The most popular songs on that LP were "My Body", "Door #1" and "Curious", a hip-hop remake of an '80s song, which featured LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes and MC Lyte.  In 2003 LSG2 came out but couldn't match its predecessor's success. Unfortunately, the group soon disbanded, and Levert's 2006 death canceled out any possibility of a reunion.

9. Shai

If it weren't for the acappella genius that is "If I Ever Fall in Love" by the quartet known as Shai, no one would know exactly how to get over their heartbreak. Garfield A. Bright, Marc Gay, Darnell Van Rensalier and Carl Martin of Washington, DC followed up with "Yours" and "Comforter" and released all three songs on the 3x-platinum debut .....If I Ever Fall In Love in 1992, followed by Right Back At Ya!, a remix collection, in 1993. Blackface from 1995 included new songs, such as "The Place Where You Belong" from the film, Beverly Hills Cop III. Destiny was released, sans Martin, who left the outfit that year and was replaced by Erik Willis. The album included the group's last Billboard chart appearance, "I Don't Wanna Be Alone (remix)", which featured Jay-Z. But the band hasn't quit, even after 2004's Back From The Mystery System ... The Love Cycle, the group's latest effort to date, yielded nary a chartmaker, even after being re-released as Love Cycle: Back From The Mystery System in 2007.

8. Az Yet

Debuting their first hit, "Last Night", written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Keith Andes, on the soundtrack album inspired by the Eddie Murphy comedic gem The Nutty Professor, the qunitet Az Yet - Marc Nelson, Tony Grant, Kenny Terry, Dion Allen and Shwan Rivera - made sex sound beautiful. Their description of a one-night stand was so thorough without being graphic that many were made to prefer foreplay over quickies. Afterwards came the Chicago remake, "Hard To Say I'm Sorry". Both were on their LaFace Records self-titled debut, released in 1997. The lineup originally included Darryl Anthony, who left in 2007. They also appeared on Nickelodeon's family-friendly sketch comedy show,. All That. The group is now touring the world and signed to their own label, appropriately titled Az Yet Records. Ex-members include Anthony, LeDon Bishop, Kris Gilder and Dante Harper.

7. Dru Hill

From Baltimore arose the quartet of Mark "Sisqo" Andrews, James "Woody" Green, Tamir "Nokio the N-Tity" Ruffin and Larry "Jazz" Anthony, Jr., collectively known as Dru Hill, which broke out with "Tell Me", which was featured on their self-titled debut, released by Island Records. This LP also included "Never Make A Promise", written and produced by Daryl Simmons, formerly of the legendary production team LaFace, which also included Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Antonio "L.A." Reid. Simmons also co-wrote "Sleeping In My Bed", an earlier single from the same album. Released by Def Soul, Def Jam Recordings' R&B label, 1998's Enter the Dru from the group included "How Deep Is Your Love", unrelated to the Bee Gees hit and co-written and co-produced by Sisqo; "These Are The Times", penned by Edmonds and his protege, Damon Thomas, who would later team with Harvey Mason, Jr. to form the Underdogs; the Simmons-penned minor hit, "I'll Be the One"; "Beauty"; and "You Are Everything". The band was featured singing on hits by Will Smith ("Wild Wid West" from Smith's movie of the same name), Foxy Brown (Bad Mama Jamma, which interpolated Carl Carlton's so-named hit of the early 1980's), and Mariah Carey ("The Beautiful Ones", a remake of Prince's hit from 1984's Purple Rain). Sisqo and Woody released solo efforts in 1999, while the group took some down time, until 2002. Sisqo's "Thong Song" was critically maligned, but extremely popular, and the song put him on the map. Woody was not nearly as successful. The group returned with a fifth member, Rufus "Scola" Waller, who performed with the band on the 2002 LP Dru World Order, which gave us "I Love You" and, earlier, "I Should Be", but in 2008 Woody and Scola left the band, and soon they were replaced by Antwuan "Tao" Simpson, making Dru Hill a quartet once again. Def Soul fizzled in 2002. The group is still together, and hopefully the unreleased InDRUpendence Day, will come out, although since 2005 the group is no longer with Def Jam.

