Our Top 10 Color Me Badd Songs list looks at a popular r&b group from the 90s. The group has sold over 12 million records worldwide. The group consisted of members Bryan Adams, Sam Watters, Marc Calderon and Kevin Thornton. They were compared to New Edition and New Kids on the Block. They were influenced by Sam Cooke, The Temptations, and the Four Tops. They are best known for their songs “I Wanna Sex You Up,” “I Adore Mi Amor” and “All 4 Love.” Their other hits include “Thinkin’ Back,” “Forever Love,” “Slow Motion,” “Choose” as well as other songs.
Color Me Badd formed their group in 1985. Sam Watters came up with their name. They met Robert Bell from Kool & the Gang when they auditioned for him in Oklahoma City. He introduced them to his former manager Adil Bayyan. Adil Bayyan became the group’s manager. He told the group to pursue a record career. They would go on to meet Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The legendary duo advised them to write a song that was half English and half Spanish. The group came up with the track “I Adore Mi Amor.” They were signed to their record label in 1990.
C.M.B. was released in 1991. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 charts and the r&b and hip-hop charts. The song features the singles “I Wanna Sex You Up,” “I Adore Mi Amor,” “All 4 Love,” “Color Me Badd,” “Thinkin’ Back,” “Heartbreaker” and “Slow Motion.” The album sold over three million copies. Time and Chance was released in 1993. The album peaked at number 20 on the r&b and hip-hop charts and number 56 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Time and Chance,” “Choose,” “The Bells” and “Let’s Start with Forever.” The album sold over 500,000 copies.
Now and Forever came out in 1996. The album peaked at 39 on the r&b and hip-hop charts and number 113 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Last to Know,” “The Earth, The Sun, The Rain” and “Sexual Capacity.” Awakening came out in 1998. The song features the singles “Love Is Stronger Than Pride” and “Remember When.” The group decided to part ways after this album.
Color Me Badd was very popular during the height of their fame. They had to compete with New Edition, New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Hi-Five, Silk, All-4-One, Shai, Guy, as well as other groups for fans. They may not have recorded many albums together, but they left their mark in music. Our Top 10 Color Me Badd Songs list will feature their best songs.
# 10 – Choose
The first song on our Top 10 Color Me Badd is “Choose” from the album Time and Chance. The song has an r&b and pop sound to it. The melancholic song is about someone who is really in love and will do anything they could for the person. They are even willing to do things they don’t want to do because they love the person. He will do anything for her. He’s even willing to die for her even though he’s heartbroken. “Choose” is about what love can make you do for a person. Some people are willing to do almost anything in order to prove their love for the people in their lives. Color Me Badd are saying they are the type of people who would do that.
This song gives us “I Would Die 4 U” by Prince vibes. His song has the same theme as this one. This song was a different style for Color Me Badd. They wanted to change things for this album so they went in this direction. This song gave the quartet a chance to spread their wings. The music has a cool vibe to it. The music is reminiscent of “Human” by The Human League. Jam & Lewis helped the group with this track. They wrote “Human” so it explains the similarities in the styles. The group gave this song their all. Bryan Adams poured his heart out on the lead vocals. He sounded soulful on the track. He belted towards the end of the song as if he were screaming out to the woman he loves. He sang with a growl in his voice. The rest of the group did an excellent job with the harmonies. Their voices blended so well together. This underrated song deservers more praise than it received.
# 9 – The Earth, The Sun, The Rain
The next song on our Top 10 Color Me Badd Songs list is “The Earth, The Sun, The Rain from the album Now & Forever. The song has an r&b beat. The yearning song is about a man who would do anything for someone you love. You would do anything you can to make sure the person is happy. He would love her through anything. They use the elements as a metaphor to explain how much they love the women in their lives. Every woman would feel moved to hear that someone loved her that much. The theme is similar to our previous entry. The only difference is they use more metaphors for this track than they did for “Choose.”
This song is the perfect track to use for a wedding. You can get close to the person you love while dancing to this romantic song. This is the type of song that’s perfect to use to celebrate a special occasion with the person you love. This song will help you believe in love. The lyrics are sweet and will make your heart crumble. The lyrics might bring a tear to your eye because they are so heartfelt. Bryan Adams takes charge on this track. He makes you believe what he’s saying. He stays in character throughout the song. He gives a subdued performance on this track. He belted in “Choose,” but he held back on this song. He still did a good job on the track. He sings this song in a deeper tone. The rest of the group sings the harmonies very well. They did a superb job supporting Bryan Adams.
