Paul Simon, the #72 Artist of the Rock Era, Part One

"Our generation benefited so from this great artist."

"He is a ridiculously gifted lyricist, and a great vocalist. The combination is amazing."

"A Master in our day. His poetry is from another world."

"Mr Simon..... there is no one who so clearly and correctly captures the feelings and thoughts of so many people."

"Paul Simon, maybe the greatest lyricist of all time!"

"His music has been an inspiration for our lifetimes."

"So profound, deep, philosophical, Paul's and is transcendent and his lyrics will be taught in Englist Literature classes in 6016."

"Paul is a veritable gold mine of profound philosophical thinking and of life's vagaries."

"His music is carved on the billboards of everybody's mind."

"Paul Simon songs have dealt with relevant social issues for 40 + years in calming, harmonic melodies that are timeless and uplifting."

This genius was born October 13, 1941 in Newark, New Jersey.  He moved with his family to Queens, New York in 1945 and became interested in music and baseball.  He met Art Garfunkel when he was 11; they both performed in a school production of Alice in Wonderland and began singing together two years later.

Paul wrote his first song called "The Girl For Me", which he later copyrighted and is now in the U.S. Library of Congress.  A few years later, Simon & Garfunkel recorded "Hey, Schoolgirl" as Tom & Jerry, a #49 song.

Simon graduated from Forest Hills High School and earned an English literature degree at Queens College.  He briefly went to Brooklyn Law School but his love of music soon led him to pursue a career in Rock & Roll instead.  After writing nearly 30 songs, Paul's songwriting ability impressed the brass at Columbia Records and Simon & Garfunkel signed a recording contract in 1964.

With Garfunkel, Paul Simon enjoyed great success as a duo from 1964-1970, achieving three of The Top 15 Songs of the Rock Era* in "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "The Sound Of Silence" and "Mrs. Robinson", scoring eight Top 10 hits and winning 14 Grammy Awards.  The duo broke up in 1970 at the height of their popularity, and Simon began a solo career.

Simon released his debut album in January 1972, which was widely praised by critics for the variety of styles on the project.  This included Paul's Jamaican-inspired "Mother And Child Reunion", #3 in Norway, #4 in the United States and Canada, #5 in the U.K. and Australia and #6 in the Netherlands.  It has gone over two million in radio airplays.

 

"Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard" continued the momentum, reaching #6 on the Easy Listening chart although it's peak of #22 on the Popular chart easily makes it one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

 

The album sold over one million copies and reached #1 in the U.K. Finland, Norway and Sweden and #4 in the United States.  "Duncan" is another great track on the album.

Simon followed that album up with There Goes Rhymin' Simon, another Platinum album released in 1973.  The first single, "Kodachrome", became one of his biggest solo hits, soaring to #1 in Canada, #2 in the U.S. and #8 in France.  The song has now gone over three million in radio airplays.

"Loves Me Like A Rock", with the Dixie Hummingbirds on backing vocals, quickly becoming Simon's third solo Top 10, reaching #2 in the United States and #5 in Canada.

Another gem is "St. Judy's Comet".

The song has topped the three-million mark in radio airplay.  "American Tune" is another highlight of the album.

"Something So Right" was nominated for Best Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

Written in the wake of his divorce, the album Still Crazy After All These Years, one of Paul's finest works.  "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" topped charts in the U.S. and Canada and hit #2 in France.

Simon won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and a BMI Pop Award for two million radio airplays for "50 Ways".  The album, which went Gold, also highlights the memorable title song.  It features more amazing Simon lyrics but with a peak of #40, is another highly underrated song, as evidenced by the fact that it has exceeded one million radio airplays.  

The song "Gone At Last" received a BMI Pop Award.  Paul organized a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden to raise money for the New York Public Library, and over $30,000 was raised.

Simon also teamed up with mate Art Garfunkel for the Top 10 smash "My Little Town".

Simon wrote music for the movie Shampoo and starred in the movie Annie Hall.  In 1977, he released the compilation Greatest Hits, Etc., and from that album, the new song "Slip Slidin' Away" became a huge hit, going to #4 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #5 overall in the U.S. and #2 in Canada.

The classic song has topped two million in radio airplay.  Meanwhile, Simon joined with James Taylor and Garfunkel on Art's 1978 album Watermark.  The remake of "Wonderful World" became a huge Adult Contemporary hit that peaked at #17 overall.