6. All-4-One

The acappella "So In Love" was the inaugural hit for new Atlantic Records signees All-4-One - comprised of African-Americans Jamie St. Jones and Delious Kennedy, Caucasian member Tony Borowiak, and Latino member Alfred Nevarez, all of Mojave, California but based in Los Angeles. The still-active group is also known for "I Swear" and "I Can Love You Like That", both remade by country crooner John Michael Montgomery, the funky jam "She Got Skillz", Diane Warren's "I Turn To You" from the Michael Jordan vehicle film also starring the famed Looney Tunes animated characters, Space Jam (later remade by Christina Aguilera for her debut album) and "Someday", heard at the end of Walt Disney Pictures' animated flick, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. But their deal with Atlantic fizzled, and on AMC Records A41 was released, with "Beautiful as U" as their only hit from that LP, unfortunately. The quartet, also known as the "Dukes of R&B", are now signed with Concord Music Group and are readying a new album.

5. After 7

Kevon and Melvin Edmonds, brothers of Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Keith Mitchell formed After 7 in 1988. With songs largely co-penned by 'Face and LA themselves, the trio made hits galore, including "Can't Stop", "Ready or Not", "Heat of the Moment", and "Nights Like This" from the soundtrack to Robert Townsend's film, The Five Heartbeats. The group would disband after the album Reflections, which spawned the hit, "Til You Do Me Right", penned by the three Edmonds brothers, largely producer Babyface. After many reunions and departures, the final group now comprises of Kevon, his nephew Jason Edmonds, and relative Keith Sellers.

4. Jodeci

Hailing from Charlotte, NC, Cedric "K-Ci" and Joel "JoJo" Hailey and "Mr." Dalvin and Devante "Swing" DeGrate formed the quartet Jodeci in 1990 adn were soon signed to MCA Records. R&B impresario Al B. Sure! and DeVante produced the band's debut album, Forever My Lady, largely written by DeVante, whose title single became the band's breakout hit. This single was promptly followed by the songs, "Stay" and "Come And Talk To Me". Later, only K-Ci and JoJo were heard on the Stevie Wonder remake "Lately" which peaked at #1 on the billboard R&B chart in 1993, the year the LP Diary of a Mad Band was released. "Feenin'", "What About Us", and "Cry For You", all written by DeVante, who shared writing and producing duties on the album with brother Dalvin. 1995's The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel yielded "Get On Up", written by Dalvin. K-Ci and JoJo, and the DeVante written hits "Freek 'N' You" and "Love U 4 Life". In 1996 the group disbanded, and K-Ci and JoJo released an album entitled Love Always, with "You Bring Me Up", "All My Life" and "Last Night's Letter" being big hits for the duo. 1997's It's Real, only spawned the title track as a major hit. 2000's X  gave us "Crazy" and the Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds-co-penned "All the Things I Should Have Known", the former being a bigger hit. Edmonds also penned "Down For Life" for the 2002 follow-up for the Haileys, Emotional. Unfortunately, this was overshadowed by the hit "This Very Moment" from the LP. In 2008 Jodeci reunited and began touring the country. Now the foursome is recording a comeback LP.

3. Bell Biv DeVoe

Ex-New Edition members Ronald DeVoe, Michael Bivins and Ricardo Bell formed the hip-hop/R&B trio Bell Biv DeVoe, after the 1990 demise of their former group. Bivins and DeVoe did rap and background vocals while Bell was the lead singer. Poison was the breakout album, with hits such as the title track, "Do Me Baby", "BBD! I Thought It Was Me", and "She's Dope". All these and more were remixed on 1991's WBBD Bootcity! The Remix Album, which featured an all-new recording by all the then-ex-members of New Edition (the group is unofficially reunited as a sextet), including Bobby Brown's 1987 replacement, Johnny Gill. Hootie Mack followed in 1993 and spawned the hits, "Gangsta", "Above the Rim", the Edmonds-penned "Something In Your Eyes" (the last official LaFace hit), and "Show Me The Way". New Edition reunited in 1996 for the LP Home Again but after a disatrous tour "split" again in 1997. In 2002 BBD released B.B.D. which didn't spawn a hit. The trio is still recording music here and there, and their brethren Brown, Gill and Ralph Tresvant perform as Heads of State, but the future yields hope for New Edition's official comeback.

