This Top 10 Barry White Songs list presents 10 classic Barry White Songs that anyone growing up in the 1970s would recognize immediately. Barry White stands as one of the most successful solo artists in music history. The man earned twenty gold records and multiple Grammy awards throughout his career. His low voice that graced the openings of so many of his songs with his passionate spoken words and delivery of messages of love was his distinctive trademark.
Barry White could sing with such soul and passion that he earned the love of millions. Barry White was also a brilliant musician, songwriter, and producer. Most of his output was composed and produced by himself. With multiple number one records and a body of outstanding work, it was tough to just choose ten Barry White songs to present here in this article. We hope you enjoy our selections and encourage you to check out the rest of Barry White’s outstanding catalog.
# 10 – Man Ain’t Nothing
We open up our Top 10 Barry White Songs list with a bit of nostalgia. Presented here is Barry White’s first solo single release of his career. The song “Man Ain’t Nothing,” was released in 1966 as a single only on Downey Records. Barry White released the song under the name Lee Barry. The man sounds great on this soulful ballad. It’s ‘s just so interesting to hear this when comparing it to his big time 1970s records.
# 9 – Super Lover
Continuing with our Top 10 Barry White songs, we present Barry White’s late 80s style. The song “Super Lover,” was released in 1989 on the album entitled The Man Is Back! It’s Barry White with a Janet Jackson style backing track.
# 8 – Practice What You Preach
There it is, that deep voice, those spoken words setting it all up. This is a great one! The song “Practice What You Preach,” was released on the album The Icon Is Love. Barry White was back. For the first time since the 1970s, Barry White had another number one single on his hands as “Practice What You Preach,” hit number one on the Billboard R&B charts in 1994. The album was also nominated for a Grammy Award. The song “Practice What You Preach,” was written by Barry White, Gerald Levert and Edwin Nicholas.
# 7 – Let The Music Play
Barry White’s classic “Let The Music Play,” starts out not just with that traditional dialogue at the start but he adds some characters to the introduction. “Hey, what’s going on man? Yeah, she’s at home.” Oh, that does hurt. It just feels so real when he says it. Barry White’s “Let The Music Play,” is one of his best. The song stood as the title track to his 1976 album Let The Music Play. The track mixes a wonderful blend of R&B, soul, and disco. The song became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
# 6 – It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me
Barry White’s “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me,” was released right in the middle of the Disco era. The song was issued on the album Barry White Sings for Someone You Love. Fueled with a to die for bass groove, some killer horns, sultry strings and of course, Barry White’s legendary voice, “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me,” remains one of the hallmarks of the Disco era.
# 5 – I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby
Breaking into the second half of our top 10 Barry White songs list we present the track “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby.” The opening on this one is pretty hot! If you’re trying to set the mood right with your lady or man, putting this song on will surely help you out. “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby” was a first for Barry White on many fronts. It was Barry White’s first charting single. It was his first record to break the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10 as the song peaked all the way up to number three.
It was also his first number one record as “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby” hit number one on the Billboard R&B charts on 1973. It would also become Barry White’s first Gold Record. In very simple terms, the song “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby” is the one that put Barry White on the map and into the living room and bedrooms of many soon to become adoring fans.
The song was released on Barry White’s first album entitled I’ve Got So Much to Give. The album was released in 1973. It was the first of three singles released from the album. The song “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby” was written by Barry White.
# 4 – Never Gonna Give You Up
Barr White’s follow up to his debut album was a record entitled Stone Gon’. The first single released from the album was the song below titled “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Barry White proved he was no one hit wonder with this gorgeous single. The song broke the Billboard Hot 100’s top ten in 1974. It was also a top 10 hit on the Billboard R&B Charts. Twenty three years later. Lisa Stanfield recorded the song and landed a number one single on the Billboard Dance charts in 1997 with her version of Barry White’s great song “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
# 3 – Love Theme
At number three on our top 10 Barry White songs list is the great instrumental entitled “Love Theme.” The song was recorded and released by The Love Unlimited Orchestra which was Barry White’s backing group. A 40-piece orchestra is quite a backing group. “Love Theme,” would hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It is very difficult for any artist to score a number one record. However, scoring a number one record with an instrumental is even more rare and also a very significant achievement. The song was written by Barry White.
# 2 – You’re the First, the Last, My Everything
In 1974, it was rare to put on the radio and not hear this one playing as you strolled through the channels. Barry White’s “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything,” was a huge hit that year. The song just missed hitting number one as Elton John’s hit remake of The Beatles “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,” would not give up the number one spot. Nonetheless, the song did hit number one on the U.S. Billboard R&B Charts. The song sold well earning Barry White another Gold Record.
# 1 – Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe
We close out our top 10 Barry White songs list with the man’s most successful hit song of his career. Barry White’s song “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe,” was released on the album Can’t Get Enough in the summer of 1974. The song hit number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard R&B charts in 1974.
The song was written by Barry White who also produced the single and entire album. The song was covered in the early 1990s by Long Island singer Taylor Dayne who also had a hit with the song. Over the years, Barry White’s original version of “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe,” has infiltrated pop culture making appearances in multiple motion pictures and television shows.
Feature Photo at the top of the page -Photo: Fotograaf Onbekend / Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Updated September 23, 2023
Top 10 Barry White Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me is, obviously, patterned after Love Hangover by Diana Ross. It starts out the same, goes into the disco middle and ends…all three exactly like Love Hangover…which only goes to show, Ross started it, big time, with Love Hangover, and the rest of the Industry played catch-up.