Be sure to catch Part 2 of Paul Simon!

Paul Simon, The #72 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

 

 

In 1980, Simon switched to Warner Brothers Records and released the album One-Trick Pony, his first in nearly five years.  Simon also wrote and starred in the movie of the same name.  The single "Late In The Evening" reached #6 and has exceeded one million radio airplays. 

 

Simon was nominated for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special at the Grammy Awards.  He released the album Hearts and Bones, which failed to sell at the time but since has gained in stature.  A highlight of the album is "The Late Great Johnny Ace", partially written about R&B singer Johnny Ace and partly about John Lennon, who had died just prior to Simon recording it.  

 Another Top Track* and fan favorite is "Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War". As part of the crème de la crème of songwriters in music history, Paul was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982.

 

We also want to feature the title song.

In 1985, Simon was one of the voices behind the great #1 song "We Are The World".

But Simon was disappointed with the commercial failure of Hearts and Bones and felt the chances of returning to hit songs were small.  One day in 1984, Simon listened to a cassette of the instrumental Gumboots:  Accordion Jive Volume II by the Boyoyo Boys, a South African group.  Paul was intrigued by the unusual sound and wrote lyrics to the song.

Buoyed by what he had just written, Simon traveled to South Africa to further explore the music and culture that would comprise his next album.  He collaborated with some of the top South African musicians and groups and began recording in Johannesburg in February of 1985.

The result was the landmark album Graceland, although Warner Brothers didn't know if such an eclectic album would find much footing in the mainstream.  Nevertheless, the album was released in 1986 and became the highlight of Simon's solo career.  

 

"You Can Call Me Al" reached #2 in Australia, #4 in the U.K. and #5 in the Netherlands.  Simon received a BMI Award when the song exceeded radio airplay of two million.  The accompanying music video starred comedian Chevy Chase, which gave Simon important exposure to a new generation of music fans on MTV.

 Graceland reached #1 in many countries, including the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and peaked at #3 in the U.S.  The title song was highly underrated at #81.

 

The album sold over five million copies in the United States and over 16 million worldwide and was the second-best-selling album of 1987.  Those facts seem to mock Billboard's peak of #86 for  the incredible song "The Boy In The Bubble", which feature some of the best lyrics of Simon's career. It is near the top of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era

 Although the album represented experimentation into new music, Graceland put Paul back in the spotlight.  He captured Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Record of the Year (for "Graceland") and an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Album.  "Homeless" is another solid track.

 

The album is loaded with great material, such as "Under African Skies", featuring Linda Ronstadt on backing vocals.

 Simon was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music.  Another noteworthy song on the album is "Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes".

The compilation Negotiations and Love Songs, which contained hits as well as Paul's personal favorites, became a big-seller.

Simon continued to explore with the Brazilian-flavored album The Rhythm of the Saints, released in 1990.  The album went to #1 in the U.K. and #4 in the United States and was certified Double Platinum.  Simon was nominated for another Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Paul's ex wife Carrie Fisher states in her autobiography Wishful Drinking that the song "She Moves On" is about her.  Fisher writes "If you can get Paul Simon to write a song about you, do it.  Because he is so brilliant at it."

Simon, who had reunited with Garfunkel for a legendary free concert at Central Park in Manhattan, New York, performed in 1991 with African and South American bands.  The show drew over 750,000 people, one of the largest concert audiences in history.  The success of the concert led to a live album and an Emmy Award-winning television special.

Simon & Garfunkel reunited again in 1993 and Simon released the box set Paul Simon 1964/1993.  Meanwhile, Paul worked on The Capeman, a musical that he finally finished later in the decade for it to open on January 29, 1998.  Despite his great amount of work, the show closed after just 68 performances.  Simon recorded an album of songs from the show, but it too failed, as Paul fell short of the Top 40 for the first time in his career.

Paul received the Johnny Mercer Award on June 10, 1998 from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  Simon joined Bob Dylan in a co-headlining tour of North America that allowed fans to see two legends in the same show.

In 2000, Simon released the album You're the One, nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.  Simon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and was named as MusiCares Person of the Year.  On September 21, 2002, Simon sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" for the broadcast "America:  A Tribute to Heroes", in the wake of the September 11 mass murders.

