Feature Photo: Khakimullin Aleksandr/ Shutterstock
Our Top 10 Pebbles Songs list looks at a singer, songwriter, producer and music executive. Pebbles is known for the hits she recorded in the 80s and 90s. She’s known for the hit singles “Girlfriend,” “Mercedes Boy,” “Giving You the Benefit” and “Love Makes Things Happen.” She struck gold when she teamed up with La Reid and Babyface. They helped launch her career. Pebbles founded her own record label called Savvy Records in 1989. The singer also has a production company called Pebbitone. She helped discover TLC.
Peri McKissack was born on August 29, 1964. Singing runs in her family. She is the cousin of singer Cherrelle. Pebbles got her start in music when she was a background singer for Bill Summers and the Con Funk Shun. She wrote one of their singles “Body Lovers.” Her husband at the time had faith in her. He gave her money for a demo tape and a video for her single “Mercedes Boy.” This led to her getting signed with MCA Records.
Pebbles released her eponymous album in 1987. The album peaked at number five on the r&b charts and number 14 on the Billboard 200 charts. The album features the singles “Girlfriend,” “Mercedes Boy,” “Take Your Time” and “Do Me Right.” The album sold over one million copies. Always came out in 1990. The album peaked at number 12 on the r&b charts and number 37 on the Billboard 200 charts. The album features the singles “Giving You the Benefit,” “Love Makes Things Happen,” “Backyard” and “Always.” The album sold over one million copies. Straight From My Heart came out in 1995. The album peaked at number 43 on the r&b charts and number 146 on the Billboard 200 charts. The album features the single “Are You Ready?.” Pebbles decided to give up singing r&b music and switched to gospel music. She released the gospel album Prophetic Flows Vol I & II. The album peaked at number 12 on the Gospel charts. The album features the single “Let Freedom Reign.”
Pebbles may have given up singing r&b music, but her legacy will live on for life. She was able to achieve fame right away. She had to compete with artists such as Vanessa Williams, Janet Jackson, Jody Watley, Whitney Houston, Anita Baker, Regina Belle, Melba Moore, Miki Howard, Cherrelle, Paula Abdul as well as others for popularity in r&b music. She has excellent hits in her catalog and our list is our chance to discuss them. Our Top 10 Pebbles Songs list will feature her best songs.
# 10 – Are You Ready?
The first song on our Top 10 Pebbles Songs list is “Are Your Ready?” from the album Straight From My Heart. The song has an r&b and hip-hop sound. The cautionary song is about letting a man know what’s going to happen if he breaks up with her. She’s convinced that he will want her back as soon as he walks away from her. She says their love is so exciting that he won’t be able to resist her. She believes she can resist him, but she doesn’t think he could resist her. She wants to know if he’s ready for her because she wants to make their relationship work. She tells him what will happen if he walks out of her life.
At this point, she parted ways with La Reid and Babyface. They were responsible for a lot of her hit songs so she took a risk. She worked with new producers for Straight From My Heart. She worked with Mario Winans on this track. She changed her style for this song. “Are You Ready?” has more of a hip-hop sound than what her fans were used to from her. She could have taken a risk by shifting gears with her sound, but it works for her. The beat has a 90s sound but doesn’t sound dated. It sounds like something that could still be on the radio today. Pebbles sings the song with sass and the right amount of attitude to pull off the track. She demands that her man knows what he’s doing and we’re cheering her on while she talks to him.
# 9 – Two Hearts
The next song on our Top 10 Pebbles Songs list is “Two Hearts” from her eponymous album. The song has an r&b beat. The yearning song is about a woman who wants to be with a guy. He’s not sure he’s ready to commit to her because he’s wrapped up in himself. She used to be the same way, but she’s letting him know that they can work together to make their relationship work. She believes that “two hearts” are better than one. She lets him know that her heart is calling out to him, and she wants him to listen. She doesn’t want to wait anymore. She wants to get together because life is hard, and she doesn’t want to be apart.
The beat is catchy and will have you out of your seat. The synthesizer will grab your attention after the first 10 seconds of the song. The music may have an 80s sound, but it can still get you moving. The song sounds reminiscent of something from Janet Jackson’s Control album. The musicians did a great job on the beat. They did their thing on the instruments without taking the focus off Pebbles. She sings the song softly. She sings in her upper register. Pebbles sounds similar to singers Cherrelle and Janet Jackson. She raps towards the end of the song. She does a passable job rapping. She should stick to singing, but she does a decent job rapping.
# 8 – Do Me Right
The seductive song is from Pebbles eponymous album. The song has an r&b sound. The charming song is about a woman who wants to have fun with her man. She wants him to do her right. She wants to have fun with him. She can’t help herself because she wants to have fun with him. She pleads with him to be with her. This is the type of jam you can listen to when you want to have a good time with someone you love. You can put this track on and you can have fun with the person you love.
