Boyz II Men ( ) is an American
vocal harmony
Vocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are simultaneously sung as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical ...
group from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
, best known for emotional
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
s and
a cappella
Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
harmonies. Formed in 1985, they have been a trio composed of baritone
Nathan Morris, tenor
Wanyá Morris, and
Shawn Stockman since 2003. During the 1990s, Boyz II Men was a quartet with bass singer
Michael McCary, who left the group in 2003 due to health issues after being diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...
.
The group first saw commercial success in 1991 with the release of their singles "
Motownphilly" and "
It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday," both of which peaked within the top five of the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. Their 1992 single, "
End of the Road"
peaked atop the chart and set a
then-record for spending 13 weeks at the position. Boyz II Men later broke this record twice more with the singles "
I'll Make Love to You
"I'll Make Love to You" is a song by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Motown label. Written and produced by Babyface, it was released on 26 July 1994 as the lead single from the group's second album, '' II'' (1994). The song was a commer ...
" and "
One Sweet Day" (with
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
) which, at 14 and 16 weeks respectively, set records for most weeks at number one. When "
On Bended Knee" took the number one spot away from "
I'll Make Love to You
"I'll Make Love to You" is a song by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Motown label. Written and produced by Babyface, it was released on 26 July 1994 as the lead single from the group's second album, '' II'' (1994). The song was a commer ...
," Boyz II Men became the third musical act, after
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
and
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
, to replace themselves atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
These achievements gave Boyz II Men recognition as ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' magazine's biggest
boy band
A boy band is a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their Teenage, teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Many boy bands ...
from 1987 to 2012.
Boyz II Men continued to perform as a trio despite McCary's departure. Their latest studio album, ''
Under the Streetlight
''Under the Streetlight'' is the fifteenth studio album by American R&B group Boyz II Men. It was released by Tango Entertainment, Masterworks and MSM Music Group on October 20, 2017. A collection of interpretations of songs from the 1950s, along ...
'', was released in 2017. Boyz II Men have received four
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
. They also became the first group contestants to win ''
The Masked Singer'' where they competed as "Buffalos" in
season twelve.
History
1985–1990: Group formation and beginnings
The group, originally named Unique Attraction, was formed in 1985 by Nathan Morris and Marc Nelson at the
Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) along with fellow schoolmates
George Baldi, Jon Shoats, and Marguerite Walker. In 1987, Wanyá Morris, who sang in the school's choir along with the members of Unique Attraction, joined the group and became a permanent member as a freshman. In 1988 Baldi, Shoats and Walker left the group due to graduation. They then recruited Shawn Stockman after seeing him perform a solo in the school's choir. After an encounter in a school bathroom, Michael McCary started singing along with the group and eventually became the group's new bass singer. With their permanent lineup of members, the group rehearsed in the high school's bathrooms, in the corners of their schools, and other local areas. At CAPA, they were mentored by
LaDeva Davis.
Finding inspiration in
New Edition
New Edition is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B/Pop music, pop group from the Roxbury, Boston, Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by singer/rapper Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a new edition of the Jackson ...
's harmonies and routines, they eventually renamed the group "Boyz II Men," after New Edition's "Boys to Men," from the 1988 album ''
Heart Break
''Heart Break'' is the fifth studio album by American contemporary R&B, R&B quintet New Edition, released June 20, 1988, by MCA Records. It is the first album to return the Boston-reared band as a quintet after the public exit of original member ...
''. After performing at a Valentine's Day party at school in 1989, they snuck into a concert put on by local radio station Power 99 at the
Philadelphia Civic Center. They planned to find
Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
backstage and perform for him. However, while looking for Smith, they happened to cross paths with New Edition member
Michael Bivins
Michael Lamont Bivins (born August 10, 1968) is an American singer, rapper, manager, and producer, and a founding member of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe.
Biography
Bivins was born and still lives in Boston. He and his wife, Teasha, have four ...
