Our Top 10 Patrice Rushen Songs list looks at a talented singer, songwriter and musician. She is just as known for her outstanding musicianship as she is for her singing. Patrice Rushen is an accomplished pianist. She can also play the synthesizer, keyboard and drums. There aren’t too many people in music who can play as many instruments as Patrice Rushen. If you are a fan of the singer and musician, you know that she is probably best known for her single “Forget Me Nots.” She is a Grammy-nominated artist. Her other hits include “Haven’t You Heard,” “Feels So Real (Won’t Let Go),” “Remind Me,” “Look Up” as well as other singles.
Patrice Louise Rushen was born on September 30, 1954. She started playing music at an early age. She began playing the piano when she was three years old. She earned a degree in music. She won a competition with her band at a jazz festival. This win led to her getting signed for a record deal. She signed with Prestige Records. She recorded three albums with the label.
Prelusion came out in 1974. The album features the singles “Haw Right Now,” “Shortie’s Portion” and “Puttered Bopcorn.” Before the Dawn was released in 1975. The album peaked at number 14 on the jazz charts and number 48 on the r&b charts. It features the single “What’s the Story.” Shout It Out came out in 1977. It peaked at number 16 on the jazz charts and number 164 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Shout It Out,” “Let Your Heart Be Free” and “Let There Be Funk.” Patrice came out in 1978. The album peaked at number five on the jazz charts, number 27 on the r&b charts and number 98 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Hang It Up,” “Didn’t We Know,” “Changes (In Your Life)” and “When I Found You.”
Pizzazz came out in 1979. The album peaked at number two on the jazz charts, number 11 on the r&b charts and number 39 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Haven’t You Heard,” “Let the Music Take Me,” “Settle for My Love” and “Keeping Faith in Love.” Posh came out in 1980. It peaked at number 23 on the r&b charts and number 71 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Look Up,” “I Need Your Love,” “The Funk Won’t Let You Down” and “Time Will Tell.” Straight from the Heart was released in 1982. It peaked at number four on the r&b charts and number 14 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Forget Me Nots,” “Remind Me,” “Breakout” and “I Was Tired of Being Alone.” Now was released in 1984. The album peaked at number seven on the r&b charts and number 40 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Feels So Real (Won’t Let Go)” and “Get Off (You Fascinate Me).”
Watch Out came out in 1987. It peaked at number 19 on the r&b charts and number 77 on the Billboard 200 charts. It features the singles “Watch Out,” “Somewhere,” “Anything Can Happen,” “All My Love,” “’Till She’s Out of Your Mind,” “Come Back to Me” and “Tender Lovin’.” Anything But Ordinary came out in 1994. The album features the singles “My Heart, Your Heart,” “I Do” and “Tell Me.” Signature was released in 1997. It peaked at number 11 on the jazz charts. It features the singles “Almost Home,” “Days Gone By” and “Softly.”
Patrice Rushen is a talented singer, songwriter and musician. She has a gift for creating beautiful music. She was able to achieve fame while being up against talented singers such as Evelyn “Champagne” King, Donna Summer, The Whispers, Loose Ends, Angela Winbush, The Gap Band, Levert, Guy, Whitney Houston, The Jones Girls, Natalie Cole, The Brothers Johnson, Change, Gladys Knight, Sister Sledge, Melba Moore, Regina Belle, Janet Jackson, Teena Marie, D Train, Surface, Midnight Star, Atlantic Star, Heatwave, Rick James, Prince as well as many others. She hasn’t been given her flowers for her work in music so our list is her chance to receive them. Our Top 10 Patrice Rushen Songs list will feature her best songs.
# 10 – Didn’t You Know
The first song on our Top 10 Patrice Rushen Songs list is “Didn’t You Know” from the album Patience. The song has an r&b sound. The touching song is about a woman who was in love with a man who didn’t know how she felt. He never noticed how she felt about him. She used to hope that she would get him. For some reason, he never noticed that she was in love with him. She gave him signs, but he didn’t notice how she felt. She questioned why he didn’t notice that she was in love with him. She wants him to look and see her. Have you wished for someone you loved to notice you? If you can say yes to that question, you need to listen to Patrice Rushen tell the story.
The lyrics for this song are relatable if you have ever yearned to be with someone who won’t look at you. It can be hard to love someone from afar. She lets you know that you aren’t alone. The music is soft and soothing. If you want to relax, this is the song you should play. Patrice Rushen is a talented musician. She played most of the instruments in the song. Patrice Rushen’s sweet voice could melt your heart. She makes you feel the pain that she is feeling of not having the man she wants. The background singers do a great job backing her up.