In 2002, Paul recorded "Father And Daughter" for the animated The Wild Thornberrys Movie, nominated for Best Song at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards, then once again reunited with Garfunkel for another tour.  Simon was recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors, the nation's highest tribute to performing and cultural artists.  

The following year, Simon's studio albums were released as the nine-CD boxed set Paul Simon:  The Studio Recordings 1972-2000.  In 2005, Simon was named a BMI Icon at their annual Pop Awards.

Simon released the album Surprise in 2006.

Simon was named as one of the "100 People Who Shaped the World" by Time magazine in 2006.  In 2007, Paul became the first honoree of the recently created Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

In 2010, Simon received an honorary degree from Brandeis University.

In 2011, he released the album So Beautiful or So What and toured the U.S., England, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.  On September 11 of 2011, Paul performed "The Sound Of Silence" at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 murders.

In 2012, Paul was awarded the Polar Music Prize.  He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming for the documentary Graceland Journey:  Under African Skies.  In 2014, Simon toured with Sting for concerts in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.  The next year, Paul performed with Billy Joel at the final concert of Nassau Coliseum.

In 2016, Simon released the album Stranger to Stranger, #1 in the U.K. and #3 in the United States.

On February 5, 2018, Simon announced his retirement from touring in a letter to fans, citing time away from family and the death of longtime guitarist Vincent Nguini as the main reasons, but he did not rule out live shows all together. Paul did a Farewell Tour throughout North America and Europe.   

In 2018, Simon released the album In the Blue Light, re-recordings of earlier material.

In 2000, Paul co-founded The Children's Health Fund with Dr. Irwin Redlener, which brings health care to the poor throughout the United States.  The project has paid for 1.2 million doctor visits.  This organization was the main source for those communities affected by Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina.

Paul has also raised millions of dollars for AMFAR, THe Nature Conservancy, The Fund for Imprisoned Children in South Africa and Autism Speaks.  Paul received the Frederick D. Patterson Award from the United Negro College Fund in 1989 for efforts made by Simon on their behalf.

Simon's music has received over 75 million airplays as of 2005, according to Broadcast Music, Incorporated.  Paul is widely regarded as one of the best lyricists of all-time, and in an interview reprinted in American Songwriter, Simon discussed his songwriting process:

     "The music always precedes

     the words. The words often come

     from the sound of the music and               eventually evolve into coherent   

     thoughts. Or incoherent thoughts.             Rhythm plays a crucial part in the             lyric-making as well. It's like a

     puzzle to find the right words to                 express what the music is 

     saying." 

Simon has scored 19 solo hits, including six Top 10's and one #1 song.  He has won 13 Grammys for his solo career and work with Garfunkel, including a Lifetime Achievement Award.  Simon's album Still Crazy After All These Years was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003 and his classic Graceland album was inducted in 2012.  A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee for both his solo career and his work with Garfunkel, Paul has won 39 BMI Pop Awards, two Emmy Awards and been nominated for an award at the Academy and Golden Globe Awards.  

AC/DC, the #73 Artist of the Rock Era, Part One

"AC/DC is my favourite band."

"Best Hard Rock band ever."

"One of the top bands in music history."

"Great band."

"AC/DC is electric!"

"One of the best bands in the history of Rock."

"Incredible!"

"They rock better than any other band."

"AC/DC is simply awesome.  They're legends forever."

AC/DC had so many great songs."

Brothers Angus and Malcolm Young started this high-voltage Australian Heavy Metal group in 1973, although they didn't explode onto the scene until seven years later. Drummer Colin Burgess, lead singer Dave Evans and bassist Larry Van Kriedt joined Angus and Malcolm, but in 1974, Bon Scott replaced Evans.

AC/DC became one of the most popular acts in Australia through regular appearances on the television program Countdown between 1974 and 1977.  In 1974, AC/DC released the album High Voltage in Australia, but Mark Evans was now playing bass and Phil Rudd became the drummer.

By 1975, the two Young brothers were the only original members left.  The next year, AC/DC signed a record contract with Atlantic Records.  They began touring throughout Europe, opening for acts such as Aerosmith, Styx, KISS, Blue Öyster Cult and Black Sabbath.

 

To capitalize on this newfound exposure, the group released a compilation of their first two albums as High Voltage, the title of their first Australian release.  It has now sold over three million copies and contains one of the group's most popular songs, "T.N.T."