, who, along with bandmates
Ricky Bell and
Ronnie DeVoe
Ronald Boyd DeVoe Jr. (born November 17, 1967), is an American singer and rapper known as one of the members of the R&B/ pop group New Edition, and the R&B/ hip hop group Bell Biv DeVoe. He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
Career
DeVoe wa ...
, had just announced they were forming a New Edition spin-off trio,
Bell Biv DeVoe. After they sang New Edition's "
Can You Stand the Rain" for him, Bivins and everyone in attendance, including other celebrities, were impressed. He then gave the group his number and told them to call him. Nate eventually called him, and he agreed to manage and help produce the group.
The delay before recording their own material and reported personality conflicts led founding member Marc Nelson to leave the group, making Boyz II Men into the quartet that found international fame: Michael McCary, Nathan Morris, Wanyá Morris, and Shawn Stockman.
1991–1993: ''Cooleyhighharmony'' and "End of the Road"
Boyz II Men's first album, ''
Cooleyhighharmony'', was released on Motown in 1991 and was produced by Dallas Austin and the Characters. ''Cooleyhighharmony''s drum-heavy
new jack swing
New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Te ...
sound and multi-layered
sampled backdrops were similar to that of
Bell Biv DeVoe's own work, but featured classic-soul styled vocals in place of BBD's
rapping
Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates " rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backin ...
and brassier
singing
Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...
. This style was dubbed "
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
doo-wop
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, ...
" by the group and Bivins, who presented Boyz II Men and adolescent R&B group
Another Bad Creation
Another Bad Creation (sometimes called ABC for short) allmusic ((( Another Bad Creation > Overview ))) Retrieved November 7, 2007. Demetrius "Red" (b. September 23, 1979) and Marliss "Mark" (b. April 15, 1982) Pugh, as well as Adrian "G.A." (Gen ...
to the public as BBD's protégés.
From the beginning, Boyz II Men featured all four members as leads, avoiding the usual R&B group arrangement of one or two lead singers and a team of background singers. The multiple-lead arrangement became a Boyz II Men trademark, and it became typical to hear Wanyá Morris' vibrato-heavy
tenor
A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
, Shawn Stockman's tenor voice, Nathan Morris'
baritone
A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
, and Michael McCary's
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
(often used in spoken-word sections of many Boyz II Men hits) trading bars in each song.
The album's liner notes identified unique nicknames for each group member. These nicknames were devised in collaboration with Bivins in an attempt at marketing. Wanyá was "Squirt," Shawn was "Slim," Michael was simply "Bass," and Nathan assumed the name "Alex Vanderpool," after a soap opera character who brandished a nerdy style.
Boyz II Men's first single, the
Dallas Austin
Dallas L. Austin (born December 29, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, and film producer from Columbus, Georgia.
Biography
Early life
During a 2019 interview with DJ Vlad, Dallas Austin detailed previously unknown or unconfir ...
-produced "
Motownphilly," featured a rap cameo by
Michael Bivins
Michael Lamont Bivins (born August 10, 1968) is an American singer, rapper, manager, and producer, and a founding member of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe.
Biography
Bivins was born and still lives in Boston. He and his wife, Teasha, have four ...
that tells of how he met Boyz II Men. The single's release was accompanied by a
music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
that presented the group in hip-hop style. (The video also included cameos from fellow Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts alumni
Black Thought
Tariq Luqmaan Trotter (born October 3, 1973), better known as Black Thought, is an American rapper, singer, actor and the lead Emcee (hip hop), MC of the hip hop group The Roots, which he co-founded with drummer Questlove in Philadelphia. Regar ...
and
Questlove
Ahmir K. Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), is an American drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought ...
of
The Roots
The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...
.) ''Cooleyhighharmony''s second single was an a cappella cover of a classic Motown tune,
G.C. Cameron's "
It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" from the 1975 film ''
Cooley High'', while "Uhh Ahh" served as the third single.
