So, I’ve ranked Gerald Levert’s albums. And OF COURSE I’ve ranked King Keef Sweat’s discography.

But it recently occurred to me that I never gave the G of LSG his due.

Johnny Gill isn’t just one third of my favorite R&B trio, he’s also my favorite member of New Edition. Fun Edd fact: I didn’t even like New Edition until this guy showed up and stole the show on ever track. Even as a teenager, Johnny had the vocals of a seasoned vet. Whether serving as a key member of a group or doing his own thing solo, he’s long reigned as one of R&B most preeminent male voices.

Let’s look back at all of Johnny’s solo albums, excluding his runs with NE and LSG. However, we will include one collabo project that’s worth mentioning.

Sorry I waited so long to show you love Johnny. Let’s get the mood right and do this thing.

9. Johnny Gill (1983)

Soul In Stereo rating: 3 stars out of 5

Edd said: In case you forgot – or had no idea – there are TWO albums named Johnny Gill … for some reason. The lesser-known release is this one, Johnny’s 1983 debut. It failed to chart and essentially exists as a curiosity today but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some great moments. The energy of “Super Love,” for instance, still holds strong today. But many of the other songs just aren’t a good fit for a 16-year-old teen. I know Johnny’s rich vocals made it easy to forget how young he was but the album’s content was way too mature for his age. He feels like a kid wearing his dad’s oversized church suit.

Forgotten favorites: “Super Love”

8. Perfect Combination (1984)

Soul In Stereo rating: 3 stars out of 5

Edd said: A duet album with Johnny’s friend Stacy Lattisaw was inevitable – it was Stacy who recognized Johnny’s talent, convinced him to record a demo and the rest was history. The pair clearly have chemistry (ironically, that’s the name of Johnny’s next album) but the material itself isn’t very exciting. What we mostly get is 80s teenybopper fluff pulled straight from a Jem & The Holograms playlist. Inoffensive? Yeah. Fun? At times. But not very memorable.

Forgotten favorites: “Fun N Games,” “Perfect Combination”

7. Chemistry (1985)

Soul In Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Chemistry stands as Johnny’s final release before being recruited by Michael Bivens to join a revamped New Edition. The maturity in his voice is evident – at 18 he sounds almost exactly as strong as he does today. In terms of talent, he already had the tools to be the superstar he’d soon become. He just needed stronger material to showcase said talent. Chemistry was an OK showcase for him, though it was very ballad heavy and the lack of diversity drags the listening experience. But the talent is undeniable.

Forgotten favorites: “Don’t Take Away My Pride,” “The Way That You Love Me,” “I Found Love”

6. Still Winning (2011)

Soul In Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Y’all might not feel me on this, but Still Winning is one of Johnny’s most important albums -–even ranking down at No. 6. After a 15 year layoff, Johnny returned to a vastly different world of R&B with a renewed sound and spirit. He confidently brings some elder statesmen swag to the proceedings, backed by longtime collaborators like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and new partners like Troy Taylor and Bryan-Michael Cox. We even get a sorta LSG reunion, with Eddie stepping in for Gerald Levert. When Johnny stays in his lane we got great stuff – “In the Mood” is as good as his prime work – but a few other tracks just weren’t good fits sonically. Honestly, I don’t love it quite as much as I did in the early 2010s (when good R&B was getting rarer by the day) but it still has its moments. Still Winning would kick off a surprising career revival for Gill.

Forgotten favorites: “In the Mood,” “Long Long Time,” “It Would Be You”

5. Provocative (1993)

Soul In Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Can’t wait for some of y’all to yell at me for this ranking! Provocative is the follow up to Johnny’s big breakout album – and we’ll get to that one soon enough. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are back behind the boards, along with Babyface and Boyz II Men. You’d think that would make for a winning combination, but Provocative is surprisingly uneven. The first half is filled with the usual New Jack Swing tropes that had LONG worn out its welcome by ’93. The second half is much stronger, thanks to a solid set of ballads. The good stuff is very good, but the album often struggles to maintain its momentum.

Forgotten favorites: “Tell Me How U Want It,” “Mastersuite,” “I Got You”

4. Game Changer (2014)

Soul In Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: The comeback continues! Game Changer took the foundation laid by 2011’s Still Winning and raised the stakes across the board. We got a crowd-pleasing reunion with New Edition, a fantastic duet with Jaheim and surprisingly diverse production. Some of the uptempos don’t move me but it’s clear Johnny was on the upswing with this comeback.

Forgotten favorites: “Behind Closed Doors,” “5000 Miles,” “This One’s For Me and You”

3. Game Changer II (2019)

Soul In Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: The line between Game Changer Uno and Dos is pretty thin, but I think the sequel does so much right. The original Game Changer was a big win for Johnny so he decided to revisit the concept with even better results. The album starts out with a surprisingly festive mood before giving us a few midtempo cuts and, of course, the bedroom burners – literally. “Bed on Fire” would have been a Midnight Love staple for years if we still had it around. May you never know peace, BET. Thanks to Game Changer II, Johnny closed out his 2010 comeback stronger than any of us expected. That album cover still gives me After Party Flier Under My Windshield Wiper vibes, though.

Forgotten favorites: “Bed on Fire,” “Best Thing,” “Perfect”

2. Let’s Get the Mood Right (1996)

Soul In Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: As R&B’s sound began to evolve in the second half of the 90s, Johnny shifted with the times. Thankfully for him, Johnny’s rich vocals were a great match for sensual sounds that dominated that era. “Love in an Elevator” is the kind of ridiculous song that only works in the metaphor heavy 90s, and Johnny delivered it with every bit of sincerity he could muster. But more often than not, this album stays grounded in Johnny’s loverman roots. Great production + great vocal performances makes Lets Get the Mood Right an easy career highlight.

Forgotten favorites: “Someone to Love,” “4 U Alone,” “Simply Say I Love U”

1. Johnny Gill (1990)

Soul In Stereo rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: We all knew this was coming, and its spot is deserved. Although Johnny was already two albums into his solo career by this point (three if you count the Stacy Lattisaw joint), this is his first album post New Edition fame, and he wasted no time capitalizing on that success. Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Babyface helped Johnny craft one of the standout R&B releases of the early 90s. I’ve been known to give some New Jack Swings records hard time (see Provocative) but this album does the genre right – danceable songs that have their own identity and don’t feel like they were pulled from an assembly line. Pair them with some of the most iconic slow jams of the era and it’s easy to see why Johnny’s (second) self titled project cemented his legacy.

Forgotten favorites: “Giving My All to You,” “Feels so Much Better,” “Lady Dujour”

What’s your favorite Johnny Gill album? Provocative fans, defend your fave below.