 

"Live Wire" is another example of their great early work.  

In 1976, AC/DC released the album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap in nearly every country except the biggest Rock music market, the United States.  The title track is one of their career best.

 

 After recording the album Let There Be Rock in 1977, AC/DC fired Evans and hired Cliff Williams to take his place.  Fans have since bought the album to the tune of two million copies.  The title song is a Top Track*. 

 

The band released the 1978 album Powerage, the sales of which also surged to one million after AC/DC became popular.  "Sin City" stands out for the unhinged guitar work of Angus and terrific vocals from Bon Scott.

"Down Payment Blues" likely had relevance to Scott who wrote it.  Before joining AC/DC, he had played in bands for 10 years and still hadn't enjoyed big success.

 

We also want to feature "Riff Raff" from the album.  

The group then embarked on recording their next album, and the move that needs to be understood as setting them up for stardom was to bring in producer Robert "Mutt" Lange.  

The group also released their first live album, If You Want Blood You've Got It, which is now a million-seller.

 

The album Highway to Hell in 1979 was the first to make it into the Top 100 on the Album chart, peaking at #17.  The album became the breakthrough for the group, and consistent sales in the decades since have pushed the album to seven million.  Although 13 consecutive singles had failed to spark worldwide interest, the group tried again with "Girls Got Rhythm".  It didn't chart either, but is a worthy track.

 

The title song became one of the group's biggest career hits at #47.

 

 We want to also feature three other songs which are all Top Tracks* for the Rock Era.  "Walk All Over You".

 

A song about the dangers of excess, which AC/DC was all too familiar with--"Touch Too Much".

 

Another of the band's best songs is "Get It Hot".

We hope you will join us for Part Two, which appears below!

AC/DC, The #73 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

 

Bon Scott died February 19, 1980 after doing something AC/DC members did often, drinking heavily.  The group thought about quitting, but listened to Scott's parents, who said he would want them to go on.  After conducting a search for Scott's replacement, AC/DC decided on Brian Johnson, someone that Scott had once commented favorably on, and they tried to pick themselves back up collectively as a band.

 AC/DC not only carried on, but Johnson led them to new heights.  The first album recorded with him was one of the most monumental releases in the Rock Era.  The group released Back in Black later in the year.  The single "You Shook Me All Night Long" peaked at #35, the biggest U.S. hit the group would ever have. 

Back in Black went to #1 in the U.K. and #4 in the United States.  "Hell's Bells" received airplay on Album stations.

 Although "You Shook Me All Night Long" was the band's biggest hit, the best song on the album arguably is the title song.

 

Back in Black has now sold an estimated 50 million units worldwide.  In the United States, it has been certified as having sold 22 million copies, making it the sixth-biggest-seller of all-time.

This amazing album is loaded with Top Tracks*, such as "Shoot To Thrill".  It was later featured in the movie Iron Man 2.

 

Another of the songs which got considerable airplay is "Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution".

 

After the amazing success of Back in Black, Atlantic Records, which was disinterested in releasing Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap in 1976, reissued it in 1979.  On the strength of the release of the title song as a single, the album rocketed to #3.  "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" jumped to #4 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

 

Lange also produced the 1981 album For Those About to Rock We Salute You.  The single "Let's Get It Up" rose to #9 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

 

The album gave AC/DC their first #1 in the U.S. and sales now top four million.  "For Those About To Rock" climbed to #4 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

The group was so popular during this time that they were nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Band at the American Music Awards.

Internal problems began to surface, however, and Rudd was fired from the group.  After 700 drummers auditioned to take his place, the group hired Simon Wright.

In 1983, AC/DC released the album Flick of the Switch, which they produced themselves.  The result was an inferior product, and the group's 1985 album, Fly on the Wall, did not do much better.  

The following year, the group released the album Who Made Who, which served as the soundtrack to the movie Maximum Overdrive.  It contained previous AC/DC songs such as "You Shook Me All Night Long" with newer songs mixed in.  Who Made Who has now topped five million in sales.

 

The group also released the EP '74 Jailbreak.  It was the first time that "Jailbreak", originally included on the group's Australian version of the Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap album, was released in North America.