''Cooleyhighharmony'' achieved major success, selling over nine million copies and winning the
Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the
1992 Grammy Awards. Boyz II Men were also nominated for
Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1960 (except in 1967) "for a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that ar ...
, along with British singer-songwriter
Seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, also called "true seal"
** Fur seal
** Eared seal
* Seal ( ...
, fellow R&B group
Color Me Badd, and dance group
C+C Music Factory
C+C Music Factory was an American musical group formed in 1989 by David Cole and Robert Clivillés. The group is best known for their five hit singles: " Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", " Here We Go (Let's Rock & Roll)", " Things ...
, but the Grammy was awarded to singer-songwriter
Marc Cohn
Marc Craig Cohn (; born July 5, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1992. Cohn is best known for the song " Walking in Memphis", from his 1991 album '' Marc Cohn'', which was a To ...
. "Motownphilly" and "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" were number 1 R&B hits and top five U.S. pop hits.
In 1992, Boyz II Men joined
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper known for hit songs such as "U Can't Touch This", "2 Legit 2 Quit", and "Pumps and a Bump", flashy dance movements, e ...
's high-profile
2 Legit 2 Quit Tour as an
opening act
An opening act, also known as a warm-up act, support act, supporting act or opener, is an entertainment act (musical, comedic, or otherwise), that performs at a concert before the featured act, or "headliner". Rarely, an opening act may perform ...
. While traveling the country, their tour manager Roderick 'Khalil' Rountree was murdered in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, and the group's future performances of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" were dedicated to him. As a result of this unfortunate experience, the song helped advance their success.
While touring during 1992, Boyz II Men returned briefly to the studio to record the single "
End of the Road," co-written and produced by
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, for the soundtrack to
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
's film ''
Boomerang
A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...
''. This song, released as a single on June 30, 1992, became Boyz II Men's biggest hit. It reached the number one position on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on August 15, remaining for a record-setting 13 weeks, until November 14, 1992. The success of "End of the Road" instantly transformed Boyz II Men from up-and-coming R&B stars into mainstream music celebrities.
A revamped ''Cooleyhighharmony'' was reissued during 1993, with "End of the Road" added as a special bonus track, but "End of the Road" initially appeared only on the ''Boomerang'' soundtrack. Later, the track was included in a collection of singles produced by Michael Bivins called "East Coast Family, Vol. 1". Shortly after the release of this compilation, Boyz II Men and Michael Bivins parted ways professionally. Boyz II Men continued to work with Babyface and other high-profile record producers over the next several years.
1994–1996: ''II'' and "I'll Make Love to You"

After releasing a Christmas compilation, ''
Christmas Interpretations'' in 1993, Boyz II Men returned to the studio for their highly anticipated sophomore effort. In 1994, ''
II'' was released. ''II'' sold more than copies in the United States alone, becoming one of the best-selling albums ever released by an R&B group act, and one of the biggest albums of the decade. ''II'' later won two awards at the
1995 Grammy Awards, including
Best R&B Album.
Most of the tracks on ''II'' were written and produced by
Tim & Bob—Tim Kelley and Bob Robinson (5), Babyface (2) and the successful team of
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/ pop songwriting and record production team. Their productions have received commercial success since the 1980s with var ...
(2). Several of ''II''s tracks became major singles, among them Jam & Lewis's "On Bended Knee", and Babyface's "
I'll Make Love to You
"I'll Make Love to You" is a song by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Motown label. Written and produced by Babyface, it was released on 26 July 1994 as the lead single from the group's second album, '' II'' (1994). The song was a commer ...
" and "
Water Runs Dry".
"I'll Make Love to You" broke "End of the Road's" 13-week record at number 1, by spending 14 weeks at the top of the chart (a feat equaled earlier that year by
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
's cover of "
I Will Always Love You"). "On Bended Knee" replaced "I'll Make Love to You" at number 1, making Boyz II Men only the third act ever to replace itself at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, after Elvis Presley and the Beatles.
