Top 10 Brian McKnight Songs

Brian McKnight Songs

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Our Top 10 Brian McKnight Songs list takes a look at one of music’s most romantic singers and songwriters. In addition to singing, he’s an actor, record producer and musician. He’s most known for his falsetto singing range. He has been nominated for 16 Grammy Awards, but he’s never won any of them. It’s hard to believe that he hasn’t won any Grammys when he’s a talented singer. Brian McKnight has sold over 25 million albums throughout his career.

Some of Brian McKnight’s great songs hit include “One Last Cry,” “Anytime,” “Love Is,” “Back at One,” “Let It Snow,” “Crazy Love,” “You Should Be Mine (Don’t Waste Your Time),” “Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda,” “Hold Me,” “Still in Love,” “Love of My Life” as well as others. He’s appeared in movies and television. He appeared on Martin (1994), Living Single (1996), Beverly Hills 90210 (1998), Sister, Sister (1998), A Diva’s Christmas Carol (2000), My Wife and Kids (2002), The Eric Andre Show (2013), Tosh.O (2015), and The Masked Singer (2021). He starred in the movies Black Dynamite (2009) and Naked (2017).

Brian Kelly McKnight was born on June 5, 1969. He was inspired to become a singer when his older brother Claude McKnight III was a member of the musical band Take 6. When they got a record deal, he wanted one of his own. He released his self-titled album in 1992. The album peaked at number 17 on the r&b charts and number 58 on the Billboard 200 charts. The album features the singles “One Last Cry,” “The Way Love Goes,” “Goodbye My Love” “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” and “After the Love.” The album went platinum. I Remember You came out in 1995. The album peaked at number four on the r&b charts and number 22 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Crazy Love,” “On the Down Low” and “Still in Love.” The album sold over 500,000 copies. Anytime was released in 1997. The album peaked at number one on the r&b charts and number 13 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “You Should Be Mine (Don’t Waste Your Time),” “Anytime,” “The Only One for Me,” “Hold Me (Remix)” and “Show Me the Way Back to Your Heart.” The album sold over two million copies.

Back at One was released in 1999. It peaked at number two on the r&b charts and number seven on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Back at One,” “Stay or Let It Go,” “6, 8, 12” and “Played Yourself.” The album sold over three million copies. Superhero came out in 2001. The album peaked at number four on the r&b charts and number seven on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Love of My Life,” “Still,” “What’s It Gonna Be” and “My Kind of Girl.” The album sold over 500,000 copies. U Turn was released in 2003. It peaked at number four on the r&b charts and number seven on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the songs “Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda,” “All Night Long,” “So Sorry” and “Where Do We Go From Here.” The album sold over 500,000 copies.

Gemini came out in 2005. It peaked at number two on the r&b charts and number four on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Everytime You Go Away,” Grown Man Business,” “Here with You,” “Come Back” and “Stay.” Ten was released in 2006. The album peaked at number four on the r&b charts and number 32 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Find Myself in You,” “Used to Be My Girl,” “What’s My Name,” “A Little Too Late” and “Unhappy Without You,” Evolution of a Man was released in 2009. It peaked at number three on the r&b charts and number 20 on the Billboard 200 charts. “What I’ve Been Waiting For,” “Never Say Goodbye,” “Stay Tuned” and “I Miss You.”

Just Me was released in 2011. The album peaked at number eight on the r&b charts and number 39 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Fall 5.0,” “Temptation,” “Careless Whisper,” “Without You” and “Just Me.” More Than Words came out in 20013. It peaked at number 10 on the r&b charts and number 13 on the Billboard 200 charts. “Sweeter,” “4th of July,” “More Than Words,” “She Doesn’t Know” and “Made for Love.” Better came out in 2016. It peaked at number 23 on the r&b charts and number 19 on the Independence charts. It features the singles “Uh Oh Feeling,” “Better,” “Like I Do,” “Just Waiting,” “Enough” and “Goodbye.”

Genesis came out in 2017. It peaked at number 73 on the Top Album sales charts and number 15 on the Independent albums charts. It features the singles “I Want U,” “10 Million Stars” Everything,” “Forever” and “Blow Your Mind.” Exodus was released in 2020. It peaked at number 86 on the Current Album sales charts. It features the singles “42 (Grown Up Tipsy),” “When I’m Gone,” “Neva Get Enuf of U,” “Unbelievable,” “Fragile” and “Sexy.”

Brian McKnight has been compared to soul singers from back in the day. His smooth and talented style earned him a loyal fan base throughout his career. He didn’t want to stay stuck in one genre of music. He tried to broaden his horizons so he could gain a new fanbase. He worked with hip-hop artists to achieve a different sound. He is the type of singer who likes to evolve. His vocals are compared to Stevie Wonder. He had to compete with Luther Vandross, Babyface, Glen Jones, Carl Thomas, Tyrese, Johnny Gill, Joe, Donell Jones, Mario Winans, Ginuwine, Montell Jordan as well as other male singers for the attention of female fans. Our Top 10 Brian McKnight Songs list will feature his best songs.

