The 25 Best New Jack Swing Songs

The story of Harlem in the late '80s is engraved in hip-hop lore. The crack epidemic was at full force and violence became rampant as the center of Black culture revivalism became synonymous with urban decay. Under these conditions, a young musical prodigy named Teddy Riley was steadily gaining attention with this new rhythmic sound. In a 1987 Village Voice article, writer Barry Michael Cooper christened Riley's sonic concoction the "New Jack Swing" and it wasn't long before the new sound became a movement.

With one foot in the streets and the other grooving with the larger American audience, New Jack Swing ruled the charts in the late '80s through the early '90s. It was the era of Air Jordans, Starter jackets, high-top haircuts, and crazy dance moves that all became a way of life, as did movies like New Jack City and House Party and TV shows like The Arsenio Hall Show and In Living Color.

The good times didn't last forever. Street rap and grunge took over as the New Jack Era met its decline near the mid-90s. Knock-offs of Riley’s sound seemed stuck in a never-ending party. But the music never really went away. It still bangs in the club and echoes can be heard in records like Nas’ “Bye Baby" and many others today.

Keith Sweat, who helped put New Jack Swing on the map with his 1987 album, Make It Last Forever, turns 51 this Sunday. To commemorate Mr. Sweat's birthday, we compiled the The 25 Best New Jack Swing Songs. Enjoy, reminisce, and do the Running Man when necessary.

Listen to Complex's Best New Jack Swing Songs playlists here: YouTube/Spotify/Rdio

RELATED: Green Label - The Most Iconic Songs in Movies

Written by Brian Josephs (@Bklyn_Rock)

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Album: Wreckx-N-Effect
Label: Motown
Producer: Teddy Riley


The dog pound. Burton Richardson's superhuman intro. Bill Clinton on the sax. These were just a few classic moments from the late-night TV classic, The Arsenio Hall Show. The show was also known for the variety of New Jack artists who were featured as musical guests, as well as its overall New Jack aesthetic (peep some of Hall's outfits).

The show's formal relationship with the genre started when Arsenio introduced the Teddy Riley-backed Wreckx-N-Effect back when the group was about to perform "New Jack Swing." The host called their music "the sound of the '90s" and "a combination of rap, hip-hop, R&B, and a lot of other grooves."

Wreckx-N-Effect killed the stage that night (no one was touching their Running Man), but the song itself was essentially an introductory manual to the style that was taking over the charts. Want to know why New Jack Swing was sweeping the nation? Want to know who's who in the genre? What about what to do when the ladies are spotted dancing at a party? Please refer to this 3:49 manual for instructions.

Album: Don't Be Cruel
Label: MCA
Producer: Babyface/L.A. Reid/Daryl Simmons


Play it coy. Keep it cool. Stay composed. These we some of the strategies Bobby Brown used in "Don't Be Cruel," the first of his many hits from the classic album of the same name. Don't let the vulnerability of this track fool you; Bobby was already the man.

Album: Karyn White
Label: Warner Bros.
Producer: Babyface/L.A. Reid


Karyn White had it down pat when she released "Secret Rendezvous": the leather jacket, the beautiful bodily features, the dance moves. But what made this song stand out wasn't just the on-point vocals or the radio-ready hook. It was her persona. Ms. White was just as sexy as she was classy.

Album: Guy
Label: Uptown/MCA
Producer: Gene Griffin/Teddy Riley


It's only fitting that this single off the album Guy be called "Teddy's Jam" because he's the one responsible for the production elements that would become staples of the New Jack Swing sound: the clap percussion, those nostalgic-sounding keys, the fidgety samples. There wasn't any real need for lyrics on this one since the instrumentals did all the talking.

Album: Born Into the 90's
Label: Zomba Recording
Producer: R. Kelly


We don't know what it was about that girl R. Kelly was crooning over, but he sure wanted her. He was stuck with this girl because she's had that vibe. Scratch that. It was that viiiiiiiibbbbeee. The strength of that hook kept that frantic beat chasing after it, with the rest of us following right along. "She Got That Vibe" was the start of a 20-year career filled with hits for the future King of R&B.

Album: New Jack City Soundtrack
Label: Giant Records
Producer: Stanley Brown


In retrospect, it may seem weird that such a romantic song would be in the soundtrack for a movie as grim as New Jack City. But the inclusion of "I'm Dreamin'" humanizes the movie's characters. The villainous Nino Brown had dreams just like the undercover cops did in the movie. While reality crushes the characters' dreams, we find Christopher Williams caught living his, and it sounds like he may never wake up.