In 1995, the group appeared as backing vocalists on "
HIStory
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
" from Michael Jackson's Grammy-nominated ninth
album of the same name.
In 1995, Motown issued ''
The Remix Collection'', a compilation of
remix
A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...
es of various Boyz II Men songs from ''Cooleyhighharmony'' and ''II''. The group itself had opposed the release of the collection because they felt the compilation did not represent Boyz II Men's best work. After the label released the album without their permission, there was a dispute between the company and the group. Boyz II Men initiated their own recording company Stonecreek (which released material by artists such as
Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam (with the same initials as ''United States'') is a common national personification of the United States, depicting the federal government of the United States, federal government or the country as a whole. Since the early 19th centu ...
), and they arranged for Stonecreek's distribution by
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
, not Motown.
1997–1998: ''Evolution'' and label conflicts
Boyz II Men's third studio album, ''
Evolution
Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
'', was released during 1997 to mixed reviews and sold three million copies, far below the stratospheric success of ''II''s ( copies) and ''Cooleyhighharmony'' (). Only one of ''Evolution''s singles, the Jam/Lewis-penned "
Four Seasons of Loneliness", reached number 1 on the Hot 100 chart. The second single, the Babyface-helmed "
A Song for Mama" (the theme song to the Babyface-produced film ''
Soul Food
Soul food is the ethnic cuisine of African Americans. Originating in the Southern United States, American South from the cuisines of Slavery in the United States, enslaved Africans transported from Africa through the Atlantic slave trade, sou ...
,'') was a Top 10 success, but the follow-up "Can't Let Her Go" underperformed.
The global tour began in 1997 to promote ''Evolution'' was successful in terms of ticket sales, but behind the scenes, Boyz II Men was wracked by conflicts, with their record label and internal conflicts among the members of the group. Making matters worse, health problems began to take their toll on the group. While on tour to support the ''Evolution'' album, Wanyá Morris developed a
polyp on his
vocal cords
In humans, the vocal cords, also known as vocal folds, are folds of throat tissues that are key in creating sounds through Speech, vocalization. The length of the vocal cords affects the pitch of voice, similar to a violin string. Open when brea ...
, and the group was forced to postpone part of the tour until he recovered. McCary's multiple sclerosis meant that he was unable to participate in most of the group's dance routines.
Boyz II Men were nominated for 2 Grammys in 1998: Best R&B Album for ''Evolution'' and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for "
A Song for Mama".
1999–2001: ''Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya''
In 1999, Motown's parent company,
PolyGram, was bought by
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...
. Amidst the major corporate restructure, Motown was merged with UMG's Universal Records, where Boyz II Men found themselves reassigned.
Their only studio LP album for Universal, 2000's ''
Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya'', was chiefly written and produced by the group itself, in an attempt to update their sound and ward off critics who questioned the group's reliance on Babyface's hit-making songcraft. While the critics were more receptive to ''Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya'' than they had been to its predecessor, the LP sold only 500,000 copies in the US, copies worldwide, and although its two singles, "Pass You By" and "Thank You in Advance," received media attention, neither became hits.
Boyz II Men departed from Universal in 2001, ending their relationship with the company that brought them to international stardom in 1991. The label released a
greatest hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
compilation, ''
Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection'', to close out their contract.
2002–2003: ''Full Circle'' and "The Color of Love"
Signing a new deal with Arista Records in 2002, Boyz II Men began recording the ''
Full Circle'' album, and recruited Babyface for a new single, "The Color of Love". In an attempt to recapture the massive success the group had enjoyed a decade earlier, the album received a significant promotional budget. Arista commissioned a high-budget music video, shot in four different locales by four different directors: supervising director
Little X filmed scenes featuring Michael McCary in India,
Hype Williams
Harold "Hype" Williams (born August 1, 1970) is an American music video and film director, film producer, and screenwriter.
