Watch: Top 12 songs you sing at the top of your lungs
TheGrio curated the perfect top 12 list for your next night out with friends at a karaoke bar or practicing your vocals while taking a shower.
June is Black Music Month and to celebrate, theGrio came up with several top 12 lists all month long. Have you ever sung a song and at the end of it, you were out of breath? Well, this top 12 list is all about songs that will have you singing at the top of your lungs.
12. “I’m Going Down” by Mary J. Blige
The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul covered this heartbreak ballad in 1994. This song was originally performed by R&B group Rose Royce in 1976 and both versions had major success charting on the US Billboard Hot 100. “I’m Going Down” was the second single from Mary J. Blige’s iconic album ‘My Life’.
11. “U Got It Bad” by Usher
It felt like every time you’d turn on the radio, “U Got It Bad” was playing on at least one station. This 2001 single from Usher’s third studio album ‘8701’ was written by Usher, Jermaine Dupri, and Bryan Michael-Cox. Earlier this year, Rolling Stone ranked this song as No. 11 on their list of 25 best Usher songs and they’re not wrong. The music video starring his then-girlfriend, TLC’s Chili, will forever replay in our heads.
10. “Kiss” by Prince & the Revolution
The legend that is Prince knew what he was doing when he composed, wrote, and produced his 1986 single “Kiss”. New Musical Express voted this song the best single of 1986 and Rolling Stone ranked it at No. 85 on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list in 2021. After Prince’s death in April 2016, the song re-charted on the Billboard Hot 100. This is a song that transcends time.
9. “Maria, Maria” by Santana featuring The Product G&B
With Santana on the guitar, Wyclef Jean with the ad-libs, and the Product G&B with the vocals, this 1999 track was sure to be a hit. This song is the perfect mix of the summer feel and a carefree vacation night. This song won Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with vocals at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards.
8. “No Air” by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown
After winning American Idol in 2007, Jordin Sparks went on to release her self-titled debut album. “No Air” was the second single from ‘Jordin Sparks’ and earned the singer her first Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 51st Grammy Awards. Sparks and Chris Brown’s voices mesh so well together that we’re surprised they haven’t done another song together since.
7. “Reasons” by Earth, Wind & Fire
If you’re in your 30s or 40s, there’s a good chance your mom woke you up on Saturday morning as a child blasting this song. The 1974 love ballad by Earth, Wind & Fire is from the group’s sixth studio album “That’s the Way of the World.” Although listeners and fans consider this a love song, the band members say it tells a story of a one-night stand.
6. “Dangerously in Love” by Beyoncé
“Dangerously in Love” was originally recorded for the Destiny’s Child “Survivor” album, but the song was rearranged for Beyoncé’s debut self-titled solo album. The track shows off Beyoncé’s vocal range tremendously, but she blows it away when performing the track live.
5. “All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo
At some point in your life, this was on your “wedding songs” playlist. The 1998 single immediately begins with 12 “babies” sung in a way that’ll get you hooked from the start. The track is a beautiful love ballad performed by K-Ci & JoJo expressing “all my life, I’ve prayed for someone like you.” This track was the first successful single release from brothers Cedric (K-Ci) and Joel Hailey (JoJo).
4. “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is no stranger to a song you sing at the top of your lungs, but her 2005 single “We Belong Together” might just take the cake. This track is from her tenth studio album “The Emancipation of Mimi”. This song broke chart records in the United States and became Carey’s 16th chart topper on the US Billboard Hot 100 list. Can you hold the note at the end of this song?
3. “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
Originally written and recorded in 1973 by singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston recorded a pop-ballad arrangement for the 1992 film “The Bodyguard”. This track became the world’s best-selling single in 1992 and won Whitney Houston a Grammy Award for Record of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, while the “Bodyguard” soundtrack won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
2. “Love” by Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Cole’s debut album “The Way It Is” had hits after hits, but “Love” is a song that never gets old. It was released in 2005, but the instrumental alone can be played in the middle of a party, basketball game intermission, or at a concert and everyone will finish the lyrics.
1. “And I Am Telling You” by Jennifer Hudson
Whether you like the original version performed by Jennifer Holliday for the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls,” or the 2006 recording by Jennifer Hudson for the film adaptation, it’s safe to say that this song will forever be mind-blowing. Not only did this song showcase Hudson’s strength as a vocalist, but also as an actress. Both singer’s vocals stretch in ranges you don’t hear often. If you aren’t on the floor, gasping for air by the end of the song, you’re doing something wrong.
Did we get this list right? Head over to our Instagram page to let us know what you think and visit theGrio.com for more Top 12 lists.
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