Our Top 10 Joe Songs list looks at a popular r&b singer, songwriter and producer. He gained fame in a time when hip-hop dominated the airwaves. He was able to achieve success in the r&b genre. He wrote most of his songs and he worked with other artists. He wrote and produced songs for Case, Chicago, Changing Faces, Luther Vandross, Chico DeBarge, Babyface, Will Downing, BeBe Winans, Tyrese, Xscape, Profyle, Sparkle as well as others. He had to compete with a lot of artists to get airplay. He had to compete with Babyface, Brian McKnight, Jesse Powell, R Kelly, Case, Tyrese, Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, Luther Vandross, Donell Jones, Avant, 112, Chico DeBarge, Jaheim, Keith Sweat, Jon B, Boyz II Men, Usher, Marques Houston, as well as others. Joe’s hits include “All The Things (Your Man Won’t Do),” I Wanna Know,” “Don’t Wanna Be A Player,” “Stutter,” as well as other hit songs.
Joseph Lewis Thomas was born on July 5, 1972. He got his start in music by writing songs while working at temporary jobs. His big break came when he met music producer Vincent Herbert. He recorded a demo tape and the rest was history. He was signed to PolyGram Records in 1992. One year later he released his debut album.
Everything was released in 1993. The album peaked at number 16 on the r&b charts and number 105 on Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “I’m in Luv,” “The One for Me” and “All or Nothing.” Joe would go on to achieve greater success with his second album All That I Am which was released in 1997. The album peaked at number four on the r&b charts and number 13 on Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “The Love Scene,” “Good Girls” and All That I Am.” The album sold over 500,000 copies. My Name Is Joe was released in 2000. It peaked at number one on the r&b charts and number two on Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “I Wanna Know,” “Treat Her Like A Lady” and “Stutter.” The album sold over three million copies. Better Days was released in 2001. It peaked at number three on the r&b charts and number 32 on Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Let’s Stay Home Tonight,” “What If a Woman” and “Isn’t This the World.” The album sold over 500,000 copies.
And Then… came out in 2003. It peaked at number four on the r&b charts and number 26 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “More & More,” “Ride wit U” and “Priceless.” It sold over 500,000 copies. Ain’t Nothin’ Like Me was released in 2007. The album peaked at number one on the r&b charts and number two on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Where You At” and “If I Was Your Man.” Joe Thomas, New Man was released in 2008. It peaked at number three on the r&b charts and number eight on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “E.R. (Emergency Room)” and “Why Just Be Friends.” Signature came out in 2009. It peaked at number two on the r&b charts and number seven on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Majic” and “Worse Case Scenario.”
The Good, the Bad, the Sexy came out in 2011. It peaked at number two on the r&b charts and number eight on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the single “Time of Your Life.” Double Back: Evolution of R&B came out in 2013. It peaked at number four on the r&b charts and number six on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “I’d Rather Have a Love,” “Love & Sex” and “Something for You.” Bridges was released in 2014. It peaked at number three on the r&b charts and number 17 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Love & Sex Pt. 2” and “If You Lose Her.” My Name Is Joe Thomas was released in 2016. It peaked at number two on the r&b charts and number 17 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Lean Into It” and “So I Can Have You Back.”
Joe is a gifted and talented singer, songwriter and producer. He was able to achieve success during a time when hip-hop music took over. He proved that r&b music can still be a driving force in the industry. Many of Joe’s albums peaked in the Top 20 on the charts. Our list is a chance to celebrate Joe’s success in music. Our Top 10 Joe Songs feature his best songs.
# 10 – What If a Woman
The first song on our Top 10 Joe Songs list is “What If a Woman” from the album Better Days. The song has an r&b beat. This flip-the-script song is about how a man would feel if a woman treated him the way he treated her. He is speaking from an outsider’s point of view. He wants the man to realize how he’s treating his woman. He wonders how he would feel if his woman stayed out late, never spent time with him, left him home to take care of the kids and cheated on him. How would he feel if his woman didn’t want to settle down with him? Joe asks the man in the story all the right questions to make him think. He asks the guy how he would feel if the tables were turned.