Early life
Williams was born in Queens. He is of mixed African-American and Honduran descent. He attended Adelphi Univ ...
filmed Shawn Stockman in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
,
Benny Boom
Benny Douglas (born July 22, 1971), professionally known as Benny Boom, is an American director who has worked in music, television, and film. His most commercially successful film was the 2017 Tupac Shakur biopic '' All Eyez on Me''.
Career
Do ...
filmed Nathan Morris in
Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
, and
Chris Robinson filmed Wanyá Morris in
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
and finally all were filmed in New York. The resulting music video had a debut on
BET, but failed to have a great effect, and ''Full Circle'', like ''Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya'' before it, sold slightly more than 500,000 copies in the US and copies worldwide.
''Full Circle'' became Boyz II Men's final album as a quartet, and their last effort to receive extensive promotion from a major record company. On , 2003, Michael McCary left Boyz II Men due to chronic
back
The human back, also called the dorsum (: dorsa), is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. It is the surface of the body opposite from the chest and the abdomen. The vertebral c ...
problems resulting from
multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...
(MS) and personal problems. Arista terminated Boyz II Men's contract on , and the remaining three members took a temporary hiatus from the music industry.
2004–2006: ''Throwback, Vol. 1'' and ''The Remedy''

After a year out of the spotlight, Boyz II Men created the independent label MSM Music Group (distributed through
Koch Records), and released the ''Throwback, Vol. 1'' LP in 2004. The album is a collection of covers of classic R&B and soul songs such as
The Dazz Band's "
Let It Whip", Michael Jackson's "
Human Nature
Human nature comprises the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of Thought, thinking, feeling, and agency (philosophy), acting—that humans are said to have nature (philosophy), naturally. The term is often used to denote ...
", and, as the single,
Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do for Love". For this record, Nathan took on the bass lines as well as the baritone vocals that he sang when Boyz II Men was a quartet. ''Throwback, Vol. 1'' reached number 59 on the Billboard 200. The group launched an independent tour of North America and Asia in support of the ''Throwback'' series. The album sold over 200,000 copies with little to no promotion aside from the group's independent tour.
In 2005 Boyz II Men recorded a CD with Anderson Cameau called "Apocalypse", a project meant to benefit
Haiti
Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
.
In 2006, Boyz II Men's seventh studio album, ''The Remedy'', was released exclusively in Japan, where they found a thriving fan base. In other regions, ''The Remedy'' was made available online through the group's website on , 2007.
2007–2009: ''Hitsville USA'' & ''Love''

In mid-2007, the group re-signed with Universal Records and released the LP ''
Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA'' through the
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
label. The LP is a
cover album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
featuring songs from the Motown Records catalog, co-produced by
Randy Jackson
Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive, television presenter and musician, best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013.
Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing b ...
of ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' fame. The ''Motown'' album includes covers of songs by The Temptations ("
Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)
"Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" is a song by American soul group the Temptations, written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Released on the Gordy (Motown) label, and produced by Norman Whitfield, it features on the group ...
"),
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...
("
Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", "
Mercy Mercy Me"),
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles ("
The Tracks of My Tears"), and even Boyz II Men themselves (an a cappella version of "End of the Road").
Commercially, ''Motown'' found some success. It peaked at number 6 on the US R&B chart and was certified Gold in the UK. The album was also a critical success. For the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009, Boyz II Men received two nominations for the album ''Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA'' (Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Ribbon in the Sky").
In 2008, Boyz II Men's three members appeared on Celebrity ''
Don't Forget the Lyrics'' and created a sensation with their performance. They earned $500,000 for their two nominated charities; the appearance also generated interest in their next release.
In 2009, Boyz II Men announced plans for a new cover album that covers "artists I don't think people would expect us to cover!" according to Shawn Stockman. Entitled ''
Love
Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment (psychology), attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most su ...
