Call me crazy, but I thought 2021 was a pretty good year for R&B!

Crazy Bowser, you’re crazy. Why would you say something so crazy?

Obviously, we’re a LONG way from the glory days of the 1990s when R&B ruled the charts. This ain’t even the late 2000s, when the genre was phasing down but still had its moments.

But look at my list of best albums of 2021 and see how strongly R&B is represented. Sure, they might not all be mainstream hits but the quality is there.

That’s why I’m excited about this list.

As is annual tradition, my boys from YouKnowIGotSoul.com have teamed with me to celebrate the 100 best R&B cuts of the year. Tom, Kyle and I submitted our nominations, we dropped them all in an excel doc, and then ranked them from bottom to top. We then averaged the scores together and what you see is what you get – the best of the best.

Some of the songs you’ll know. Many you won’t. But I promise there’s something here for you to love.

I won’t be naive enough to proclaim that R&B IS BACK. But there’s still a lot to celebrate.

Take a look at the list and peep the playlist below.

1) The Shindellas – Volcano Love

2) Joyce Wrice – Chandler

3) Eric Roberson – Lessons

4) Salaam Remi – All I Need is You (featuring Claudette Ortiz)

5) After 7 – Made A Man Of Me

6) Silk Sonic – Leave the Door Open

7) Victoria Monet – Coastin

8) Sidibe – Ready Enough

9) Snoh Aalegra – In Your Eyes

10) The Shindellas – When You’re Lonely

11) India Shawn – Too Sweet (featuring Unknown Mortal Orchestra)

12) Joyce Wrice – Falling In Love (featuring Lucky Daye)

13) Kevin Ross – Looking for Love

14) Adrian Marcel – I Gotchu (End of the Day)

15) Van Jess – Slow Down (featuring Lucky Daye)

16) India Shawn – Superfine

17) Jazmine Sullivan – The Other Side

18) Teedra Moses – Make Me

19) Kevin Ross – Sweet Release

20) Joyce Wrice – On One (featuring Freddie Gibbs)

21) Gallant – Comeback

22) Sevyn Streeter – Taboo

23) Lucky Daye – How Much Can a Heart Take (featuring Yebba)

24) Ari Lennox – Pressure

25) Gallant – No More Tries (featuring Van Jess)

26) Sinead Harnett – Ready Is Always Too Late

27) Silk Sonic – Smokin Out The Window

28) Gallant – Julie

29) Silk Sonic – After Last Night (featuring Thundercat & Bootsy Collins)

30) Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis – Happily Unhappy (featuring Toni Braxton)

31) Leela James – You’re The One

32) Netta Brielle – Missin You

33) Kenny Lattimore – Pressure

34) India Shawn – Don’t Play With My Heart

35) Jade Novah – I Just Wanna Know

36) Kevin Ross – Lady Love

37) Victoria Monet – F**K

38) Leela James – Complicated

39) Snoh Aalegra – Just Like That

40) After 7 – No Place Like You

41) Anthony Hamilton – I Thought We Were In Love

42) Robin Thicke – Lucky Star

43) Joelle James – Apply Pressure

44) Raheem DeVaughn & Apollo Brown – If I Made Love To You

45) Anthony Hamilton – You Made a Fool of Me

46) Earth, Wind & Fire – You Want My Love (featuring Lucky Daye)

47) Muni Long – Hrs and Hrs

48) Rochelle Jordan – Broken Steel

49) Keith Sweat & Raheem DeVaughn – Can’t Nobody

50) Raheem DeVaughn & Apollo Brown – Zaddy (featuring 3D Na’tee)

51) Robin Thicke – Out of My Mind

52) Stokley – Cascade (featuring The Bonfyre)

53) H.E.R. – Come Through (featuring Chris Brown)

54) H.E.R. – Closer To Me

55) Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis – Somewhat Loved (There You Go Breakin My Heart) (featuring Mariah Carey

56) NAO – Messy Love

57) Tank – Can’t Let It Show

58) Kindred the Family Soul – Break It Down

59) Raheem DeVaughn & Apollo Brown – When a Man

60) Lion Babe – Home

61) Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis – The Next Best Day (featuring Boyz II Men)

62) Van Jess – Come Over Again

63) Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis – Maybe I’ve Changed (featuring Heather Headley)

64) Snoh Aalegra – Neon Peach (featuring Tyler the Creator)

65) PJ Morton – Please Don’t Walk Away

66) Snoh Aalegra – Lost You

67) Tone Stith – When You Love Someone (featuring H.E.R.)

68) Justine Skye – Innocent (featuring Justin Timberlake)

69) Stokley – Rush (featuring H.E.R.)

70) Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis – Do It Yourself (featuring Usher)

71) Afgan – Alone With You

72) Hil St. Soul – Blessed (featuring Noel Gourdin)

73) JoJo – Dissolve

74) Tweet – Neva Gonna Break My Heart Again

75) Trevor Jackson – Bouts To Be

76) Kelly Price – Grace

77) After 7 – The Day (featuring Stokley)

78) Ruff Endz – Be the One

79) Mack Wilds – Simple Things

80) Lady Wray – Under the Sun

81) Stokley – Lost

82) Louis York – Headphones

83) Lil’ Mo – Shining Star (featuring T-Pain & Fatman Scoop)

84) BluPrint – Go Don’t Leave

85) Elijah Blake – Dark Skin (featuring D Smoke, Durand Bernarr & Muni Long)

86) Summer Walker – Insane

87) Bobby V. – I Want You (She’s So Heavy)

88) JoJo Hailey – Official

89) JoJo Hailey – Got What U Want (featuring Devin Hailey)

90) Tinashe – Bouncin

91) D-Nice – No Plans For Love (featuring Ne-Yo & Kent Jones)

92) Brent Faiyaz – Wasting Time (featuring Drake)

93) Mario – Get Back (featuring Chris Brown)

94) Donell Jones – Karma (Remix featuring Dave Hollister, RL, Carl Thomas & Jacquees)

95) Queen Naija – Passionate

96) Tank – I Deserve

97) Mr. Dalvin – And I

98) Gary “Lil G” Jenkins – That’s My Baby

99) Alicia Keys – Come for Me (featuring Khalid & Lucky Daye)

100) Normani – Wild Side (featuring Cardi B)