Ranking the Best Gerald Levert Albums

Remember Soul Food? Not the movie – the Showtime TV show?

The wifey and I have been binging a few episodes lately and I totally forgot about a plot that revolved around R&B’s Teddy Bear Gerald Levert. Kenny – who is married to Maxine but used to date her sister Teri – confused which sister he took to an Gerald Levert show back in the day, causing mass chaos and confusion.

Poor G was an innocent bystander in their relationship drama. But vocals that dope tend to make people do crazy things.

It’s no secret that Gerald is one of my all-time favorite R&B acts. From his days with the trendsetting group LeVert, his solo career and collaborations with his father Eddie of O’Jay’s fame, and of course, one third of my boys LevertSweatGill in LSG, G spent two decades as one of the hardest working men in R&B. It’s long overdue but today we’re finally ranking all of his LPs – but just his solo LPs. No compilations, no LeVert and sadly, not even LSG. We’re just keeping it G. However, I’ll include his run of duets with his dad though, it only feels right.

We lost G far, far too soon in 2006 – he was younger then than I am now. R&B still feels his loss, but the best way to keep his memory alive is by celebrating his hits.

11. Stroke of Genius (2003)

Soul in Stereo rating: 2 stars out of 5

Edd said: Um, did this album drop in 2023 instead of 2003? This project has the same issues today’s “playlist albums” face – way too long, way too unfocused and crammed with endless filler that kill any sense of sequencing. It feels like Gerald was just cleaning out his archives and dumped a hard drive on a disc instead of curating a consistent project. Thank the Lord that this one is an anomaly, his other efforts are much, much better.

Forgotten favorites: “(They Long to Be) Close to You”

10. Gerald’s World (2001)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: By album No. 6, G was firmly established as the smoothest playa on the block, and Gerald’s World keeps that rep strong. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do much beyond that. It’s kinda … just an album. Neither the production nor the writing move G in a new direction, making this feel like a holding pattern. Thankfully, despite a pretty slow start, things pick up greatly near the end, which makes it a decent listen. There’s just nothing remarkable about it.

Forgotten favorites: “Made to Love Ya (L.O.V.E. Remix),” “Just Us,” “What You Cryin About”

9. Do I Speak for the World (2004)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Here’s a cool stat for y’all: From 2000-2004, Gerald dropped a new album every single year without fail. And here’s a not so cool stat: Do I Speak for the World would be his last album before his shocking death a couple of years later. By the mid-00s, G’s approach to music was in dire need of a shakeup and this album does just that, serving as a pseudo-protest record that spoke to the war and division that gripped the world post-9/11. It’s pretty forward thinking, not just in concept, but production as well. But this is a Gerald album, so he makes sure to leave plenty of time to make love, not war. There’s some awkward writing in spots but this was a solid course correction after a few stagnant years.

Forgotten favorites: “Better to Talk It Out,” “Lay You Down,” “Crucify Me”

8. In My Songs (2007)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: This album was completed prior to G’s death in 2006 and released posthumously the following year. The title track won Gerald his first Grammy – because if it’s one thing the Grammys loves, it’s giving flowers after people are no longer here to smell them. Anyway, this project is a bit more upbeat and sonically diverse than most of his 2000s-era records, and a little more focused too. Sadly, the vocal performances are noticeably weaker but there are plenty of high points.

Forgotten favorites: “I Don’t Get Down Like That,” “Fall Back,” “What Cha Think About That”

7. The G Spot (2002)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Apparently Google really doesn’t like this album cover. If they think THAT isn’t safe for work, they should see my Twitter timeline on a normal weekday mornings. I love my followers but I don’t know why y’all wait till 8:30 a.m. on a Tuesday to retweet freaky stuff. Eh, guess that fits into the theme of this album – if you couldn’t tell by the Dreaded Bikini Album Cover. It’s all about the bedroom burners. While the previous Gerald’s World album seemed hesitant to take chances and rarely ventured outside the norm, The G Spot isn’t afraid to play with the tempo a bit. Several tracks suffer from some of the samey-ness that plague the previous albums on this list, but hey, this one at least has “Funny,” still my favorite G track.