# 9 – Get Off (You Fascinate Me)
The next song on our Top 10 Patrice Rushen Song list is “Get Off (You Fascinate Me)” from the album Now. The song has a funk beat. The energetic song is about a woman being fascinated by people in the club. She walks into a club for the first time, and she is impressed by the people she sees. She doesn’t seem like she fits in at first, but she is invited to join everyone in the club. She loves the way the people in the club are dancing. They feel so free and alive in the club. She wants to join them.
You won’t learn anything new from a song like this. Most singers record songs about being in a club. This song is everything you would expect from a track like this one. This song sounds like something Prince or Rick James would have recorded early in their careers. Lyrically, the song doesn’t give you much. This song is about the beat. The beat is perfect for the club. You will be out of your seat while this song is playing. It was recorded years ago, but it still holds up today. Patrice Rushen gets the chance to have fun on this track. She sings at the pace of the beat. She doesn’t push to make the song a power track, but she does an excellent job on it.
# 8 – Look Up
The inspirational song is from the album Posh. The song has a disco and funk beat. The motivational song is about a woman giving people advice about not giving up on life. She advises you to keep pushing. If you are feeling down, she wants you to “look up” and enjoy yourself. If you’re upset, she wants you to “look up.” If you want to make it in life, it’s up to you. She wants you to make things better for yourself. She lets you know that life is unknown, but you have choices to make. Whatever you decide to do, “look up” and enjoy yourself. She found a positive way of looking at life when it gets you down.
When you hear inspirational songs like this one, they are usually ballads. Patrice Rushen came up with a way to inspire you while getting you on the dance floor. The problem with the song being an up-tempo song is that the message could get lost. If you’re feeling the music, you might forget the message behind the song. Try to pay attention to the lyrics and you’ll see how compelling they are. Her vocals are strong on this track. She shows some power on it. She takes some chances that she didn’t take on our previous entries.
# 7 – Never Gonna Give You Up (Won’t Let You Be) ft. Wali Ali
The determined song is from the album Posh. The song has a disco and funk beat. The steadfast song is about a woman who doesn’t want her man to walk out on her. She was surprised when she woke up and found out that her man was gone. She expected him to be there with her. He threatened to leave her before, but she didn’t believe he would do it. She thought they could work things out. She’s in denial because she doesn’t want to give him up. She’s determined to keep him in her life. She will never give up the hope that he will come back to her. She’s on her knees pleading with him not to leave.
He wants her to see that he can’t keep staying in the relationship with her. He wants to leave and doesn’t want her to apologize to him anymore. This song is presented as if they are having a conversation with each other. The listeners get a chance to hear their conversation take place. They want different things. She wants him to stay, but he wants to go. This argument takes place over hypnotic disco and funk music. The melody sounds like Phyllis Hyman’s hit “You Know How to Love Me.” Patrice Rushen plays the acoustic piano and the synthesizers which showcase her immense talent. She could teach a course on how to perfect your skills on the piano. Patrice Rushen and Wali Ali sound terrific together. Their voices complement each other. His baritone vocals were the perfect balance for her soft soprano vocals. They give each other the space to shine on this song. She has a little aggression in her voice as she asks him to stay with her.
# 6 – When I Found You
The intimate song is from the album Patrice. The song has an r&b and jazz beat. The charming song is about a woman who feels her life is better now that she has him in it. She thought her life was empty before he came along. He makes her life complete. She is proud to shout out to people that she found love because of him. She was lonely before she met him. He is the one who puts a smile on her face. He gives her the opportunity to have a new start on life. She has happiness in her heart because of him.
“When I Found You” gives you hope that you can find someone who will put a smile on your face. If you feel like no one loves you, this song will tell you that you can find someone who will make a difference in your life. The ballad is beautiful music. It’s music to our ears. She did a terrific job arranging the music to this jam. The music is ideal for a love song. You can listen to the music while you’re thinking of that special someone. The musicians sound spectacular. The saxophone solo gives the song a sexy vibe. Speaking of sexy, Patrice Rushen’s vocals are sexy. She sounds inviting as she expresses her love for her man. She sounds like a woman in love. You can’t help being happy for her as she talks about the love she found.
# 5 – Watch Out
The next song on Our Top 10 Patrice Rushen Songs list is “Watch Out” from the album of the same name. The song has an r&b beat. This upbeat song is about her warning a person about falling in love. She lets the person know that love is going to get them so they need to watch out for it. You can hide, but love is going to find you anyway. You may think you can avoid it, but you can’t hide from love. Love will find you no matter where you are in life. She advises you to listen to your heart and what it’s telling you. There’s someone out there who wants to get close to you.