The group's 1988 album, Blow Up Your Video, was an improvement, although it too paled to previous releases.  But Malcolm Young skipped the North American tour dates to deal with his own problem of alcoholism, replaced by nephew Stevie Young.  Wright then left the group in favor of Dio, with veteran session musician Chris Slade taking his place.

 AC/DC made a comeback with their next album, thanks to producer Bruce Fairbairn, who had credits with Aerosmith and Bon Jovi.  They released the album The Razors Edge in 1990.  The great song "Thunderstruck" became the band's biggest worldwide career hit, going to #3 in New Zealand and the Netherlands, #4 in the U.K. and #5 on the Mainstream Rock chart in the U.S., though it didn't make the Popular chart. It is one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era.

"Thunderstruck" was nominated for Best Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.  With sales of five million copies in the U.S. alone, The Razors Edge proved to be the best album the group had recorded since Back in Black, and the best they have done since.  

While "Moneytalks" cannot boast the worldwide success of its predecessor, it landed at #23, the highest peak position ever for an AC/DC single in the United States.  On the Mainstream Rock chart, it attained #3.

The band was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the Grammy Awards for their work on the album in 1991, and "Moneytalks" was separately nominated for the same award in 1992.  For the first time in years, AC/DC was back in the Top 10 of the Album chart.  The Razors Edge peaked at #2 in the U.S. and in the Top 10 in every major country in the world except Austria, where it was #11.  Their subsequent tour was recorded and highlights released as the 1992 album Live.

The band headlined the Monsters of Rock Festival, but tragedy struck when three fans were crushed when the crowd rushed the stage in Salt Lake City, Utah.  

In 1992, AC/DC recorded "Big Gun" for the movie Last Action Hero--the song went to #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart in the U.S and #3 in New Zealand and #5 in Switzerland.

The band released the album AC/DC Live.  With sales of over three million in the United States alone, it is one of the top live albums in history.  The group's performance of "Highway To Hell" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the Grammy Awards.

In 1994, Rudd reunited with the group and replaced Slade, with the album Ballbreaker the result in 1995.  The single "Hard As A Rock" jumped to #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart.  

Ballbreaker has now sold over two million copies.  In 1997, AC/DC released the box set Bonfire, a mixture of a remastered Back in Black, alternate takes and outtakes and two live albums.  Bonfire has sold over one million units.

The group returned in 2000 with another solid effort, Stiff Upper Lip, which was produced by brother George Young.  The album reached #1 in five countries including Germany and peaked at #7 in the United States, selling over one million copies.  The title song hit #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart for four weeks.

In March, Leganés, Spain named a street in honor of the group, named Calle de AC/DC.  Angus and Malcom were on hand for the ceremony. 

AC/DC signed a major long-term contract with Sony, which released several remastered albums by the group.  

In 2003, AC/DC was elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Also that year, they performed with the Rolling Stones and Rush at Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto before an audience of half a million fans to set a record for the largest paid music event in North American history.

In 2004, Melbourne, Australia renamed Corporation Lane as ACDC Lane.

During this period, AC/DC also released several live albums, including Plug Me In, Live at Donington and No Bull:  The Directors Cut.

In 2008, the band released the album Black Ice, their first album of new material in eight years.  The title song gave the group another #1 Mainstream Rock hit.

The highly anticipated album debuted at #1 in 29 countries.  AC/DC supported the album with an 18-month world tour in which they played before five million people in 28 countries and helped the album go Double Platinum.  "Rock N' Roll Train" was nominated for Best Rock Performance by A Duo or Group with Vocal at the Grammy Awards.

AC/DC captured their first and only Grammy Award in 2010 when "War Machine" was named Best Hard Rock Performance.  Black Ice was also nominated for Best Rock Album.

In 2010, AC/DC recorded the soundtrack for the movie Iron Man 2.  It reached the Top 10 in nearly every country in the world and has been certified Gold. 

In 2014, however, Malcolm became seriously ill.  He was replaced in the studio by Stevie for a new album but eventually left the band.  AC/DC released the album Rock or Bust and began a world tour.  Sales of the album (500,000) are the lowest since T.N.T. in 1975.

In November, Rudd was charged with threatening to kill a former assistant and possession of drugs.  He pleaded guilty five months later and was replaced on drums with Slade.

In March of 2016, Johnson's doctors ordered him to cease touring due to hearing loss.  The other members recruited Axl Rose, formerly with Guns N' Roses, to sing vocals for the remainder of the tour. 