Forgotten favorites: “Catchin’ Feelings,” “Wilding Me Out,” “The Top of My Head”

6. Something to Talk About (2007)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: Gerald’s final album to date is also the sequel to 1995’s Father and Son duet album with G’s legendary dad Eddie Levert. These two always have such great chemistry and it continues here, from steppers grooves to electric-guitar laced tracks straight out of the Isley’s playbook. I’m still not over Gerald’s loss but as a final tribute to his legacy, this works a lot better than you might expect.

Forgotten favorites: “SOS,” “Close & Personal,” “Tapped”

5. Father and Son (1995)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: And here’s the original! Speaking as someone who was dialed ALL the way into R&B in 1995, let me tell y’all – “Wind Beneath My Wings” was EV.ER.EY.WHEREEEE. I distinctly remember someone playing it over and over in the Pizza Hut jukebox one night in ’95. Remember jukeboxes? Remember eating inside restaurants before they just became DoorDash distributions centers? What a time. Anyway, Gerald puts the loverman act away for a bit for this collab with his pops. This project is more about family and empowerment than seduction (…mostly), which means it might not hit as hard for some G fans. But as an album, it’s very strong and its heartwarming vibe is even more meaningful today.

Forgotten favorites: “Get Your Thing Off,” “I Got You,” “You Need Love”

4. G (2000)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: I didn’t expect this one to rank so high, but here we are. The album starts out with a bang – “Application (I’m Lookin 4 A New Love)” is one of those spicy millennium R&B songs where the singer reads their triflin’ lover the riot act, and that momentum carries throughout the project. G finds great chemistry with producers like Darrell “Delite” Allamby and Edwin “Tony” Nicholas whether he’s begging for love or kicking it to the curb. I forgot how good this one was and it holds up very well.

Forgotten favorites: “Application (I’m Lookin 4 A New Love),” “Strings, Strings,” “It Hurts Too Much To Stay”

3. Groove On (1994)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: Consider Groove On a growth album. After a very successful debut project, this sophomore effort begins his full transition into the sultry sounds that would definite the next decade of his career. While the soaring ballad “I’d Give Anything” would be the biggest success story from this project, it’s tracks like “Answering Service” and a few album cuts that push this album to the higher end of his discography. Yeah, some of those ballads are a little too similar – the same complaint I’ve given many of G’s projects – but it’s not enough to derail things.

Forgotten favorites: “Answering Service,” “Same Place, Same Time,” “Nice & Wet”

2. Love & Consequences (1998)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: How many times do I have to tell y’all about 1998!? That year churned out an endless array of strong R&B projects, and Love & Consequences is no exception to that ironclad rule. It’s likely G’s best produced album overall, and home to more than a few catchy midtempo records. It may get lost in the shuffle of great projects from that era, but 26 years in and it’s still among G’s best works.

Forgotten favorites: “Humble Me,” “Breaking My Heart,” “It’s Your Turn”

1. Private Line (1991)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: I can’t imagine the pressure Gerald must have been under prior to the release of this project. Not only is he the son of one of R&B’s most recognizable voices, he was also established as a key member of a very successful 80s R&B collective. The pressure was high, but no one can keep their cool like Gerald. Private Line, G’s solo debut, was a success in every way, yielding four top 10 R&B hits – two of them hitting No. 1. His duet with father Eddie may have the most enduring legacy of all the tracks here, but it doesn’t overshadow the album’s other gems. Fun New Jack Swing tracks, velvety vocals over unforgettable slow jams – G hit the ground running on this exceptional debut, making it his greatest work.

Forgotten favorites: “Hugs and Kisses,” “Just a Little Something,” “Hurting for You”

What’s your favorite G joint? Let us know below.