Artist	Song
Al Green	Let's Stay Together
from Al Green: Greatest Hits (1975)
Aretha Franklin	Respect
from Aretha Franklin: 30 Greatest Hits (2008)
Marvin Gaye	Let's Get It On
from Number 1's: Marvin Gaye (2007)
Bill Withers	Ain't No Sunshine
from The Best of Bill Withers - Lean on Me (2000)
Stevie Wonder	Superstition
from Stevie Wonder: The Definitive Collection (2002)
Usher	Burn
from Confessions (2004)
Luther Vandross	A House Is Not a Home
from Never Too Much (1986)
Beyoncé	Crazy In Love
from Dangerously In Love (2003)
Ray Charles	What'd I Say, Pts. I & 2
from The Best of Ray Charles: The Atlantic Years (2007)
Gladys Knight & The Pips	Midnight Train to Georgia
from Platinum & Gold Collection (2003)
Mary J. Blige	Be Without You
from The Breakthrough (2005)
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles	The Tracks of My Tears
from The Ultimate Collection: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1998)
Otis Redding	(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
from The Very Best of Otis Redding (2007)
Rihanna	Umbrella (feat. Jay-Z)
from Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (2008)
Jackson 5	I Want You Back
from Jackson 5: The Ultimate Collection (1996)
Earth, Wind & Fire	September
from Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits (1998)
Percy Sledge	When a Man Loves a Woman
from Rhino Hi-Five: Percy Sledge - EP (2005)
Etta James	At Last
from Her Best - The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection (1997)
The Temptations	My Girl
from My Girl: The Very Best of the Temptations (2002)
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes & Teddy Pendergrass	If You Don't Know Me By Now
from The Ultimate Blue Notes (2001)
D'Angelo	Untitled (How Does It Feel) [Edit]
from Ultimate D'Angelo (2008)
Ben E. King	Stand By Me
from Rhino Hi-Five: Ben E. King - EP (2006)
Sade	By Your Side
from Lovers Rock (2000)
Alicia Keys	Fallin'
from Songs In A Minor (2001)
Maxwell	This Woman's Work
from Now (2001)
Barry White	Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe
from Barry White: All-Time Greatest Hits (1994)
James Brown	I Got You (I Feel Good)
from 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of James Brown (1999)
Boyz II Men	End of the Road
from Legacy - The Greatest Hits Collection (Deluxe Edition) (2004)
Whitney Houston	Greatest Love of All
from Whitney - The Greatest Hits (2000)
Lionel Richie	Hello
from Lionel Richie: The Definitive Collection (2003)
The Isley Brothers	It's Your Thing
from The Ultimate Isley Brothers (2000)
Erykah Badu	On and On
from Baduizm (1997)
Sam & Dave	Soul Man
from Rhino Hi-Five: Sam & Dave - EP (2005)
Corinne Bailey Rae	Put Your Records On
from Corinne Bailey Rae (2006)
R. Kelly	I Believe I Can Fly
from The R. In R&B Collection, Vol. 1 (2003)
Sister Sledge	We Are Family
from Rhino Hi-Five: Sister Sledge - EP (2005)
Bobby Brown	My Prerogative
from Don't Be Cruel (1988)
Heatwave	Always and Forever
from The Best of Heatwave - Always and Forever (1996)
The Spinners	I'll Be Around
from Rhino Hi-Five: The Spinners - EP (2005)
The Staple Singers	I'll Take You There
from Be Altitude: Respect Yourself (2006)
Chaka Khan	I'm Every Woman
from Rhino Hi-Five: Chaka Khan - EP (2005)
LaBelle	Lady Marmalade
from Nightbirds (1988)
Sly & the Family Stone	Dance to the Music
from Anthology (1989)
Teddy Pendergrass	Love T.K.O.
from The Essential Teddy Pendergrass (2007)
Blackstreet, Dr. Dre & Queen Pen	No Diggity
from No Diggity' - The Very Best of Blackstreet (2003)
The Supremes	Where Did Our Love Go
from Number 1's: Diana Ross & The Supremes (2004)
En Vogue	Giving Him Something He Can Feel
from The Very Best of en Vogue (2006)
Lauryn Hill	Doo Wop (That Thing)
from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
Aaron Neville	Tell It Like It Is
from Good Vibrations 2 Disc One (2007)
The Impressions	People Get Ready
from Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions: The Anthology, 1961-1977 (1992)
Prince	When Doves Cry
from The Hits / The B-Sides (2007)
The O'Jays	Back Stabbers
from The Essential O'Jays (2008)
Billy Paul	Me and Mrs. Jones
from 360 Degrees of Billy Paul (2002)
Isaac Hayes	Theme from "Shaft"
from Isaac Hayes: Greatest Hits Singles (2006)
The Gap Band	You Dropped a Bomb On Me
from Gap Band: Ultimate Collection (2001)
Wilson Pickett	In the Midnight Hour
from Rhino Hi-Five: Wilson Pickett - EP (2005)
The Emotions	Best of My Love
from The Best of the Emotions: Best of My Love (1996)
The Four Tops	I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)
from 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: Motown 1960s, Vol. 1 (2001)
Lou Rawls	You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine
from The Essential Lou Rawls (2007)
Anita Baker	Sweet Love
from The Best of Anita Baker (2009)
Antonio "LA" Reid, David Foster, Diane Warren, Tim Thomas & Toni Braxton	Un-Break My Heart
from The Essential Toni Braxton (2007)
Sam Cooke	A Change Is Gonna Come
from 30 Greatest Hits - Sam Cooke Portrait of a Legend (1951-1964) [Remastered] (2005)
Minnie Riperton	Lovin' You
from Capitol Gold: The Best of Minnie Riperton (1993)
Fontella Bass	Rescue Me
from Chess Soul: A Decade of Chicago's Finest (1997)
Johnnie Taylor	Who's Making Love
from Stax Profiles: Johnnie Taylor (2006)
Cameo	Word Up!
from The Definitive Collection: Cameo (2006)
The Delfonics	La-La Means I Love You
from La-La Means I Love You (1997)
Roberta Flack	Killing Me Softly With His Song
from Rhino Hi-Five: Roberta Flack - EP (2005)
Amy Winehouse	Rehab
from Back to Black (2007)
Eddie Floyd	Knock On Wood
from Rare Stamps (2006)
Barbara Lewis	Baby, I'm Yours (Single Version)
from Rhino Hi-Five - Barbara Lewis - EP (2005)
Roger	I Want to Be Your Man
from Rhino Hi-Five: Roger - EP (2005)
Johnny Gill	My, My, My
from Johnny Gill (1992)
Rockwell	Somebody's Watching Me
from Hit Me With Your 80's Box (2002)
The Whispers	Rock Steady
from Greatest Hits (1987)

Comment:

Classic or contemporary; yesteryear or here-and-now; fast 'n' hot or slow 'n' smooth — however many variations on the R&B formula you'd like to sample, there's one thing we can guarantee: every song here carries the stamp of greatness. Collectively, this Essentials playlist makes up the very DNA of R&B, that magical formula connecting talents as diverse as those of Barry White and Alicia Keys, Percy Sledge and Sade, Etta James and En Vogue. Sound the alarm for a perfect storm of R&B ecstasy, as Usher slow-jams his way through the sweet pain of "Burn," Smokey Robinson & the Miracles lay down "The Tracks of My Tears," Rihanna is joined by Jay-Z on "Umbrella," and Ben E. King distills love and friendship into the three-minutes of R&B perfection with "Stand by Me." These are, quite simply, songs that are destined to last . . . forever.

Feedback: