Key Takeaways
- Ahead of his upcoming VERZUZ battle with Donell Jones, here are the 10 best songs from Joe, the Georgia-born, Alabama-raised singer who has spent three decades making R&B feel effortless.
- The piece tracks his evolution from early crossover breakthrough "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)" through collaborations like Big Pun's "Still Not a Player" and Mariah Carey's "Thank God I Found You (Make It Last Remix)."
- Anchored by signature hit "I Wanna Know," the list doubles as a primer on Joe's 13-album catalog.
For more than three decades, Joe has made a career out of making R&B sound effortless.
The Georgia-born, Alabama-raised singer got his start after meeting producer Vincent Herbert and recording a three-song demo, eventually releasing his debut album, Everything, in 1993. The project introduced an artist already willing to stretch beyond traditional R&B, incorporating elements of hip-hop and Caribbean music.
But it was "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)," first released on the Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood soundtrack, that gave Joe his breakthrough.
After signing with Jive Records, he followed it with 1997's All That I Am, establishing the smooth, sensual sound and suave gentleman persona that would become his signature.
Joe's reach, however, extended well beyond his own talent. A songwriter, producer, and vocal arranger, he worked behind the scenes with artists including SWV, Xscape, Hi-Five, and Ideal while contributing vocals to records like Brandy's "Angel in Disguise."
By the arrival of My Name Is Joe in 2000, his own career had reached another level. The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, went triple platinum, and earned Grammy nominations while producing some of the defining R&B records of the millennium. He followed with Better Days in 2001 and And Then… in 2003, eventually releasing strong albums like Ain't Nothin' Like Me and Signature.
Joe has released 13 albums in more than 30 years. But he's also remained a premier R&B touring act, with a catalog that stretches from bedroom slow jams and pop crossovers to hip-hop classics. Next week he'll put that catalog to the test when he faces off against Donell Jones in a VERZUZ matchup, taking the stage Thursday (Aug. 20) at 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT.
Before they face off, here are Joe's 10 best songs, ranked.
Joe feat. G-Unit, “Ride Wit U” (2004)
Album: And Then...
Producer: Frank Romano, Carvin Haggins & Ivan Barias
“Ride Wit U” is an early-2000s summer classic. Appearing on And Then…, the collaboration with G-Unit trades his usual bedroom-ready tempo for something lighter and more playful, with Joe’s smooth vocals flowing naturally alongside verses from Lloyd Banks and Young Buck and ad-libs from 50 Cent.
“If I Was Your Man” (2007)
Album: Ain't Nothin' Like Me
Producer: Stargate
"If I Was Your Man," from his sixth studio album, Ain't Nothin' Like Me, is one of the best examples of him walking that line between traditional R&B and radio hits. The 2007 single pairs Stargate's unmistakably polished mid-2000s sound with Joe's soul, a plea to repair a fractured relationship.
“What If a Woman?” (2001)
Album: Better Days
Producer: Joe, Allen "Allstar" Gordon & Joel Campbell
High concept R&B doesn't always work. But when it hits, you can find a gem. The second single from Joe's fourth studio album, “What If a Woman” asks men how they'd react if women treated them the same way they treat women—staying out late, keeping someone on the side, leaving them home with the kids.
Mariah Carey feat. Joe & Nas, “Thank God I Found You (Make It Last Remix”) (1999)
Album: Rainbow
Producer: Ken "Duro" Ifill, DJ Clue & Mariah Carey
A reworking of Keith Sweat and Jacci McGhee's 1988 classic "Make It Last Forever," the remix could have easily coasted on nostalgia. Instead, Mariah Carey, Joe, and Nas modernize the record without losing the warmth and intimacy that made the original work. Mariah and Joe are powerhouse vocalists, and on the song they trade lines, harmonize, and weave around one another.
“More & More” (2003)
Album: And Then...
Producer: R. Kelly
Written and produced by R. Kelly, Joe makes "More & More" his own through his vocal performance. He keeps the verses controlled and intimate before opening up on the chorus. Even as the lyrics get less subtle, Joe's delivery remains smooth, never losing the polish that separates sensual from sleazy.
Big Pun feat. Joe, “Still Not a Player” (1998)
Album: Capital Punishment
Producer: Knobody & Dahoud Darien
"Still Not a Player" brought together two records built around a similar idea, Pun's "I'm Not a Player" and Joe's "Don't Wanna Be a Player," and turned them into something even bigger. Joe's smooth hook against Pun's effortless, charismatic flow gives the record its chemistry. From its instantly recognizable hook to the "Boricua, morena" refrain, it's become an all-time '90s classic.
G-Unit feat. Joe, “Wanna Get To Know You” (2004)
Album: Beg for Mercy
Producer: Red Spyda
After “Ride With U” Joe would return the favor to 50 Cent and his crew on Wanna Get to Know You,”maye the most romantic G-Unit song of all time. It’s mainly in the way they flip Marvin Gaye’s all ode to his lover, “Come Live With Me Angel.” Joe has big shoes to fill and he wears them well.
Joe feat. Mystikal "Stutter" (2001)
Album: My Name Is Joe
Producer: Roy "Royalty" Hamilton & Teddy Riley
“Stutter,” from Joe’s My Name Is Joe, is one of the clearest examples of how an R&B singer could still be an R&B singer and have the biggest song in America. While the original album version leaned into a slower groove, the hit Double Take Remix featuring Mystikal gave the record a hip-hop feel, flipping a sample of the Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By” beneath Joe’s smooth vocals.
The remix spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2001, making “Stutter” Joe’s biggest pop hit.
“All the Things (Your Man Won’t Do)” (1996)
Album: Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Producer: Joe & Joshua P. Thompson
Few songs define Joe or ’90s R&B seduction quite like "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)." The single became Joe's first major crossover hit, peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Paul Hunter-directed video only helped establish the suave image that would become inseparable from Joe's career. "All the Things" is unapologetically sensual, built around Joe making an increasingly explicit case for all the ways he can satisfy a woman the way her current man can't.
“I Wanna Know”
Album: The Wood
Producer: Joseph Thomas, Edwin "Tony" Nicholas & Timmy Allen
"I Wanna Know" is Joe's signature song. And it almost didn't happen. The track was originally intended for 1997's All That I Am, but Joe pulled it from the album amid disagreements over the label's involvement in his creative process. From the instantly recognizable chorus to the bridge practically designed for a room full of people to sing along, everything works. Joe's delivery moves from tenderness to full-throated power without losing the intimacy at the center of the song. It's romantic, sensual, vulnerable, and vocally commanding all at once. "I Wanna Know" is Joe at his best, displaying the full range of what made him one of the genre's definitive voices.