In July, Williams retired and in September, AC/DC announced that Rose had been hired full-time.  After the completion of the tour, Angus and Rose announced that they would continue the band with different musicians.

AC/DC has sold over 71.5 million albums in the United States and over 200 million worldwide.  The group is now the fifth-best-selling band in U.S. history and #10 among all artists.

They have won one Grammy Award out of seven nominations and have also been nominated for an American Music Award and an MTV Video Music Award.

Boyz II Men, The #74 Artist of the Rock Era

"These guys are legends."

"Amazing vocals.  I love these guys."

"One of the best male groups to ever grace this planet with their talent."

"A once in a generation group."

"Boyz II Men will forever be my idols."

"They did so many timeless songs!"

"Oh, the beautiful harmonies of Boyz II Men..."

"My one and only favorite group to this day."

"It's like I'm listening to angels."

"One of the best R&B groups ever."

This group has done more with a cappella harmonies than just about anyone.

Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris and Michael McCary have wowed the world with their great vocal style and harmonies. The group grew out of Unique Attraction, which was started by Nathan Morris and Marc Nelson while at Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Pennsylvania. Wanya joined the group in 1987, but when several other members left after graduation the following year, the group recruited Stockman. One day, Unique Attraction were practicing harmonies in a school bathroom when McCary walked in and joined them in singing. The group was so impressed that they invited McCary to be a permanent member.

The quintet renamed themselves after a New Edition song called "Boys To Men". Boyz II Men snuck backstage at a New Edition concert and sang for New Edition member Michael Bivens, who had just announced that he was forming the trio Bell Biv DeVoe with Ricky Bell and Ronnie DeVoe. Everyone who heard Boyz II Men were stunned, and Bivens eventually agreed to manage and produce the group.

 

But when conflicts within the group and the delay in recording their first album led Nelson to quit, Boyz II Men became the quartet that the world fell in love with.

The feeling that Bivens and others felt spread quickly with the release of the album Cooleyhighharmony in 1991. What made this group so great is that each member sang lead, often mixing their lead parts in the same song. The debut single, "Motownphilly", features a rap from Bivens that tells the story of how he met the group.  The #3 smash went on to sell over two million copies in the U.S. alone.

Boyz II Men were nominated for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Single at the American Music Awards.  They also scored a World Music Award for Best International Group.

 

The album peaked at #3 in the U.S., #4 in Australia and #7 in the U.K.  "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" was a remake of a song included in the 1975 movie Cooley High and gave the group a #1 R&B hit that also reached #2 in the United States and sold over one million copies.

Boyz II Men achieved a minor hit with "Uhh Ahh", #16 overall and #1 on the R&B chart.

Cooleyhighharmony has sold over nine million copies and gave Boyz II Men their first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.  They were also nominated for Best New Artist, an award given to Marc Cohn in another classic Grammy mistake, despite the promise shown by Cohn in his initial year.

While opening for MC Hammer on tour in 1992, tour manager Khalil Rountree was murdered in Chicago, Illinois.  Boyz II Men dedicated future performances of "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" to Roundtree.

 

The group found time in between tour dates to record "End Of The Road" for the movie Boomerang.  "End Of The Road" dominated the top spot for 13 weeks in the United States to set a then-Rock Era record and achieved similar success around the world.  It became a Top 10 song in every major country and was #1 everywhere except Canada, where it stalled at #3, and France, where it peaked at #7. 

"End Of The Road" sold over two million copies and helped Boyz II Men won American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Single and Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist.  They were also nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Band, Duo or Group.  The Boyz also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.  They also were nominated for Best R&B Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Amazingly, the Boyz would break their own record twice, once with "I'll Make Love To You" at 14 weeks and again with "One Sweet Day", their duet with Mariah Carey, which spent a still record 16 weeks at the top.

 

The group released their cover of the Five Satins' "In The Still Of The Night (I'll Remember)", another two-million seller and #3 smash.

 

Boyz II Men began working with Babyface and other top-notch producers in the years to come.  Prior to the release of their follow-up album, Boyz II Men released the album Christmas Interpretations, which has now cleared two million in sales. "Silent Night" is one of the best versions of the holiday classic.