The lyrics are like advice to yourself about falling in love. No matter how hard you try to fight it you won’t win. The lyrics tell a story about love. The song has an 80s beat to it. Once you hear the first couple of notes, you know it’s an 80s jam. The synthesizer and drumbeat drive the song. Patrice Rushen is the Jackie-of-all musical trades because she’s playing multiple instruments on this track. She is a genius when it comes to music. Her sound is similar to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis’ sound. The song sounds like something Janet Jackson would have recorded. Patrice Rushen sounds a little like Janet Jackson on this song. Her voice is soothing and will put a smile on your face.
# 4 – Remind Me
The sultry song is from the album Straight from the Heart. The song has an r&b and jazz beat. The sensual song is about a woman who talks about being in love. Everything she sees reminds her of the man that she loves. She feels lucky that she’s in love. She is happy to have him in her life. Other love songs talk about falling in and out of love. She talks about being lucky to have her man love her the way he does. This should make any man feel special to know that his woman feels lucky to have him in her life.
The groove of this jam is everything. The cool and breezy vibe is classic r&b music. This song can still be heard on Quiet Storm radio. You can listen to this song while you’re with the person you love. The music will have you slow dancing with your lover. The instrumentation will remind you of the musical genius that Patrice Rushen is. She came up with an astounding way to convey the words into music. The music is food for your soul. You can sit back and listen to this musical genius serenade you. There is a musical pause that gives listeners a chance to listen to the breathtaking music. Patrice Rushen has a piano solo that will blow you away. This song appears on the album with “Forget Me Nots” so this song could have been overlooked, but it deserves attention. This song has been sampled quite a bit by different artists which helps give the song new life.
# 3 – Haven’t You Heard
The idealistic song is from the album Pizzazz. The song has a disco and r&b beat. The delightful jam is about a woman telling a man that she’s been looking for him. She wants to have the perfect guy. She lets her future man know that she’s looking for her dream guy. The narrator gives a list of things that he must have for her to be happy. She is very specific on what she wants. If he has the qualities she’s looking for, then she wants him in her life. She isn’t asking for much. She wants a man who will be good to her and love her. We can’t blame her because she wants what everyone wants.
The music for this jam sounds like she’s putting everything in the musical stew. She arranged disco, r&b and gospel music together to make this party jam. She strays away from her jazz background to record the disco track. The music is mesmerizing and will hold your attention until the final note is played. Patrice Rushen gets the chance to stretch her musical muscle. She belts in the song in ways that she didn’t do in our previous entries. She sounds pretty projecting her voice throughout the song. She will take you to church on this song. This song was given new life when Kirk Franklin used it as a sample for his track of the same name.
# 2 – Feels So Real (Won’t Let Go)
The hedonistic song is from the album Now. The song has an r&b sound. The devotional song is about a woman who enjoys being with her man. He makes her feel special. The time she spends with him makes her feel real. She makes being intimate with her man sound classy. She enjoys the time she spends with him. She feels like her mind can’t let go of the intimacy she shares with him. The singer talks about enjoying her night with her man. We can’t argue with that. Most of us want to enjoy special moments with the people we love.
The music is soft and smooth. The production of the song is impeccable. The bassline of the jam is fire. Patrice Rushen as well as the rest of the musicians deserve a round of applause for what they were able to accomplish. The music doesn’t overpower her voice. Patrice Rushen’s voice is seductive on this song. She has the type of voice that will put you in the mood to spend time with your lover. Her hypnotic voice will put you in a trance until the song is done. The song was recorded years ago but can still be heard on the radio today.
# 1 – Forget Me Nots
The number one song on our Top 10 Patrice Rushen Songs list is “Forget Me Nots” from the album Straight from the Heart. The song has an r&b beat. The unforgettable song is about a woman who wants an ex-lover to remember her. She wants to leave something behind so he won’t forget her. She is longing to be with him again. She will do anything to get him to remember her for life. The singer tells a story about giving up too soon on her relationship. She lets him know that she loves him and needs him. They parted as friends, but she wants the chance to be his lover again. She lets him know that she will love him forever.
If you are familiar with Patrice Rushen’s music, you know we couldn’t have finished our list without having her biggest hit at the top of it. This is one of her signature songs. This jam is probably the first one that will come to mind when you think of this artist. Patrice Rushen makes you believe that she’s yearning for her ex in this song. She stays in character throughout the entire song. Her beautiful voice will captivate you. She makes this song easy to sing along with her. The chorus is easy to remember and that’s a great way to keep it in your head. Here is some trivia about the song. Her record label didn’t believe the song would be a hit. She had to promote the song to get it played. She made the right call because it was a huge hit for her. Here is a fun fact about the track. Gerald Albright plays the saxophone on this song. The song was given new life when Will Smith used it as a sample for his song “Men in Black.” This jam was recorded years ago, but it will never get old.
Feature Photo: “Cowboy” Ben Alman, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Top 10 Patrice Rushen Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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