Album: Portrait
Label: Capitol
Producer: Portrait


New Jack Swing is a clash of hip-hop, R&B, and pop sounds—now add a little bit of jazz and you get Portrait's "Here We Go Again." With a Chuck D sample and a bass line that would reappear in the De La Soul's classic "Breakadawn," "Here We Go Again" was the very essence of chill. Add this to your summer BBQ playlist now.

Album: Juice Soundtrack
Label: MCA
Producer: Teddy Riley


Another solid Teddy Riley tune from the soundtrack to a very solid movie. It was as if Riley was specifically aiming to create an audio aphrodisiac here, what with the smooth production and the strong, affectionate female lead. If that was really the goal, mission accomplished.

Album: C.M.B
Label: Giant Records
Producer: Dr. Freeze


Sure "I Wanna Sex You Up" is an easy punchline today, but people were really vibing to this when it dropped in '91. Color Me Badd's hit went No. 1 on both the Hot Dance Music and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles charts, and spent 21 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100. Whether you hated or loved it, the song was everywhere, from your favorite television show (Beavis & Butt-head) to your favorite movie (New Jack City). Might as well embrace it.

Album: Joe Public
Label: Columbia
Producer: Lionel Job/Joe Public


It's a surprise that socially-conscious New Jack wasn't done too often, especially if it sounded as good as "Live & Learn." Sure, the party tracks were cool, but this quartet was more interested in making listeners more aware of the world around them. As great as everything was, everybody still died eventually, crime was still a problem, and Mary still had to prostitute. Sucks—but at least we got to listen to that catchy bassline.

Album: Secrets of Flying
Label: CBS
Producer: Teddy Riley


We've been there before. After a grueling week of work, Friday rolls around and we finally get paid. Then, since Friday comes but once a week, we decide to celebrate by sporting blazers and rolling 20 deep to the party strip to partake in tightly choreographed dance battles before trying to go home with the trophy chick. OK, maybe it's not our exact fantasy, but that was Johnny Kemp's ideal payday in the music video to just "Just Got Paid." The song has proved a fitting soundtrack to everybody's favorite weekly holiday.

Album: Keep It Goin' On
Label: Zomba Recording
Producer: Teddy Riley


Within any movement, there're always gonna be a number of contributors who are not going to get the recognition that they arguably deserve. Hi-Five is an example of this. They had their hits, but they never really got the same level of shine that their peers did at the time—or even in retrospect. "She's Playing Hard To Get" was a simple but effective single about a common problem between the sexes that's sung with a distinct earnestness. Hi-Five released two more albums before group member Tony Thompson's tragic death in 2007.

Album: Jade to the Max
Label: Giant Records
Producer: Vassal Benford/Ronald Spearman


In 1992, some female artists were all about independence (En Vogue), while others needed affection (TLC). Count Jade under the latter category. A talented and fine trio who released a string of hits into the mid-90s, Jade's greatest was "Don't Walk Away." This New Jack banger said it was OK to need some lovin' every once in a while.

Album: The Revival
Label: UMG Recordings
Producer: Tony! Toni! Toné!


Tony! Toni! Toné! had all the good stuff in their platinum-selling album, The Revival. There was the traditional R&B of "Whatever You Want," the catchy funk of "The Blues," and the relatable melancholy of "It Never Rains (In Southern California)." "Feels Good" ranks right up there with The Revival's, and Tony! Toni! Toné!'s, best songs. It was just another instance where the trio just melded different musical elements together to create a positive vibe. This time it was that "oh, oh baby" female vocal sample, the easygoing riff in the background, and that classic New Jack percussion beat guiding the track. Raphael Saadiq's energy is so contagious that "Feels Good" simply demands to be replayed.

Album: The Truth/Juice Soundtrack
Label: MCA
Producer: Hank Shocklee


"Don't Be Afraid" had two versions: the original "Jazzed Up" version and the slower "Sex You Down" version. The latter was OK, but Aaron Hall's greatest hit just wasn't the same without that thumping bass line and constant guitar slap. There's nothing to be afraid of when you hear someone sound this good over such a beat.

Album: Johnny Gill
Label: Motown
Producer: Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis


It's tough to establish oneself after breaking away from an R&B group, but Johnny Gill had the cojones to stand up to the challenge. In his first single as a solo artist, New Edition's Johnny Gill made the popular "Rub You the Right Way." Gill easily made his name known as he topped the U.S. R&B Charts with this sexy, in-your-face single. Those dance moves in the music video aren't bad either.

Album: Rhythm Nation 1814
Label: A&M
Producer: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis


Janet Jackson transformed from Michael's little sister to bonafide pop star when she dropped Control in 1986, but three years later she began a full-fledged takeover with her masterpiece, Rhythm Nation 1814. "Miss You Much" was one of the seven top 5 Billboard hits off the album.