"I'll Make Love To You" from their 1994 album II tied the mark set by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" earlier in the year with 14 weeks at #1 and held on to #1 in Australia for four weeks.  Like "End Of The Road", it was a worldwide Top 10 song and #1 everywhere except France (#2), U.K. (#5) and the Netherlands (#6) and sold over two million singles.

 

When "On Bended Knee" replaced "I'll Make Love To You" at #1, Boyz II Men became the third act in the history of the Rock Era to replace themselves at #1, following Elvis Presley and the Beatles.  The group once again had a lock on the #1 position, holding on to it for six weeks.  Just 3 1/2 years into their career, Boyz II Men had scored a total of 33 weeks at #1.  The song also vaulted to #1 in Canada and reached #7 in Australia.  "On Bended Knee" also sold over two million units, the group's fifth Platinum single.

 

As high a bar as they set with their debut, II exceeded it, selling 12 million albums in the United States alone.  The album soared to #1 in the U.S. and France, #3 in Canada and #4 in Australia.  Boyz II Men were nominated for Best R&B Video for "Water Runs Dry" at the MTV Video Music Awards, with the song hitting #2 in the U.S. and #4 in Canada and selling one million copies.

The group captured Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (for "I'll Make Love To You") and were nominated for Record of the Year.  They were nominated for a total of nine American Music Awards for their amazing work on II.  They won Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Single and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "I'll Make Love To You", Favorite Soul/R&B Band, Duo or Group in both 1995 and 1996 and Favorite Soul/R&B Album and were nominated for Favorite Artist of the Year, Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo or Group, Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist (for "I'll Make Love To You").  Boyz II Men also won Blockbuster Entertainment Awards for Favorite CD and Favorite R&B CD.  II has sold over 12 million copies in the U.S. alone.

 

The Remix Collection in 1995 sold over one million units.  In 1996, the group combined with Mariah Carey for what would become one of the biggest hits of the Rock Era, "One Sweet Day".  It held on to #1 for an incredible 16 weeks in the U.S. and topped charts in Canada and New Zealand, while going Top 10 in every country in the world.

The collaboration earned Platinum status and earned the superstars Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and an MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best R&B Video.

Things were going great, but when Motown Records released The Remix Collection against their wishes, Boyz II Men started their own record company, Stonecreerk Records.

 

In 1997, Boyz II Men released the album Evolution.  With three million in sales, it was a big-seller but did not approach the success of either Cooleyhighharmony or II.  The single "4 (sic) Seasons Of Lonliness", however, gave the group its fourth #1 and its sixth Platinum single. 

 

 

"A Song For Mama" went to #1 R&B and #7 overall and also sold over two million copies.  The group was nominated for Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.

 

On the subsequent tour, Wanya developed a polyp on his vocal cords, leading to a postponement of several dates. We also want to feature "Doin' Just Fine" from the album.

Boyz II Men received an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Band and were nominated for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group at the Grammy Awards for "A Song For Mama".

 

The group scored another Gold single with their contribution to "The Prince Of Eagle" Soundtrack, "I Will Get There".

In 2000, the group released the album Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, which represented a further decline in sales to one million worldwide.  However, the amazing group continued to be recognized by their peers with Grammy nominations for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group (for "Pass You By").

Boyz II Men released the compilation album Legacy:  The Greatest Hits Collection to conclude their contract, which by this time had been bought by Universal.  The album was certified Gold.

Now signed with Arista, Boyz II Men released the album Full Circle, but it too barely cleared one million units worldwide.

McCary retired from performing early in 2003 due to an ongoing battle with scoliosis, and Arista released the group from contract on April 30.

After a year off, Boyz II Men formed the independent label MSM Music Group and released an album of covers called Throwback, Vol. 1.  In 2006, the group released the album The Remedy exclusively in Japan.

Boyz Ii Men recorded another album of cover songs (Motown:  A Journey Through Hitsville USA) in 2007 after resigning with Universal.

Boyz II Men were nominated for Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (for "Ribbon In The Sky").

The group has released three studio albums since.  In 2012, Boyz II Men received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

All told, the group has landed 17 career hits, with an impressive nine Top 10 songs and four #1's.  They have sold over 60 million records worldwide.

The Boyz have been one of the most decorated groups of all-time, winning nine American Music Awards out of 17 nominations, four Grammy Awards from 15 nominations, a World Music Award, two Blockbuster Entertainment Awards and being nominated for three MTV Video Music Awards.