The Best R&B Songs

R&B songs ranked by how few beers they need to sound good, from nineties vocal groups to modern chart-toppers.

Top 20 of 20 songs with at least 10 ratings. Ranked by average beer score on a 0 to 11 scale.

1. 1
   

   Creep

   TLC

   Cheating, set to the friendliest horn line imaginable.

   3.0beers12 ratings
2. 2
   

   Can't Feel My Face

   The Weeknd

   A song about cocaine that radio played to children. Impressive.

   3.2beers11 ratings
3. 3
   

   Locked Out of Heaven

   Bruno Mars

   The Police, but considerably happier about it.

   3.7beers10 ratings
4. 4
   

   Are You That Somebody

   Aaliyah

   Timbaland put a baby giggle on a beat and got away with it.

   3.8beers10 ratings
5. 5
   

   Yeah!

   Usher

   Lil Jon yelling YEAH. That is a production credit.

   3.9beers16 ratings
6. 6
   

   No One

   Alicia Keys

   Built to be sung badly at karaoke, joyfully.

   3.9beers11 ratings
7. 7
   

   No Scrubs

   TLC

   The definitive rejection song. Still being cited in arguments.

   4.1beers13 ratings
8. 8
   

   Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)

   Beyoncé

   The choreography outlived the song, and the song is enormous.

   4.1beers14 ratings
9. 9
   

   Say My Name

   Destiny's Child

   The vocal arrangement is doing algebra, effortlessly.

   4.5beers10 ratings
10. 10
    

    Diamonds

    Rihanna

    Sia wrote it in fourteen minutes. Rihanna made it eternal.

    4.7beers12 ratings
11. 11
    

    Bootylicious

    Destiny's Child

    Sampled Stevie Nicks. Added a word to the dictionary.

    4.9beers11 ratings
12. 12
    

    Survivor

    Destiny's Child

    Written as a response to critics. The critics lost.

    5.0beers11 ratings
13. 13
    

    Starboy

    The Weeknd

    Daft Punk again, this time with menace.

    5.0beers10 ratings
14. 14
    

    Hero

    Mariah Carey

    She reportedly finds it cheesy. She is outvoted.

    6.2beers15 ratings
15. 15
    

    Confessions Part II

    Usher

    Four minutes of the worst possible news, sung beautifully.

    6.3beers16 ratings
16. 16
    

    We Belong Together

    Mariah Carey

    The comeback that reminded everyone exactly who she was.

    6.5beers15 ratings
17. 17
    

    Grenade

    Bruno Mars

    He'd catch a grenade. Beer four believes him.

    6.5beers10 ratings
18. 18
    

    I Believe I Can Fly

    R. Kelly

    A nineties assembly-hall staple, and much harder to hear now.

    6.7beers10 ratings
19. 19
    

    Try Again

    Aaliyah

    Still the most futuristic-sounding record of 2000.

    7.5beers10 ratings
20. 20
    

    Just the Way You Are

    Bruno Mars

    Suspiciously sincere. Works regardless.

    8.3beers10 ratings