"If Your Girl Only Knew" (1996) One in a Million
Hot 100 peak: #11
Overall score: 8.79 High score: 10 (7x)/Low score: 6.5 (1x)
Co-written with Missy Elliott, this dark hip-hop soul track about being the other woman was one of Timbaland's earliest hits as a producer. Serving as the lead single for One in a Million, it spent two weeks at #1 on the R&B chart, peaking just outside the top ten of the Hot 100. The song had a similarly close call on our countdown, but with four scores below an 8, it fell just short (by about one-tenth of a point).
This was actually one of my least favorite songs from Aaliyah. (It lacks a little bit of something—energy? drama?—for me.) I still really like it, but I was surprised how well it did.
"Before You Walk Out of My Life" (1995) Miss Thang
Hot 100 peak: #7
Overall score: 8.78 High score: 10 (9x)/Low score: 4 (1x)
Released as a double A-side with "Like This and Like That," this gorgeous ballad was Monica's second single—and her second consecutive #1 hit on the R&B chart, making her, at 14 years old, the youngest person to ever accomplish such a feat. With nearly half of voters awarding the song a 10, "Before You Walk Out of My Life" was poised to be Monica's highest-ranking track in this rate. But two scores of 4 and 6 ultimately kept it out of the top ten altogether.
"Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)" (1994) Miss Thang
Hot 100 peak: #2
Overall score: 8.79 High score: 10 (8x)/Low score: 6 (2x)
Surely the most successful song (that's probably) about PMS ever recorded, Monica's debut single was a huge smash, topping the R&B chart for two weeks and climbing all the way to #2 on the Hot 100, where it was blocked by Bryan Adam's "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" and TLC's "Waterfalls." Though it was the highest-ranking first single in this rate, "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)" was only two points shy of a spot in the top ten. (For example, if one of those 6's had been an 8 instead, it would have been tenth on the countdown.)
I'm fine with "Angel of Mine" being one of Monica's top songs in this race, but "So Gone" being one of the two (I believe there are only two Monica's songs left in the race) rubs me the wrong way. SG is good but also "whatever" compared to some of Monica's other songs.
Brandy
"Sittin' Up in My Room" (1996)
"The Boy Is Mine" with Monica (1998)
"Have You Ever?" (1998)
Aaliyah
"At Your Best (You Are Love)" (1994)
"One in a Million" (1997)
"Are You That Somebody?" (1998)
"Try Again" (2000)
"We Need a Resolution" ft. Timbaland (2001)
"Rock the Boat" (2001)
"More Than a Woman" (2002)