i really love hearing opinions about people’s music choices.
many of us have serious stories that involve an artist we love.
for some of us,
we don’t get why someone else would like a “non-singer”,
but that artist’s songs helped them through hard times.
that anita bakers discussion made me think of how impactful music is.
out of the 4 old school divas above,
if you could pick one of these songs…
MARIAH – “HERO”
WHITNEY – “YOU GIVE GOOD LOVE”
ANITA – “SWEET LOVE”
TONI – “UNBREAK MY HEART”
… whose song made the most impact on you?
as much as i heard whitney as a kid in barbados,
“hero” from mariah impacted me the most.
the words from that song are so powerful:
It’s a long road
When you face the world alone
No one reaches out a hand
For you to hold
You can find love
If you search within yourself
And that emptiness you felt
Will disappear
When you face the world alone
No one reaches out a hand
For you to hold
You can find love
If you search within yourself
And that emptiness you felt
Will disappear
she was literally singing my loneliness and low self-esteem in that song.
i love the other songs when i started to want love or experience heartbreak,
but “hero” is the one that got me.
i love the other songs when i started to want love or experience heartbreak,
but “hero” is the one that got me.
Out of these songs, I gotta go with Sweet Love. As great as they were, Hero & Unbreak My Heart were played way too much, and when radio/video channels play songs too much…I have a tendency to start disliking them.
Of these songs then I gotta go with Whitney. That song was the perfect launch to a spectacular talent. I love Dancing On The Smooth Edge, I’m Your Baby Tonight, Just The Lonely Talking and Run to You by Whitney.
Sweet Love is another sublime launch for a one of kind talent.
I prefer Butterfly over Hero for Mariah and How Could An Angel Break My Heart over Unbreak My Heart for Toni (she isn’t in the same league as these other girls IMHO).
Anita Baker by far. Anita, came out with Angel and just had everybody feeling her and she disappeared on us. This was before social media and internet, and folks didn’t know what happened. All of sudden we hear Sweet Love on the radio, the sound, look, and presentation was just so different. Once she performed it live and showed Black America she could perform and sang (which these other ladies lack), she had us. Most of you too young to remember the whirlwind that Anita caused. Only other artists that created that type of buzz without a big media machine behind them was Jill Scott.
You hit the nail on the head. Anita didn’t have a huge machine or music mogul behind her like Whitney. She didn’t have that pure R&B sound like Stephanie, Chaka, Angela, or Micky. In fact, in the very early 80’s she was kicked out of a girl group because the label said she couldn’t sing. Her sound was very mellow and jazzy. She was like a modern day Ella Fitzgerald who brought that neo-jazz r&b the the mainstream and people loved it. And still do.
You give good love love it it says it all
Toni Braxton
Of those four songs, “You Give Good Love” would be the choice. However, among those four divas, it was ABSOLUTELY Toni Braxton! Her music made me cycle all the emotions. “The Heat” is still in rotation in my personal music…
I love me some Mariah and Toni.
Love whitney during the golden years of 80’s RnB but that 90s Tony Braxton and that “How could an angel break my heart” or ” Let it go” really put me in the moment like I got to pull over on the side of the road.
You Give Good Love❤️
Took me through my High School years. It grew on me slowly. My favorite Whitney song is Lover For Life. The melody, the music, the message in the song .just make you want to be in love. ❤️
Love For Life. Such a beautiful, underrated classic. One of my favorites is Just The Lonely Talking Again.
My favorite Whitney is Where Do Broken Hearts Go? Phenomenal song…and she is fuckin’ GORGEOUS in that video!
“You Give Good Love” – Whitney Houston.
When Whitney came on the scene, she was a fucking unicorn. Powerful voice, model-like beauty, appealing to everybody — all in one person?! Come onnnn….
Out of those four songs, You Give Good Love. It just does something to me every time I hear it
^ like anita,
that song makes me want to fall in love.
Toni THE BRAXTON…. Errr time
Whitney Houston I will always love you it speaks for itself and her vocals were priceless accupello then slow band in background classic
I would have to say Toni Braxton, but not Unbreak My Heart. Id have to say her entire Heat album represents such a pivotal and memorable time in my life. Standouts include Find Me A Man. Let It Flow, and I Love Me Some Him.
That’s the Secrets album and you named some damn good songs. Find Me A Man is a gem of a song and pretty much says what I’m looking for… Babyface is an amazing writer to be a man and write those words for a woman to sing. A classic album!
FACTS!! When she said “I gotta find me a man with sensitive eyes. One who understands love is strong that pride” I felt that in my soul.
Mariah’s H.A.T.E.U after my break up. That album made me like her and realize that her as a writer solidified her legendary status.