# 10 – Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

The first song on our Top 10 Brian McKnight Songs list is “Shoulda, Coulda. Woulda” from the U-Turn album. The song has an r&b beat. The regretful song is about him regretting mistakes he made which caused his woman to leave. He’s declaring that he should have done better by her while he had the chance. This song is relatable to anyone who has messed up in a relationship. The lyrics will melt the heart of the most stubborn person.

This song is a great one for men to play who are in the doghouse with their wives or girlfriends. Brian McKnight is telling a convincing story about his regrets. He wants her to allow him to explain himself before she leaves him. The melody of the song is similar to Joe’s “I Wanna Know.” The drums are the main instrument. The piano adds elegance to the track. He sings in his normal tone when he starts the song. He sounds similar to Stevie Wonder, Joe and Wanya Morris from Boyz II Men. He takes the song to an amazing place. He sings in his signature falsetto tone at points in the song. He takes vocal risks and holds notes.

He holds the notes in falsetto and they are not to be missed. He harmonizes well with himself. His vocals are stacked when he sings the chorus. His voice is superb and he is in perfect pitch throughout the song.

# 9 – You Should Be Mine (Don’t Waste Your Time) ft. Ma$e

The next song on our Top 10 Brian McKnight Songs list is “You Should Be Mine (Don’t Waste Your Time)” from his album Anytime. It has an r&b and hip-hop sound. This song helped revive his career. He had gone a few years before he had another hit single until this song was released. The chivalrous song is about him declaring to the woman he loves that he’s better than the man she’s been seeing. He wants to let her know that his job is to love her the way she needs to be loved. People would relate to this track if they had to watch someone they love with the wrong person.

The song is a departure from Brian McKnight’s ballads. He wanted to change his style to include hip-hop music. He’s out of his comfort zone with this song, but he was able to adapt. He proved he could do more than sing ballads. Brian McKnight sang the song the way he would sing his ballads. He’s singing the same type of songs with a hip-hop beat. He wasn’t known for working with rappers so this could have been a wreck.

It turned out to be a good match for him. Ma$e’s laid-back rap has become synonymous with his style. He did a good job with his rhymes. You might have to read the lyrics to understand what he’s saying. Brian McKnight shines on this track. He sounds like he’s enjoying himself on the song.

# 8 – Hold Me – from Tone and Kobe Bryant

The dramatic song is from the Anytime album. It has an r&b and hip-hop beat. The expressive song is about him wanting to know if she will be with him the way he wants to be with her. Brian McKnight doesn’t want her to stay with another man. He wants to be the one with the girl. This is the second entry on our list that features rappers. The track also featured the late legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant. Who would have ever thought that Brian McKnight would sing a song with Kobe Bryant? They were an unlikely pair, but they managed to make it work.

The music is dance friendly. It’s something that you could play at cookouts or if you’re hanging on the beach. The music is designed to be pumping in your jeeps and cars. Brian McKnight is out of his comfort zone once again with this song. He did an excellent job with it. He sings the song as if it’s a ballad. He pours his heart out while he sings the lyrics as if it were one of his signature ballads. In case you’re wondering what Kobe Bryant was like as a rapper, he does a good job. His part wasn’t that big, but he makes a statement. His rhymes were tight and that’s a good thing. Tone isn’t in the song much either, but he proved that less is more. We miss Kobe, our prayers and love go out to his family.

# 7 – Still in Love

The amorous song is from the I Remember You album. It has an r&b sound. The charming song is self-explanatory. The song is about him being in love with someone. He most likely wrote the song about his wife. Brian McKnight covers this subject a lot, but it always sounds original and poetic. He always knows the right words to express how he feels about the woman he loves. Brian McKnight manages to create a poem that doesn’t come off as corny or sappy. He creates a beautiful story. Brian McKnight created a song that could easily be used as a wedding song.

The lyrics are similar to Stevie Wonder’s “As.” He compares his love for his woman to unlikely things the way Stevie Wonder did in his song. Any woman would melt hearing this song. The lyrics will make you wish he were singing it about you. The music is mellow and smooth. It combines r&b music with jazz music. He has an orchestra playing on the track. It gives the song an elegant sound. Brian McKnight’s vocals shine bright like a diamond on this track. He doesn’t use any background vocalists so he sings the song alone. It gives you a chance to focus on his vocals. He utilizes his signature falsetto towards the end of the track. He does little runs in the song too. He holds a long and jaw dropping note at the end. You may be shocked to hear how long he holds the note.

