The angelic voice of late R&B singer Aaliyah can still be heard on many radio stations, in the clubs and heard as samples on a few present day artists' albums. Her untimely death fifteen years ago today, Aug. 25, left many hearts saddened but because her songs are timeles, her legacy will continue to live on through her family, friends and her fans.
Fifteen years after the unfortunate 2001 plane crash in the Bahamas that led to the death of 22-year-old Aaliyah Haughton and eight others on board, as reported by CNN, fans have taken to social media to remember her smile, her personality and of course, her music.
To remember her, here's a list of 15 great Aaliyah songs, often referred to as "babygirl," that will more than likey continue its radio play for years to come, continue being added to R&B lovers' playlists, and continue to be sampled by artists who appreciate good music.
Off of her 1994 debut album Age Ain't Nothing But A Number, the princess of R&B gave fans 12 tracks, plus two additional singles as a bonus, letting everyone know her age was nothing but a number, and her talent was going to take her straight to the top. By teaming up with singer/songwriter/producer R. Kelly, who wrote and produced the full album, Haughton introduced herself to the world and to the Billboard charts with multiple successful singles.
1. "Back & Forth," released as the debut single of the album spent a total of 24 weeks on the Billboard charts and peaked at number 5.
2. "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number," the title track released as the third single off the '94 released album, hit the airwaves in December of the same year but, the music video didn't come out until 1995. The video became one of the few times where she didn't wear sunglasses.
3. "At Your Best," celebrated it's 22nd anniversary this week having been released on August 22, 1994. The single was a cover of The Isley Brothers orignal with an R. Kelly spin making it a classic. So much so, the song was sampled by two present day artists - Drake "Unforgettable" and Tamar Braxton "Let Me Know," featuring rapper Future.
Haughton's sophomore album, One In A Million became her most notable album to date, and introduced what Rolling Stone referred to as "the futuristic Virginia Beach funk" sound of Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and Timbaland who proved to be a dynamic production duo to match the style of a 17-year-old Haughton. The album will celebate its 20th anniversary this week, originally released on August 27, 1996, with six released singles that are all on the list.
4. "If Your Girl Only Knew" released as the album's lead single was written and produced by Elliott and Timbaland.
5. "One In A Million," the album's title track has been sampled twice by artists Iggy Azalea and Tink.
6. "Hot Like Fire" released in 1997, presented an album version and a remix noted as "Timbaland's Groove Mix." The music video covered the remix version.
7. "4 Page Letter," became an Urban AC radio favorite twelve on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop.
8. " The One I Gave My Heart To," became the highest charting single for Haughton peaking at number 9 and the song that some says, she fully exposed her vocal range. Written by Diane Warren, the ballad is in part the reason for the album's double platinum success.
Haughton's third and final self-titled album, released just one month before her untimely death, featured 15 tracks with four released singles. Only three are named below for the purpose of this list.
9. "We Need A Resolution" was the lead single off the 2001 Aaliyah album. It was written by singer/songwriter and former Playa group member Static Major (Stephen Ellis Garrett,) who died in 2008. In addition to a hot Timbaland beat, the music video was also one of her best.
10. "Rock The Boat," nominated at the 44th Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, this single reached a chart position of 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.
11. "More Than A Woman," nominated at the 45th Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
Haughton sultry vocals were featured on two film soundtracks, all reaching Billboard success and one Grammy nomination. All three singles listed were written by Static Major (Garrett) who became her lead writer.
12. "Are You That Somebody," sampled the infamous cooing baby in the background in addition to Timbaland's signature drum beats. Featured on the 1996 Dr. Doolittle soundtrack, starring Eddie Murphy, the song granted Haughton yet another Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
13. "Come Back In One Piece," featured rapper DMX and was featured on the 2000 Romeo Must Die soundtrack. Though both Haughton and DMX starred in the film, only Haughton contributed full songs for the project.
14. "Try Again," written by Static Major, was also featured on the Romeo Must Die soundtrack and became Houghton and Garrett's single number one song to hit the Billboard charts. The music video featured Houghton's co-star Jet Li.
15. " I Miss You," was originally written to be featured on longtime friend and fellow Timbaland produced singer, Ginuwine's album. Aaliyah later recorded her vocals to the track but, the song never made it on her Aaliyah. It was ultimately released in 2002, resulting in a music video dedication to the life and legacy of Haugton.
As the song states, we miss you Aaliyah!
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