2. Blackstreet

Former Guy member and producer Teddy Riley recruited Chauncey Hannibal, Joseph Stonestreet and Levi Little to perform alongside him as Blackstreet, to make a song for a Chris Rock comedy flick, 1993's CB4. Stonestreet left the band soon afterwards. BLACKstreet was released with new member David Hollister and spawned the hits "Booti Call" and "Before I Let You Go". In 1996, Another Level spawned the outift's biggest hit to date, the very-catchy "No Diggity", which sampled Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands" and featured Dr. Dre and Riley's new protege Queen Pen. This album was released with Eric Williams and Mark Middleton replacing Little and Hollister. "Don't Leave Me', "Fix", and "Never Gonna Let You Go" followed. "Fix" was remixed in 1997, this new incarnation featuring Wu-Tang Clan's late Ol' Dirty Bastard and ex-Guns 'N' Roses guitarist Slash. 1999's Finally introduced Terrell Philips replacing Middleton, but the LP was a relative failure, only spawning the minor hits "Girlfriend/Boyfriend", "Think About You", and a remix version of their song with Mya, Mase and his brother Blinky Blink recorded for 1998's The Rugrats Movie, "Take Me There". Afterwards, Riley and Hannibal became embroiled in a bitter lawsuit, which was settled soon after. Riley, Aaron Hall and the latter's brother Damion reunited as Guy after Blackstreet went on hiatus. But the latter reunited - Riley, Hannibla, Middleton and Wiliams - and released the fairly-abysmal Level II. Today, Guy and Blackstreet are both in existence, with Riley taking control of both groups. J-Stylz was briefly a member from 2006 to 2009, replacing Hannibal between that period.

1. Boyz II Men

In 1986 Philadelphia-born Wanya Morris, Nathan Morris (no relation to the former), Shawn Stockman and Michael McCrary approached New Edition's Michael Bivins and auditioned for him. Although Marc Nelson was originally a member, beginning the group as a quintet, he left in 1991, shortly before the release of the debut Cooleyhighharmony on Motown Records. This album spawned the smashes "Motownphilly", "Uhh Ahh", "Please Don't Go" and the acappella "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye". 1994's II was a more successful LP: after recording "End of the Road", a LaFace-penned hit for the soundtrack to the Eddie Murphy film Boomerang, the Boyz were re-teamed with Edmonds, who wrote "I'll Make Love To You" and "Water Runs Dry" for the group, both songs becoming big hits. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, known for being members of The Time and Janet Jackson's producers, also had their hands in producing on thr album, giving the group "On Bended Knee" and co-writing "Back Around the World" with the group. Other big-name producers included TLC producer Dallas Austin ("Thank You"), the duo of Tim Kelley and Bob Robinson ("U Know", "Trying Times" and "Vibin") and the team of Troy Taylor and Charles Farrar ("Jezebel"). "A Song For Mama" (by Edmonds), and "Four Seasons of Loneliness" (by Jam and Lewis) from 1997's Evolution were not as big as their predecessors, but those were part of the album's successes. Stockman wrote the minor hit, "I'm Doing Just Fine". Another notable was "Never", a song Edmonds penned with the Boyz. The same year, coincidentally, Nelson and his group, Az Yet, made their mark. In 1998 the group left the legendary home of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the Tempations. But this label, a unit of Dutch conglomerate Polygram, was merged with Universal Records when the latter's parent company, gin kings Seagram, bought PolyGram, as well as French studio Canal+, in 1999 to form Vivendi Universal. Thus the Boyz, after signing a contract with Universal, stayed within the company. In 2000, Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya was released, with only the Stockman-penned "Pass You By" and a song called "Thank You In Advance" garnered any kind of notice, because the album was sans Edmonds, Jam or Lewis, or any of II's hitmakers for that matter. The band released 2001's Full Circle on Arista Records. For this LP Edmonds was called on once again, this time penning "The Color of Love". But this album was, like the previous effort, a relative flop. In 2003 McCary left due to a back illness. 2004's Throwback was released indepently by the remaining members through Koch Records. This and 2007's Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA, the group's return to Universal, were cover albums. The Remedy preceded the latter by months, but only seeing physical release in Japan. Earlier this year, the band appeared on a Dancing with the Stars special on ABC. The unrelated Morrises and Stockman are still together as of yet.

These bands' heydays are missed greatly and needed in today's fickle musical market, as are the producers that these bands used as their launching pads.