RANKED: Keith Sweat’s 8 Most Memorable Singles

R&B singer Keith Sweat put himself into the history books of R&B and modern pop music when his first album Make It Last Forever debuted in 1987.  With the assistance of R&B hit producer Teddy Riley, Sweat ushered in a new sound called  “The New Jack Swing” which dominated radio and dance clubs from the late 1980′s into the early  1990′s.  With one top ten R&B hit after another, millions of albums sold and a favorite touring act amongst women, Keith became an unstoppable force in the industry.  He even survived the phasing out of the New Jack Swing era and delivered his self-titled classic album full of sensual slow jams which became his best-seller with 4 million copies sold in the United States alone.

With more than a decade of hit singles and albums under his belt, World Wide Waddie ranks Keith Sweat’s eight (8) most memorable jams.

8.  “Merry Go Round” [from I'll Give All My Love To You album - 1990*]

Though the radio version of this song topped the radio airplay charts, it is the 7-minute album version that stood out for good reasons.  Who can forget a 7-minute song?  You can get tired of it and wonder when will it end — not this song.  This also has been confused a “baby maker” song because of its production, but instead it is a break-up song.  Also, this was the song that made Sweat the subject of many jokes by Black comics who dubbed his singing voice as “begging”and “whining.”  The jokes still go round and round, and so does this classic jam on the urban adult contemporary radio stations.

7.  “Make You Sweat” [from I'll Give All My Love To You album - 1990*]

The chorus might include the phrase “you say no,” but people said yes to this rhythmic gem on the radio and in the nightclubs.  This song, co-produced by Riley, became one of the New Jack Swing genre’s classic songs.  As the first single from his sophomore album, Sweat earned his second #1 single that ironically included his name in the title.

6.  “Twisted” (featuring Kut Klose) [from Keith Sweat album - 1996*]

After seeing his popularity declining after the New Jack Swing era phased, Sweat’s R&B chart dominance came back with a vengeance on this uptempo number.  Featuring his female protege trio Kut Klose, this #1 hit became memorable when its music video received heavy screen time on BET and MTV for its dramatic homicidal detective theme. “Twisted” became Sweat’s best-selling single of his career with more than 1.5 million sold in the United States.  It also became his first single to earn top ten status on the pop charts in Australia and New Zealand.

5.  “I’ll Give All My Love To You” [from I'll Give All My Love To You album - 1991*]

The third single from the album of the same name became an instant classic as many couples dedicated this song on radio stations, dance floors and wedding.  Line by line, this perfect love song became a #1 hit and a song that is on many of mixtapes and playlists for the bedroom.

4.  “I Want Her” [from Make It Last Forever album - 1988*]

“I Want Her” made a R&B star out of Sweat instantly.  The song stayed atop of the R&B charts for three weeks.  It ushered in the New Jack Swing era.  It gave then it-boys Al B. Sure!, Bobby Brown and New Edition stiff competition as the sex symbol of R&B music.   It helped Sweat’s debut album sell more than 3 million copies in the United States.

3.  “Make It Last Forever” (with Jacci McGhee) [from Make It Last Forever album - 1988*]

You know that you have a classic tune in your repertoire when radio stations keep it in their rotation more than a decade after its debut and superstars perform their own rendition into a big hit of their own.  ”Make It Last Forever” fits both categories.  In almost every Quiet Storm radio show across America, the song garners airplay regularly.  In 2000, pop music superstar remixed her #1 single “Thank God I Found You” to include a heavy sample of the instrumentation of this song.  Thus her version earned itself a #1 hit on the R&B charts 12 years after the original enjoyed the same feat.  Who will take the song to the top again next?

2.  “Get Up On It” (featuring Kut Klose) [from Get Up On It album - 1994*]

Though it is the only song on this list that did not crack the top ten of the R&B charts, “Get Up On It” became an instant classic in Sweat’s discography due to its sexually-charged lyrics.  While introducing his female trio Kut Klose to the masses, the male/female sexual dual helped changed the crooner’s sound from the dance floor to the bedroom.  After this duet, Kut Klose earned their own top 10 hit with the sensual jam “I Like” and #1 hits “Nobody” and “Twisted” with Sweat.

1.  “Nobody” (featuring Athena Cage) [from Keith Sweat album - 1996*]

“Nobody” tops this list because it’s the single amongst Keith Sweat’s hits that can compete with today’s hit tunes.  The former #1 hit single is in heavy rotation on many urban adult contemporary radio stations.  Featuring Kut Klose lead singer Athena Cage, this love song sold Sweat’s eponymous album into becoming his best-selling album to date.

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* The year denotes when the single peaked on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles charts.