The 100 Best R&B Songs of 2019, Presented by Soul In Stereo X YouKnowIGotSoul.com

For better or worse, the 2010s were a defining decade for R&B.

Y’all know the story: With hip-hop on the rise and eyes and ears turning away from soul, many of the game’s biggest hitmakers chased trends to find relevance. Gimmicks became commonplace. Traditional vocals became almost passe. And sadly, most listeners couldn’t even discern WHAT R&B was anymore.

But if you’re a fan of this site, you know great R&B never really left the building.

2019 exemplified that more than ever before. Over the past 12 months, we’ve enjoyed some incredibly good music – even though the names behind many of these hits might not ring a bell.

Allow us to put you on.

As always, I’ve teamed with my boys at YouKnowIGotSoul.com for our annual countdown of the year’s best R&B songs. All three of us nominated a batch of songs which were then combined into a master list. We ranked those songs and below are the final results.

This list might not be filled with known hitmakers (though several legends did return to prominence this year) but these are the faces that are reshaping R&B.

It’s always darkest before the dawn, right? Thanks to these talented men and women, R&B is set to shine in the next decade.

Honorable mentions:

Syleena Johnson – Woman

Lumi Trice – Same Way (featuring Musiq Soulchild)

Talea – RFY

The Hamiltones – Pieces

Tank – Do You (featuring Keith Sweat & Candice Boyd)

Ricardo Williams – Come Over (featuring Teedra Moses)

100) Chaka Khan – Hello Happiness

99) Sammie – Playlist

98) Eric Roberson – Leave It In

97) Deja Blue – Color You

96) Leah Jenea – Gold Ring

95) YK Oriris – Sensual

94) Heather Victoria – Sunbeams (featuring Raheem DeVaughn)

93) Summer Walker – Come Thru

92) Lyfe Jennings – Life This

91) Jacquees – Fact or Fiction

90) Layton Greene – Never Knew

89) Tao Soprano – What Ever Happened to Love

88) Kehlani – Butterfly

87) Tinashe – Story Of Us

86) Chante Moore – Fresh Love

85) Daron Jones – Pleasure

84) Calvin Richardson – Love You Tonight

83) Yuna – Castaway

82) DJ Mustard – Surface (featuring Ella Mai & Ty Dolla $ign)

81) Ciara – Trust Myself

80) Devon Culture – Fears

79) Ari Lennox – Shea Butter Baby (featuring J. Cole)

78) Gallant – Hips

77) Kehlani – Morning Glory

76) Raphael Saadiq – Something Keeps Calling

75) Tinashe – Save Room For Us

74) Lyfe Jennings – Look at Them Now

73) Elle Varner – Pour Me (featuring Wale)

72) Brian McKnight – Neva Get Enuf of U

71) Justine Skye – Maybe

70) LeToya Luckett – Feeling

69) Bria Jhane – Back Bone

68) Johnta Austin – Love Culture

67) Angie Stone – Gonna Have to Be You (featuring Jaheim)

66) Jordin Sparks & Elijah Blake – 90’s R&B

65) Gabrielle Lynn – Who Do You Love

64) Jacquees – Risk It All (featuring Tory Lanez)

63) Alicia Keys – Show Me Love (featuring Miguel)

62) Kissie Lee – All the Way In (featuring Keke Wyatt)

61) Sir – That’s Why I Love You (featuring Sabrina Claudio)

60) Jon B. – Priceless

59) Victoria Monet – Ass Like That

58) Rahsaan Patterson – Break It Down

57) Fabich – Can’t Even Be

56) Teyana Taylor – How Do You Want It? (featuring King Combs)

55) Louis York – No Regrets (featuring The Shindellas)

54) Amber Mark – Mixer

53) Raheem DeVaughn – KING

52) Chris Brown – Back to Love

51) Daron Jones – Summertime

50) Montell Jordan – When I’m Around You (featuring Lecrae)

49) Montell Jordan – Can’t Go to Bed Mad

48) Ro James – Last Time

47) Johnta Austin – Love Angel

46) Robin Thicke – That’s What Love Can Do

45) The Amours – All the Time

44) Chris Brown – Come Together (featuring H.E.R.)

43) JoJo – Sabotage

42) Chris Brown – Sorry Enough

41) Adrian Marcel – Slow Burn

40) Monica – Commitment

39) Ari Lennox – New Apartment

38) Shay Lia – Dangerous

37) Lucky Daye – Fly

36) Tinashe – Know Better

35) Snoh Aalegra – Love Like That

34) Queen Naija – Away From You

33) Arin Ray – Change (featuring Kehlani)

32) PJ Morton – Say So (featuring JoJo)

31) K. Michelle – The Rain

30) Raheem DeVaughn – Just Right

29) Anna Moore – Never Too Far

28) Lucky Daye – Real Games

27) Nicole Bus – Rain

26) Lucky Daye – Karma

25) Snoh Aalegra – Whoa

24) Lucky Daye – Call

23) Nicole Bus – You

22) Johnny Gill – Bed on Fire

21) Ari Lennox – BMO

20) Lion Babe – Get Into the Party Life

19) Lipstick Gypsy – Dammit (STRPD)

18) Kevin Ross – Thing Called Love

17) Lion Babe – Never Before

16) Lipstick Gypsy – Remind Me

15) Kelly Rowland – Don’t You Worry

14) VanJess – Addicted 2 (Keep Cool Remix)

13) The Bonfyre – Automatic

12) BJ the Chicago Kid – Feel the Vibe (featuring Anderson Paak)

11) Jung Key – My Girl (featuring Musiq Soulchild)

10) Snoh Aalegra – I Want You Around

9) Rahsaan Patterson – Sent From Heaven

8) Gallant – Sleep On It

7) Daniel Caesar – Love Again (featuring Brandy)

6) Robin Thicke – When You Love Somebody

5) H.E.R. – Racks (featuring YBN Cordae)

4) Fantasia – Enough

3) Louis York – Don’t You Forget

2) Usher – Don’t Waste My Time (featuring Ella Mai)

1) Jon B. – Understand (featuring Donell Jones)