Part of what makes this song such a classic is how Janet's saccharine vocals and lyrics just ride along on that infectious drum pattern. "I'm not the type of girl who likes to be alone," she sings on the hook, and you have to wonder who'd be crazy enough to turn down such an invitation.

Album: Guy
Label: Uptown/MCA
Producer: Timmy Gatling/Gene Griffin/ Aaron Hall/Teddy Riley


By opening their self-titled debut album with "Groove Me," Guy made sure the party started off with a bang. Simply calling this single "the jam" feels like an understatement. It just has the right combination of intimacy and grandeur. If the world was about to end, this would be the party to go to.

Album: Heart Break
Label: UMG Recordings
Producer: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis


In 1988, the "Candy Girl" and "Mr. Telephone Man" schtick was out the window. New Edition had transformed from innocent teens wondering about the complexities of romance to young adults. "If It Isn't Love" was New Edition at its most intense as lead singer Ralph Tresvant confronted a foe called Love. But the Jackson 5-esque bridge near the end of the song retained a touch of the childish optimism that longtime fans loved. Funny enough, "If It Isn't Love" was held out of the No. 1 spot on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Charts by the very same man New Edition voted out of the group—Bobby Brown and his smash hit "Don't Be Cruel."

Album: Make It Last Forever
Label: Elektra
Producer: Keith Sweat and Teddy Riley


This is where it all starts. Keith Sweat's debut, Make It Last Forever, went triple platinum and marked the dawning of a new musical era. "I Want Her," Sweat's intense ode to lust, was the red-hot center. Bold and sexy, "I Want Her" set off a Billboard chart upheaval.

Album: In Effect Mode
Label: Warner Bros. Recording
Producer: Kyle West/Al B. Sure!


When In Effect Mode dropped in 1998, it was clear that the unibrowed lover knew how to woo the ladies. "Nite and Day" was Al B. Sure's! sensual start as one of the defining voices of New Jack Swing. We're not sure how Al B. Sure! knew all the ingredients to get as many girls fawning over him as he did, but he had the recipe—something about those soft, entrancing vocals with bedroom-ready production—and the women were flockin'.

Album: Cooleyhighharmony
Label: Motown
Producer: Dallas Austin


Picture this: Four dudes from Philly form a New Jack Swing group, but instead of wearing jewelry, bomber jackets, and shades, they're dressed in cardigans, bifocals, and bow ties in their first "New Jack" video. They would go on to become one of the most successful groups of the '90s. This isn't the punchline. This was Boyz II Men, and the single—"Motown Philly"—was one of the decade's greatest. Never mind the preppy outfits; Boyz II Men meant business.

Album: Dangerous
Label: Epic
Producer: Teddy Riley and Michael Jackson

By 1992 Teddy Riley's new urban sound was dominating the airwaves, and Michael Jackson decided to update his sound accordingly. Dropping longtime producer Quincy Jones, he linked up with TR to make 1991's Dangerous. It was a bold move since Jones had produced a little album called Thriller, but "Remember the Time" showed once again that the King of Pop knew what he was doing.

Like many Jackson singles, "Remember the Time" felt less like a song and more like an event. Who doesn't remember the legendary dance routine in that nine-minute music video? And what about Michael's spontaneous ad-libs in the song's climax? There was so much going on to convey the simple feelings of nostalgia and joy, and MJ pulled it all off, making sure we never forgot.

Album: Poison
Label: MCA
Producer: Dr. Freeze

"Poison" is one of those songs that has transcended the very genre that it perfected. That's the reason why it's still playing in the clubs. That's the reason that it's still on your iTunes playlist. That's why you know never to trust a big butt and a smile.

But why is "Poison" so good? For one it's stacked with quotables: "She's so fly/She'll drive you right out of your mind and steal your heart," "I know she's a loser/Me and the crew used to do her." Then there's that synth that seems to rise at just the right time, the Kool G. Rap sample, that addictive bass line, and that unstoppable drum pattern. Bell Biv Devoe tried to explain it all in a subtitle that runs through the music video: "Our music is mentally hip-hop smoothed out on the R&B tip with a pop appeal to it." After 22 years that one sentence is still the best definition of the sound.

Album: Don't Be Cruel
Label: MCA
Producer: Bobby Brown, Gene Griffin, and Teddy Riley

In "Don't Be Cruel," Bobby Brown played the role of a helpless lover with a vulnerable heart. It was a good song, but he really took control in the very next track—"My Prerogative." With this track Bobby Brown shed his boyish New Edition image and become a full-fledged icon who remains on many of our playlists today. Raw, nasty, and over-the-top, "My Prerogative" was a track that everybody could get down to.