The track has a seductive beat. It’s perfect to dance to with that special person or to use in the bedroom with someone you want. The music mixes r&b with a little bit of jazz. The saxophone solo is a standout on the song. The beat has the classic 80s sound. It sounds like something Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis would have produced for Janet Jackson. Pebbles sounds pretty on this song. She sounds sexy on the track and that’s what the songwriters needed to make the song work. She gives the song her all. She sings the track with a growl in her voice towards the end. She pushes herself to hold little notes at the end of the song. Here is a fun fact about the song. Singer Charlie Wilson is a producer of the song and he appears in the background.
# 7 – Stay with Me
The amazing song is from the album Always. The song has an r&b beat. The stunning song is about unconditional love. It lets you know that true love exists. It is about commitment and being devoted to one another. She is happy that she has found someone to love because she has been alone for too long. She wants him to stay with her forever. She promises not to let him down. She lets him know that she will love him forever. She tells him that she won’t let go and that she will fight for him. She is even willing to die for him. He must really be special for her to want to fight for him and die for him. If you have a love like this, then you can definitely relate to what Pebbles is saying in this beautiful song.
This jam is perfect for a romantic evening with your special someone. The beat has the signature Darryl Simmons sound. His sound is similar to La Reid and Babyface’s sound. The music blends r&b and pop music effortlessly. This sound will never get old. The music is sexy and beautiful. Pebbles smooth vocals were excellent for this song. She sings each line in time with the beat. She sings in her upper register throughout the song. This is an underrated track on the album. This song wasn’t released as a single, but the beautiful song deserves airplay. Everything about this song works.
# 6 – Backyard ft. Salt-N-Pepa
The preventive song is from the album Always. The track has an r&b beat. The monitory song is about a woman warning her sisters to watch out for people trying to go after their men. She gives them the heads up that women are circling around to take their men from them. “Backyard” is a metaphor for people being in your home and taking your man from you. This song is like getting advice from your relative or friend. She wants to warn people what to look out for when other women are around your men. She warns the women to watch out for friends who try to take their men from them.
This song is basically a sequel to her single “Girlfriend.” If you are insecure about your relationship, you should listen to Pebbles’ advice. The lyrics will hit home and will make sense. La Reid and Babyface wrote a song about a woman reaching out to her sisters warning them about snakes in the yard. The writing team know how to write songs for women. They aren’t the target audience for the song, but they knew how to reach out to women. The music is similar to tracks they have written for other artists. You can hear sprinkles of their other songs on this track. Pebbles does a fantastic job on this track. She sounds right at home singing a LaFace jam. They knew exactly how to write for her. They bring out the best of her vocals. She belts throughout the song, and we are here for it.
# 5 – Giving You the Benefit
The next song on our Top 10 Pebbles Songs list is “Giving You the Benefit” from the album Always. The song has an r&b and New Jack Swing beat. The sassy song is about her putting her man in check. She wants him to spend time with her instead of hanging out with other people. She lets him know that if he wants to make the relationship work, he must work at it. If he doesn’t, she’s walking away from him. She thinks he still has a good heart which is why she wants to give him a chance. She doesn’t want him to give her a reason not to trust him. She’s willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
This is the debut single from the Always album. This track was a hit with r&b fans and it’s easy to see why it was a hit. The music is fantastic and great for dancing. It has a funky guitar beat, banging drums and stabbing piano riffs. There’s no way you won’t be hooked to this music. It’s impossible to stand still while it’s playing. You will be out of your seat after the first couple of bars are played. Pebbles is at home when she sings songs where she’s putting someone in their place. She sings the song with attitude. She sounds confident while she’s letting her man know that he should try to work on their relationship. There probably isn’t a man around who wouldn’t want to try to change for her. Pebbles voice is excellent for this track. Once again LaFace brought out the best in her voice. They know just what to do to bring out the best in singers.
# 4 – Girlfriend
The independent song is from her eponymous album. The song has an r&b and pop beat. The unfaithful song is about a woman who advises her friend to break up with a cheating boyfriend. He hurts her continuously. He treats her badly and uses her. Pebbles insists her friend leaves the cheating boyfriend. He doesn’t respect her because he constantly cheats on her. She is lyrically holding the woman’s hand as she explains how he is a bad choice for her. She calls him a dog for what he does to her. She asks her friend how she could let him treat her badly. Pebbles questions her without putting her down for choosing to stay with him.
Once again LaFace were able to think about women when they wrote their lyrics. They were able to write an anthem for women even though they aren’t women. The lyrics were written years ago, but they still up today. Friends will continue to look out for their friends if they are in trouble. The music for this song is outstanding. It’s the perfect accompaniment for this sister anthem. This song helped introduce the world to this diva. If things worked out the way were supposed to, another diva would have recorded this song.