# 8 – Forever Love
The tender song is from the Mo Money Soundtrack and the Young, Gifted & Badd: The Remixes. The track has an r&b beat. The heartwarming song is about a man expressing his love for the woman in his life. He lets her know that he will love her forever. He loves her more than anything. He never wants to let her go. She is in his heart forever. He will never give her a reason to want to leave him. He said he would die for her love. You would have to have a heart of stone not to crumble when you hear these lyrics.
The song is beautiful. This is the type of song you can use if you want to walk down the aisle to the person you love. It would make a wonderful wedding song. You can also use it to celebrate a special anniversary or to propose to someone. The person who hears this dedication will have to love you forever. Jam & Lewis and Color Me Badd created a masterpiece that could convey someone’s feelings perfectly. The music is pretty. It’s soft and doesn’t dominate the track. The music is just enough so that the group isn’t drowned out. This track gives all of the guys a chance to step up to the plate. All of the guys sing lead. They all sound very good singing lead. They didn’t step on each other while they were singing. They gave each other a chance to shine.
# 7 – Slow Motion ft. Bootsy Collins
The freaky song is from the album C.M.B. The song has an r&b and New Jack Swing sound. The sexy song is about a man who wants to please his lady sexually. He wants to please her slowly and all night long. This is a break away from their romantic songs. This is a chance for the group to show their sexy sides. They got a chance to talk about something else besides being in love for life. They wanted to show their freaky sides. We’re here for it because they do a good job talking about pleasing someone. Every woman wants a man who will please her all night long.
This midtempo track has a 90s beat. It will make you think you stepped into a time machine and traveled to the 90s. This is the type of track that could still get people on the dance floor. The song gets down and dirty and will please fans who want to hear a provocative track. Bryan Adams and Marc Calderon take turns singing lead on this track. Bryan Adams holds a note in the song that wasn’t expected. It didn’t seem like he was building up to hold the note, but he did it. He pulled it off effortlessly. Bootsy Collins talks throughout the song. He also has a small part after the bridge. He didn’t need to be included in the song because the group did just fine. He doesn’t hurt the song, but he doesn’t add anything to it either.
# 6 – Let’s Start with Forever
The alluring song is from the album Time and Chance. The song has an r&b and pop beat. The longing song is about a man who wants to start a new relationship with a woman. He doesn’t know her well, but he wants to take the risk and be together. She is hesitant about being together, but he assures her that they should make it work. He’s willing to put his heart on the line to be with her. He will do whatever it takes to win her heart. The song is the equivalent to love at first sight. He wants to take the chance and be with her forever.
He manages to sound romantic and not like a stalker. The lyrics are wonderfully written. Diane Warren wrote the song so you can expect to hear a song about romance. She likes to write songs about being in love or falling in love so this is her comfort zone. The music is seductive. There is a saxophone solo that makes the song sound sexier. The track is perfect for slow dancing. The guys take turns stepping up to the microphone. They did an excellent job on this track. Bryan Adams tries to turn the song into a power ballad. He holds a note and does fantastic runs at the end.
# 5 – Remember When
The next song on our Top 10 Color Me Badd Songs list is “Remember When” from the album Awakenings. The song has an r&b and pop sound. The heartbreaking song is about a man who wanted to remember what happened when he was still with the love of his life. He wanted to remember when he could see forever in her eyes. The woman he loves walks away from him and he wants to reminisce about the good times. He is sad and wants to think about happier times. Anyone who has lost the love of their life will be able to understand where they are coming from in this song.
The group wasn’t at the height of their fame anymore when they recorded this track. In fact, this is their last single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. This song is proof the guys still had it. The song is the first one on our list that deals with heartache. You can feel the pain when they sing the song. They make you feel for them because they are dealing with the loss of their lovers. Bryan Adams takes the reigns on this track. He sings the song with soul. He has more grit in his voice when he belts towards the end of the track. He sings in his upper and lower registers throughout the song. He shows amazing control over his voice. The rest of the group provides the harmonies. Their voices sound like one person singing because they blend together so well. This underrated song should have been promoted more because it would have been a bigger hit for the group.
