R Kelly and His Greatest Songs

Posted on by jennyg53

Often referred to as ‘The King of R&B’, R. Kelly has surely earned the title with his solo music career that spans over two decades. He started his professional music career as a member of the group Public Announcement.

In 1992, the group released the album Born Into the 90’s after which Kelly embarked on his solo career. His 1993 album 12 Play is still one of the greatest in the R&B world to date.

After 12 Play, R. Kelly proceeded to release major hit singles like I Believe I Can Fly, Bump N’ Grind, Gotham City, and Ignition (Remix) among many others. Billboard lists him as the most successful artist of the past 25 years in R&B/Hip Hop as well as the most successful artist in R&B history.

His other achievements include the release of 13 solo studio albums (including The Buffet, released in late 2015), sales of over 40 million albums, multiple award nominations (some of which he won), and credits for writing songs for major R&B artists like Aaliyah, Michael Jackson, B2K, and P. Diddy.

His Greatest R&B Music

So, which R&B songs do you consider as R. Kelly’s greatest? Well, everybody reading this could have varied answers to that question. Kelly himself released Playlist: The Very Best of R. Kelly as a compilation album for his greatest songs.

The album peaked at number 60 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart, but some critics still hold that the songs are not his ultimate greatest. That is why I have my alternative list of R Kelly and his greatest songs. Just like his compilation album, my list contains 14 tracks that I believe are his ultimate greatest.

  1. Half On A Baby

  • Released: 1998
  • Album: R

This song made the phrase “baby-making music” to be an everyday expression. It goes beyond sex and lust and explores the baby-making process.

  1. Bump N’ Grind

  • Released: 1993
  • Album: 12 Play

This song is undoubted among his greatest as it spent a whole 12 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart. The fans loved it and made it one of his greatest as far as charts are concerned.

  1. Feelin’ On Yo Booty

  • Released: 2000
  • Album: TP-2.com

The song’s video features a whole lot of popular rappers who are all thrilled by nice asses. That was a great way of complementing curvy women.

  1. You Remind Me Of Something

  • Released: 1995
  • Album: R. Kelly

Kelly uses this R&B song to compare his woman to the majestic and classy Jeep.

  1. When A Woman’s Fed Up
  • Released: 1998
  • Album: R

The song’s title says it all. It is Kelly in his element – talking about love and relationship with a fed up woman.

  1. Your Body’s Callin’
  • Released: 1993
  • Album: 12 Play

Very few songs can talk about sex and lust as poetically as this one. It is one of Kelly’s first sex songs that made him the ultimate bedroom artist.

  1. Same Girl

Released: 2007

Album: Double Up

Kelly features Usher in this collaboration that is arguably unmatched in the R&B world.

  1. I’m A Flirt (Remix)

  • Released: 2007
  • Album: Double Up

This song earns a spot here because it was proof that Kellz can also make great club bangers. It features T-Pain and T.I.

  1. Fiesta Remix

  • Released: 2000
  • Album: TP-2.com

The Pied Piper of R&B teamed up with Jay-Z to make this hit. It turned out to be a preview of the 2002 collaborative album The Best of Both Worlds that featured the two artists.

  1. I Wish & I Wish (Remix) (To the Homies That We Lost)
  • Released: 2000
  • Album: TP-2.com

The original and remix are both soulful. Kelly dedicates them to people who passed away.

  1. Happy People
  • Released: 2004
  • Album: Happy People/U Saved Me

This is a feel-good song that is bound to send everyone to the dance floor.

  1. Step In The Name Of Love Remix
  • Released: 2003
  • Album: Chocolate Factory

Another dance song that even contains instructions on how to do the line-step and electric slide dances.

  1. The World’s Greatest
  • Released: 2003
  • Album: Chocolate Factory

This is Kelly stepping out of his comfort zone of bedroom lyrics and giving the world a motivational song.

  1. I Believe I Can Fly
  • Released: 1998
  • Album: R

This is undoubtedly Kelly’s best motivational song. He not only revisits his gospel roots (he was a church singer) but also pours his soul to the song. He reported that rapper Notorious BIG broke into tears upon hearing just a few lines of the song. If it can make a hardcore rapper to cry then it definitely is his greatest song ever.