“What If a Woman” is a track that makes you think about your relationship. It’s easy to take someone for granted and Joe wants men to step back and think about what they are doing to the women in their lives. The lyrics are like a cautionary tale to men who want to take their women for granted. The lyrics are more poignant because they are coming from a man’s point of view. He could have easily written the song and sided with the guy. He chose to respect the ladies and side with them. Women will cheer him on as he talks about respecting them. Joe speaks the truth when he recites the lyrics. He sounds very persuasive as he sings the lyrics. His smooth vocals are what we need in our lives. His harmonies are excellent.
# 9 – Don’t Wanna Be a Player
The next song on our Top 10 Joe Songs list is “Don’t Wanna Be a Player” from the album All That I Am. The reformed song is about a man who doesn’t want to play around anymore now that he’s found someone he can settle down with in life. He wants to change his player ways and be a better man. He’s done with running around. He has found the woman that he wants for life. He wants to change his pimping ways so he can be worthy of her. He’s ready to change because he wants to find a woman he can settle down with for life. He finally found the woman who has inspired him to change his ways.
A lot of men like to talk about the women they have been with, but Joe changed things up. He wants to talk about settling down with someone. He’s even willing to change his playboy ways to be with her. The lyrics mean a lot to a woman if she’s looking for a man who is willing to change his ways for her. He put a romantic spin on a player’s life. The music is simple and that’s just what the love doctor ordered. The sound is from the 90s, but it doesn’t sound dated. It can still work today. Joe has a cool vibe to him while he sings the song. His timing is a little off with the music. He is just behind the beat when he sings the verses. His vocals are smooth like silk. Rodney Jerkins co-wrote this song with Joe. The production for this song is reminiscent of Teddy Riley’s productions. He uses a vocoder for this jam too.
# 8 – Ride wit U ft. G-Unit
The flirty song is from the album And Then…. The song has an r&b and hip-hop beat. “Ride wit U” is an enticing song about the way he feels about a woman. He wants to get together with her. He wants her to take a ride with him. He talks about how attractive she is. He wants to be with her. He lets her know that he’s going to come and get her because he wants her. He’s attracted to her body and her mind. He will take her to paradise. He will do whatever he can to get her to go home with him. Her beauty is enough for them to go anywhere they want. This urban love jam will make you believe that you can fall in love or lust in the hood.
“Ride wit U” is r&b meets hip-hop. This is an opportunity for the worlds to collide. Joe teams up with G-Unit on this track. This song gives Joe a harder edge. He sings r&b songs about romance. He switches things up by singing a lustful song. He changed things up by singing a song that’s more appropriate for the hip-hop community. Joe’s able to adapt to his surroundings. He can sing both types of music. It’s fun to dance to this irresistible beat. It will stay in your head long after the song is over. Joe may have changed the style of music for this track, but the voice is still the same. He delivers on every note. G-Unit is along for the ride. Their rhymes are impressive. They are having a great time on this song and so are we. They are right at home with this track. In fact, you can forget this is Joe’s song because they command the track. Joe should have a bigger part in the song, but it’s still a great party jam.
# 7 – Let’s Stay Home Tonight
The romantic song is from the album Better Days. The song has an r&b sound. The sensual song is about a man who wants to stay home with his woman. He will have more fun staying home with the love of his life than going out on the town. He wants to make love to his woman all night long. He wants to stay home and spend quality time with his lover. This is true babymaking music at its finest. This song is for lovers who want to spend time together. If you want to be with your special someone, you can play this song and have quality time with him.
This is a track where Joe is right at home. “Let’s Stay Home Tonight” is a track that will make couples go crazy. They will be able to have fun while allowing Joe to serenade them with the lyrics. Ordinarily, this type of theme would have a ballad instrumentation. He proves that he’s not afraid to take risks when it comes to music. The producers created an up-tempo song. The song will make you think about being with your lover on the dance floor. This is grown folks’ music at its finest. It has a classic r&b sound. Joe’s vocals are soothing and smooth like butter. He shows versatility on the song because his voice goes up and down throughout the track.