# 4 – Thinkin’ Back
The morose song is from the album C.M.B. The song has an r&b and pop beat. The reminiscent song is about a man who looks back on a relationship. She broke his heart while they were together, but he can’t get her out of his head. He thinks about the good times they had together. He regrets that he lost her. He wants to think back to a time when they were happy during their relationship. This is another song that strays away from their love songs. This song is about a failing relationship. This is the type of song you can listen to in the dark so you can reflect on your relationship.
The music is soothing and relaxing and will give you a chance to think about things. The music has an old school flare. It was written in the 90s, but the music sounds older. The track sounds soulful. The guys’ vocals are on point on this jam. They don’t hold back on this banger. They sound seductive even though they are lovelorn in the song. Their harmonies are tight and make you want to sing along with them. Bryan Adams gets an A+ for the long note he holds at the end of the track.
# 3 – All 4 Love
The bouncy song is from the album C.M.B. The song has a New Jack Swing sound. The energetic song is about a man who expresses his love for his woman. He lets her know that he would do anything for her. He would do anything for love. He tells her how much he cares for her. He wants to take care of her the way no one else would ever do. He wants to show her that he will be there for her. This is where the group is most comfortable. Lyrically, it’s the same theme as their other tracks. This song has tempo to it while the other tracks are ballads.
The music sounds like it’s a throwback to the 50s mixed with a 90s sound. This is a song that will have you moving around. This is the third single from the smash hit album C.M.B. This track peaked at number one on the Hot 100 charts. They sound like they were in the business for years, but this track is from their debut album. They found their sound early on and it paid off for them. They worked very well together. Their harmonies are off the charts. They even perform doo wop on the track. They don’t leave anything on the table. Bryan Adams holds a note as the song fades out that you won’t want to miss.
# 2 – I Wanna Sex You Up
The sexually charged song is from the albums C.M.B. and the New Jack City Soundtrack. The song has a New Jack Swing beat. The sultry song is about seduction. He wants to have sex with his woman. He wants to be with her all night. He asks her to let him be with her. He wants to be with her until they both wake up. The song doesn’t really fit in the movie, but you can still enjoy it. You can play this banger for the person in your life if you want to do the same thing as the group. This track gives the group a chance to get down and dirty with their lovers.
Fans of the group will instantly recognize this track as soon as the song starts. This is one of their most recognizable songs. Once you hear the woman in the background sing, “tick tock you don’t stop,” you already know the song. This was a huge hit in the 90s. Some of the lyrics don’t make too much sense if you pay attention to them, but this song is not about the lyrics. The point of this song is about the way they sing it and the music for it. You won’t be able to sit still while this song is playing. Bryan Adams takes over the lead. He showed the world that Color Me Badd wanted to be noticed in the music business. He sings the song with so much soul. He commands you to sing along with them.
# 1 – I Adore Mi Amor
The number one song on our Top 10 Color Me Badd Songs list is “I Adore Mi Amor” from the album C.M.B. The song has an r&b and pop sound. The seductive song is about a man who is with someone, but his head is turned. Another woman tempts him. He doesn’t want to hurt the woman in his life for the seductress. The other woman tempts him, but he refused to hurt the lady in his life. The song is misleading. If you go by the title, it reads like a romantic song. If you pay attention to the lyrics, the song tells a different story. The story is about a man who has his head turned by another woman.
“I Wanna Sex You Up” may arguably be Color Me Badd’s signature song, but “I Adore Mi Amor” reached number one on the charts. We had to toss a coin to decide which one to put at the top of our list. This ballad is recognizable once you hear the harmonies start. They get the song off to a great start by harmonizing in the beginning of it. All of the guys get a chance to sing on this track. They sound magnificent on this song. Their harmonies are top notch on this track. It’s impossible to listen to the guys sing this and not join them. This song is an earworm that you won’t want to get out of your head. Everything about this song works. Here is a fun fact about the song. Jam & Lewis convinced them to sing their hit song “I Adore Mi Amor.” They suggested the group sing the song because they are a multicultural group. They felt they should write an English and Latin song so they came up with this banger.
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Top 10 Color Me Badd Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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