80s & 90s Rhythm and Blues
Top 80s R&B Female Singers and 90s R&B Female Groups & Singers
The period of 80s and 90s R&B female artists was unparalleled in its greatness, producing a vast number of hit songs and enduring music that has remained popular over time. The era of soul music in the 1970s was memorable with many timeless classics, but the period spanning from the 1980s to the 1990s was a truly remarkable time for music. During this time, we saw the emergence of many talented 90s and 80s R&B female singers who went on to become superstars over the course of two decades.
Top Ten 80s R&B and 90s R&B Female Artists
1. Whitney Houston
With her first two albums alone, Whitney Houston and Whitney, equaling over 20 million records sold, the accumulation of album sells and the number of hits and classic albums and soundtracks, like the Bodyguard, makes Whitney Houston’s résumé and her skill level almost untouchable among other 80s R&B female singers. With her collection of work, Whitney Houston has easily landed into the realm of one of the greatest singers of all-time.
YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
2. Mariah Carey
Staying consistent for two full decades, Mariah Carey dominated the 1990s and 2000s, eventually selling over 100 million records since her debut in 1990 with her first release being the self-titled Mariah Carey. With three diamond selling albums, the connoisseur of Christmas time music, and an extensive list of hit after hit, Mariah Carey’s career is the epitome of rhythm and blues music.
YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
3. TLC
An iconic group that gave the world not only the forever classics of “Creep,” “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs,” “Red Light Special,” and “What About Your Friends,” but also blessed the world with Left Eye, Chili, and T-Boz. Debuting in 1992 with On the TLC Tip, TLC would become megastars and pop sensations following 1994’s release of CrazySexyCool. With three albums during the 1990s, TLC were unstoppable and on top of 90s R&B music.
YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
4. Mary J. Blige
Arriving into music during the early 1990s, Mary J. Blige would continue a very successful career as a leading R&B artist well into the 2010s. Having the ability to have fans in both R&B and hip hop gravitate towards her music, Mary J. Blige has been one of a kind since her 1992 release What’s the 411? Coming from the small New York town of Yonkers, Mary J. Blige would grow into one of the most gifted and respected artists, gaining praise among peers and music lovers alike.
YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
5. Aaliyah
Despite passing away well before her time, Aaliyah’s legacy has continued to live on through her presence in classic 2000s films and her opportunity to release a multitude of albums, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number (1994), One in a Million (1996), and Aaliyah (2001). With a catalog of music like “Rock the Boat,” “Are You That Somebody,” “Back & Forth,” “Try Again,” “One in a Million,” “At Your Best,” and “More Than a Woman,” her legacy has lived on and her career is everlasting.
YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
6. Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson’s career took a slow start with her first two albums, Janet Jackson and Dream Street, not performing as well as expected. But after the releases of Control in 1986, Rhythm Nation in 1989, and janet in 1993, Janet Jackson quickly emerged from the shadows of the Jackson name and became an artist of her own, and not just the sister of Michael Jackson.
YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
7. Destiny’s Child
Even though the group of Destiny’s Child was at times in the shadows of Beyonce, without question Destiny’s Child’s arrival during the late 1990s led to their complete dominance of R&B in the 2000s and for Beyonce to eventually become one of the biggest icons in music. While half of Destiny’s Child career was spent in the 2000s, the group debuted with the hit record “No, No, No” on the self-titled freshman release of Destiny’s Child. The group would become superstars and make way for their success during the 2000s after 1999’s The Writing’s on the Wall, which featured hits like “Bills, Bills, Bills” and “Say My Name.”
YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
8. Toni Braxton
With back to back classics of the self-titled Toni Braxton and Secret, in which both sold over 10 million worldwide, the mid-1990s would be all about Toni Braxton. Beginning her a career alongside her sisters, the Braxton name would become a staple of 80s and 90s R&B music. Toni led the way by building a showstopping career for herself, which lasted into the 2000s with her last successful album of Libra.
YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
9. Brandy
One of the most underrated artists on the list, during the 1990s Brandy brought much to rhythm and blues. Her self-titled album Brandy would go on to sell over 6 million worldwide and Never Say Never would do even better by selling over 10 million worldwide. Without the numbers, just listening to Brandy one can witness how special of an artist she is, especially as she peaked from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s.
YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
10. Monica
Another fan favorite as Monica’s albums would almost always debut in the top ten on the charts, since 1995’s Miss Thang and 1998’s The Boy is Mine. Monica’s debut with “Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)” would become one of her most acclaimed R&B songs of the 1990s, but nothing matched her collaboration with Brandy on the “Boy is Mine.”
YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
11. En Vogue
Known for one of R&B’s all-time greats, “Don’t Let Go,” En Vogue made their introduction with the song “Hold On,” placed on their freshman album Born to Sing (1990). While the city of Oakland produced numerous legends, none have come close to the success that En Vogue was able to reach during the 1990s. Only to be proven with hits like “My Lovin’,” “Free Your Mind,” “Hold On,” and “Don’t Let Go.”
YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
12. Faith Evans
As Bad Boy Records was on top of urban music, from hip-hop to R&B, Faith Evans helped impact the success of one of the top independent record labels of the 1990s. Making her first appearance in 1995 with her debut album Faith, the former wife of Notorious BIG would continue her success with Keep the Faith (1998) and Faithfully (2001).
YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
Honorable Mention 80s R&B Female Singers and 90s R&B Female Artists:
– Xscape YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
– SWV YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
– Total YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
– 702 YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
– Changing Faces YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
– Sheila E. YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
– Brownstone YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
– Adina Howard YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
– Monifah YouTube | Spotify | Apple/iTunes
Top R&B Music Topics:
1 Top Male R&B Singers of 80s and 90s
2 Top 25 Female R&B Singers of 2022
3 Top 20 Female R&B Singers of 2000s
4 Top 20 Female R&B Singers of 2010s
5 Popular Black Fashion Trends from 1980s