# 6 – If I Was You Man
The questionable song is from the album Ain’t Nothin’ Like Me. The song has an r&b beat. The emotional song is about a man trying to convince a woman to be his. He is willing to change who he is for her. He put her through a lot when they were together. The narrator believes that she deserves to be with a better man than him. He admits to her that he can’t let her go. He said he would give up the world for her if he could be her man. He wants to be her man. He promised her that he would keep things real with her this time. He would do his best not to hurt her.
If you were the woman he’s singing about in the song, you would have to change your mind about him after hearing the lyrics. The song reads like poetry. If you were in doubt about whether you should take someone back, this song might convince you that you should do it. The stirring music will get you on the floor. Once you hear the first few notes, you are in for a fantastic ride that you won’t want to end. You will want to dance to the bouncy beat with your lover. Joe’s vocals are amazing. He sings in time with the beat. He sings the song with a double so his vocals are stacked. His voice blends in with the music. He gets into the song and we’re here for it. He belts a little when he performs his runs in the chorus. His harmonies are perfect. You will fall in love with this jam because he does everything right on it.
# 5 – Stutter (Remix) ft. Mystikal
The next song on our Top 10 Joe Songs list is “Stutter” from the album My Name Is Joe. The song has an r&b beat. “Stutter” is a confrontational song about a man confronting a woman who cheated on him. He demands to know where she when she went out. He asks her all the right questions he’s supposed to ask when he has a suspicious mind. He waits to hear what she’s going to say to him. He knows when she lies. She always “stutters” when she lies to him. He wants to see if she’s going to “stutter” when she answers his questions. Joe wants answers from her and knows how to catch her.
Men don’t talk about cheating women too much in r&b music. They mostly talk about falling in love with them or lusting after them. Joe wanted to go deeper and darker. He wanted to tell a story of a cheating woman. It’s hard to believe that someone who is romantic like he is would have to deal with that, but it is what it is. He gives away how he knows she’s cheating. He informs her that she stutters when she lies. In his mind, her stuttering is proof she cheated on him. Joe sounds bitter on this song. His bitterness adds to the believability of the song. Mystikal provides the rap on the song. His rhyming skills are unique. He shouts when he raps, but it adds to the anger that’s needed on the song. He borrows the flow from his song “Shake It Fast” when he starts his part. They seem like an odd pair, but they make this song work. They should do more tracks together.
# 4 – No One Else Comes Close
The devotional song is from the album All That I Am. The song has an r&b beat. This enamored song is about a man who is in love with his woman. No one in the world is like her. She’s special to him and he would never lead astray. He lets her know that no one else comes close to her in his mind. She is the only one he wants in his life. He romanticizes how much she means to him. He lets her know that she can do a lot with her touch. If you want to bring tears of joy to your lady’s eyes, you should play this song. She will tear up listening to these beautiful words.
This banger would make the perfect wedding song. The groom can play this song to his bride. There won’t be a dry eye around. Any woman would be flattered to hear this song. She would have to check her pulse if the lyrics didn’t make her feel weak in the knees. Joe proves why he’s one of the kings of romance on this jam. He wrote a touching song about the woman he loves. He sounds like he really loves her and it’s a beautiful thing. His vocals are amazing on this track. He does smooth runs effortlessly. He belts towards the end of the song. He sounds like Stevie Wonder when he belts. The song is underrated and deserves more attention than it received. This song should have been a single. The song was given a new lease on life when the Backstreet Boys covered this song for their album.
# 3 – Treat Her Like a Lady
The advisable song is from the album My Name Is Joe. The track has an r&b sound. The informative song is about a man advises another man to treat his woman right. He asks him if he does the things he should do in order for her to feel like a lady. He asks him if he buys her roses or rubs her feet. Does he treat her like a queen? Is he ever a gentleman for her? Does he hold the door open for her? He asks him when was the last time they had an argument. Joe asks the guy important questions about his relationship. He warns him that she will find another man who will treat her right if he doesn’t change his ways. Truer words were never spoken, and Joe does an excellent job pointing this out to his friend. If the guy doesn’t treat her right, she will replace him for someone who will.