# 6 – Love of My Life

This soothing song is from the Superhero album. The song has an r&b sound. The tender ballad describes how he feels about the “love of his life.” It doesn’t have to just be about romance. The message could also be about the love you have for a child or any other loved one. Here is some trivia about the song. He wrote this song about his child. He sings romantic songs so it would be easy to assume that it’s about a woman in his life.

The track has a rhythmic beat. The music will entice you. The keyboard drives the beat. The thumping drums give the song tempo. Fans of r&b music will definitely enjoy the beat of this jam. The music is perfect for the bedroom. It could be a great wedding song. His vocals are stellar. He utilizes his signature falsetto on this song. He sounds similar to Stevie Wonder on the jam. He does runs that are not to be missed. He could have held a note or two, but it doesn’t hurt the song at all.

# 5 – Let It Snow ft. Boyz II Men and Brian McKnight

The next song on our Top 10 Brian McKnight Songs list is “Let It Snow” from Boyz II Men’s Christmas album. This song has an r&b sound. The uplifting song is self-explanatory. It’s about Christmas. It’s a song about a couple being together at Christmas. They managed to make a romantic song about Christmas. It doesn’t sound like a traditional Christmas song. If they didn’t make reference to the holiday, you could forget it was a Christmas song. The lyrics will move you and put you in a seductive mood. The music sounds more like r&b music than a holiday. It could be played all-year long.

It will please fans of r&b music as well as fans of holiday music. This is the first time he worked with Boyz II Men and it worked out great. Wanya Morris and Brian McKnight’s vocals are similar so it made sense for them to work together. They sound similar to Stevie Wonder and they utilize runs. Boyz II Men are a phenomenal singing group so their collaboration was perfect for this track. They all won the vocal battle for the track.

# 4 – Crazy Love

The romantic ballad is from the self-titled album. It has an r&b beat. The sensual ballad is about the love he has for the woman in his life. He describes the love as “crazy” love which is a different way to describe his feelings, but the romantic crooner pulls it off. Brian McKnight can make any song sound alluring which is what he did here. The lyrics are relevant for people in love. The music is soft and sentimental which describes the theme of the track. It’s time to talk about Brian McKnight’s melodious voice. He sounds truly amazing in this song. He is channeling his inner Stevie Wonder in this song. He does a wonderful job here. It’s hard to believe that this song is on his debut album. He sounds as if he is a seasoned singer. This just goes to show you how great of a singer he is that he was able to do such a great job on his first album.

# 3 – Anytime

The curious song is from the album of the same name. The song has an r&b sound to it. The quiet storm jam is about a man questioning whether the woman he loves ever thinks about him. He used to be with her and he regrets losing her. The song is definitely relatable if you have doubts about ending a relationship. He continues to long for her as he pleads for her to come back to him. If you were in her position, hearing words like that would make it hard to resist him.

Brian McKnight is a genius at storytelling. He creates a story that you can imagine happening in your life. He expresses himself in a way that doesn’t sound corny or desperate. He sounds romantic. The sweet music will move you instantly. The musical arrangement is fire and will hook you as soon as the piano chords start. Let’s get to his vocals. He sounds amazing. He is a truly gifted singer as well as a songwriter and musician. He is one of the best when it comes to runs. He sings in his signature falsetto at different parts of the song. It’s completely understandable why the song was a big hit for him.

# 2 – One Last Cry

The pleading song is from his self-titled album. The song has a pop, quiet storm and soul sound. The heartbreaking song is about the end of a relationship. He is crying about his lost love. Your heart will be torn to pieces listening to the moving lyrics. This is one of Brian McKnight’s signature songs. This is one of the songs that helped make him a household name. There is no way to listen to this song without feeling emotional. Your heart will break listening to him talk about crying over the love he lost. He wants to stop crying, but he can’t seem to stop crying. Have you ever been in a relationship that ended before you were ready and you couldn’t stop crying? This song is what you need to hear to get through it. Brian McKnight’s soulful vocals are amazing. He makes you feel something while he’s singing. His voice is truly a gift from God.

# 1 – Back at One

The number one song on our Top 10 Brian McKnight Songs list is “Back at One” from the album of the same name. The smooth song is about falling in love with someone and knowing you need to do whatever you can because she’s the one for him. He explains the reasons why she’s right for him in the chorus. He wants to make her fall in love with him in the last step. After he completes the steps, he wants to do them all over again. The lyrics are sweet and sentimental. They are guaranteed to make a woman fall in love. He knows the right things to say to win the girl he loves. The music is perfect for the bedroom and slow dancing. His vocals are amazing. He can charm anyone with his velvety voice. It’s not a surprise he has a lot of female fans.

Top 10 Brian McKnight Songs  article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2021

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