This song was originally meant for singer Vanessa Williams. LaFace wanted Vanessa Williams to sing “Girlfriend” first, but Pebbles wanted it when she heard it. Pebbles ended up with the song and the rest was history. This song became an anthem for the singer so it ended up with the right person. Pebbles has a way of bringing you in with the song. She captivates you with her vocals. Speaking of her vocals, she sounds strong on this track. You won’t want this song to end so you can keep listening to her sing.
# 3 – Mercedes Boy
The flirty song is from Pebbles’ eponymous album. The song has an r&b, dance and freestyle sound. The aggressive song is about her inviting the man she likes into her car. She fell in love with him even though they were involved with other people. She lets him know that she plans to do things for him when they get together. She asks him if wants a ride because there are so many things she wants to do to him. Pebbles wrote this song about a guy she liked when she was in high school. They were in different relationships at the time so they couldn’t be together. They were checking each other out while they were dating other people. Five years later they dated each other. She came up with the title because they both had the car.
As soon as you hear her sing the question “do you wanna ride?” you already know what this song is. This track became a breakout hit for Pebbles. This is one of her signature songs. This song can still be heard at cookouts and on the radio. The song was recorded years ago, but this song will never be forgotten. This is an r&b staple and will never get old. The music has a classic 80s r&b sound. It has a stirring guitar solo that gives the song a rock edge. The solo is a highlight of the track. Pebbles shows versatility in the song. She sings the verses in her lower register. She sounds different singing in her lower register, but she sounds nice. Here is a fun fact about the song. Charlie Wilson sings in the background of the song. This song was one of the highest-charting singles of her career. It could have been number one on our list, but it lost the coin toss with the last two songs.
# 2 – Always
The romantic song is from the album of the same name. The song has an r&b beat. The lush song is about a woman who will “always” love her man. The song is self-explanatory. “Always” is a celebration of love and how it can change your life. The song is a departure from her sister anthems. She sings a tender track about being in love. She’s not angry on this song. She doesn’t have to make her man decide if their relationship is worth saving. She doesn’t have to warn a girl to watch out for her man. She is happy with the man in this song. This ballad can be used as the first song to dance to at a wedding.
This song is breathtaking. The song will touch your heart in so many ways. The romantic lyrics could be used as wedding vows. Pebbles and musician Danny Sambello wrote this warm song. They wrote an amazing song together. Danny Sambello’s hits include up-tempo tracks, but he proved he could write a ballad. Pebbles vocals are flawless on this song. She opens the song with dialogue with her cousin Cherrelle. They talk about the love she feels for her man. After the discussion, the song takes off.
She soars to heights unknown and never wants to come back down. She sings this song from the heart. She sounds like she was in love when she recorded this track. The song explodes once the bridge starts. Singer Johnny Gill sings the bridge with Pebbles and they create magic on it. Singers Cherrelle, Johnny Gill and Babyface provide the backing vocals on the song. They do a fantastic job supporting Pebbles in the song.
# 1 – Love Makes Things Happen ft. Babyface
The number one song on our Top 10 Pebbles Songs list is “Love Makes Things Happen” from the album Always. The song has an r&b beat. The sweet song is about love happening in unexpected ways. The duo talks about how it feels to fall in love. They discuss how it comes in different ways and you never know when it will happen. They say that love controls your mind. The song could be about a couple who fall in love regardless of the situation. If you listen to the lyrics, they imply that people having an affair can fall in love too. Love can hit you at any moment. They make infidelity sound romantic.
The beat is wonderful. It will stir up emotions inside of you. It will put a smile on your face as you listen to the beat. The music is soft and melodic. This is the song you want to listen to when you want to celebrate love. The track has the LaFace stamp written all over it. The melody is similar to Johnny Gill’s “My, My,My.” Pebbles and Babyface make exquisite music together. She was able to keep up with Babyface. He didn’t do too many duets with females at this point of his career, but he took a chance on this song. She proved she was up for the challenge of singing with the legendary hitmaker. They have a back and forth towards the end of the song that is a showstopper.
Top 10 Pebbles Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
Classicrockhistory.com claims ownership of all its original content and Intellectual property under United States Copyright laws and those of all other foreign countries. No one person, business, or organization is allowed to re-publish any of our original content anywhere on the web or in print without our permission. All photos used are either public domain creative commons photos or licensed officially from Shutterstock under license with ClassicRockHistory.com. All photo credits have been placed at the end of the article. Album Cover Photos are affiliate links and the property of Amazon and are stored on the Amazon server. Any theft of our content will be met with swift legal action against the infringing websites.