Joe had the right idea to go this route with the song. This is a track that will keep him in women’s good graces. He knows what to do to make women go crazy. He says the right things by talking about treating women like queens. This song is along the lines of R Kelly’s song “When a Woman’s Fed Up.” The themes are very similar. Joe’s songs feel like they are familiar even if you haven’t heard them before. You might find yourself singing along to it as if you heard it all along. He has a gift for recording familiar songs. Joe does a great job convincing the listeners that he believes what he’s saying. He sounds passionate and sincere as he recites each word. His sexy vocals make the song sound even better. He doesn’t come across as judgmental. He sounds like he’s concerned for the relationship.
# 2 – All the Things (Your Man Won’t Do)
The straightforward song is from the album All That I Am. The song has an r&b beat. The pleasant song is story of man who will do everything your man won’t do for you. He’s okay with being the other man. He wants to take care of her. He knows that her man isn’t doing what he’s supposed to do to make her happy. He goes into detail about the romantic things he will do for her. He knows her man won’t give her the romantic nights that she reads about in novels, but he offers to give that to her. Some of the lyrics may seem unrealistic (making love on a beach of jet black sand isn’t very likely), but it definitely sounds convincing. He talks about giving her the finer things in life. Most women will not argue with this promise, but he may not be able to deliver that for her.
If his goal is to get the woman into bed, his plan will work. Women will love to hear a man say he will do these things for her. The idea of everything he wants to do sounds sweet and romantic, but he is trying to steal another man’s girlfriend from him. If you can get past that, you will find this song enjoyable. This song is more geared toward women than it is to men. Men might not be too happy with the things Joe wants to do their women in the song. They might get offended at the idea of him seducing their women. Joe’s vocals are flawless that you can forget that he wants to steal another man’s girlfriend from him. He nails this song without any hesitation. This is one of Joe’s signature songs. This could have been number one on our list, but it came down to a coin toss.
# 1 – I Wanna Know/Thank God I Found You Mariah Carey ft Joe and 98 Degrees (tie)
The number one songs on our list are “I Wanna Know” and “Thank God I Found You” by Mariah Carey, Joe and 98 Degrees. This is the first time we had to do a tie on our list. Both songs were number one and they are his biggest hits. We couldn’t choose so we took the easy way out and had a tie. We’ll start with “I Wanna Know” first. “I Wanna Know” is from his album My Name Is Joe. The song has an r&b beat. The sweet song is about a man who wants to know what turns his woman on. He talks about how she makes him feel complete. He wants to be the man she wants. He wants to make her smile. It’s sweet that he wants to know everything about her so he knows how to treat her right. Every woman wants a man who knows her like that. Joe knows the right things to say to put a smile on your face. He does a magnificent job on this tender jam. His voice is distinctive, and you will know his jam instantly if you are a fan of his work. You can play this song if you want to be intimate with your lover.
“Thank God I Found You” appears on Mariah Carey’s album Rainbow. If you have read our Top 10 Mariah Carey, 98 Degrees, and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Songs lists, then you have seen this song appear on those lists. We had to add it to this list because it’s one of Joe’s biggest hits. The devotional song is about people celebrating love. They are thankful to have found the people in their lives. The lyrics are a beautiful portrayal of love. The lyrics are touching without being sappy. Mariah Carey and Joe have amazing chemistry with each other. Mariah Carey doesn’t record too many duets with r&b singers so this was a treat to hear. They are electrifying on this track. They hit all the right notes to make this song a success. They vocally soar toward the end of the song. They turn this song into a power ballad. This song is worth a listen and deserves to be celebrated once again.
Feature Photo: Joe_playing_guitar.JPG: FBKderivative work: Novice7, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Top 10 Joe Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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