'', the album was released on , 2009. The album contains remakes of love songs from outside the R&B genre.
2010–2012: Love Cruise and ''Twenty''

Boyz II Men headlined a "Love Cruise" in honor of their 20th anniversary and in observance of
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...
. The cruise took place –14, 2011, and traveled from
Miami, Florida
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
, to
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau ( ) is the capital and largest city of The Bahamas. It is on the island of New Providence, which had a population of 246,329 in 2010, or just over 70% of the entire population of The Bahamas. As of April 2023, the preliminary results of ...
. Cruise passengers received a Boyz II Men welcome cocktail party, a concert performance by Boyz II Men, an additional fan appreciation concert by Boyz II Men, a photo session with Boyz II Men (in small groups), a formal
prom
A promenade dance or prom is a formal dance party for graduating high school students at the end of the school year.
Students participating in the prom will typically vote for a ''prom king'' and ''prom queen''. Other students may be honored ...
night, a
poker
Poker is a family of Card game#Comparing games, comparing card games in which Card player, players betting (poker), wager over which poker hand, hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, with varying rules i ...
tournament, a deck party with Boyz II Men and a guest DJ, a singles mixer, a gift bag, and onboard drawings for other Boyz II Men events. Couples were able to renew their
wedding vows in a special ceremony with Boyz II Men.
''
Twenty'', named in recognition of Boyz II Men's twenty years in the music business, is a double CD album with thirteen original songs and eight rerecorded Boyz II Men classics. It was released on October 25, 2011. ''Twenty'' is the group's fourth release through MSM Music Group. It was released in Japan 13 days before its official US release date with the help of
Avex Group
Avex Inc. ( kabushiki gaisha , commonly known as Avex and stylized as avex) is a Japanese Conglomerate (company), entertainment conglomerate led by founder Max Matsuura and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1988, the company manages J- ...
, the biggest Japanese
independent record label
An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...
.
Originally, Boyz II Men announced a reunion with original member Michael McCary for the ''Twenty'' album. On September 6, 2009, at a concert in
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the List of cities in Virginia, most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeaster ...
, Virginia, Stockman announced that their upcoming 20th anniversary album would "include all 4 members", sparking a tremendous applause.
But soon after that announcement, McCary declined and did not join the project.
As a trio, Boyz II Men performed as special guests on
VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
's highly rated ''
VH1 Divas Celebrate Soul'' concert.
Boyz II Men contributed a cover of Japanese rock band
L'Arc-en-Ciel's song "
Snow Drop" to their 2012 tribute album.
2013–present: The Package Tour, ''Collide'' and ''Under the Streelight''

On January 22, 2013, the group appeared on ''
The View'' along with
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block (also initialized as NKOTB) is an American boy band from Dorchester, Massachusetts. The band consists of brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. New Kids on the Block had ...
and
98 Degrees
98 Degrees (stylized as 98°) is an American vocal group consisting of brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Jeff Timmons, and Justin Jeffre. Their first Christmas album '' This Christmas'' has sold over two million copies and is widely recognized ...
to announce their joint tour that took place in summer 2013. As of February 20, 2013, Boyz II Men announced that beginning March 1, 2013, they will stop touring and begin performing shows at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
On January 13, 2014, the trio appeared at the end of an episode of ''
How I Met Your Mother
''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom created by Craig Thomas (screenwriter), Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005, to March 31, 2014, follows main char ...
'' titled "
Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra", performing an a cappella version of the show's song "You Just Got Slapped". Their eleventh album, titled ''Collide'', was released on October 21, 2014.
In 2016, the trio appeared in ''
Grease: Live'' as the Teen Angels and sang ''
Beauty School Dropout
"Beauty School Dropout" is a song from the musical '' Grease''. It was written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, and was performed by Frankie Avalon for the film version and soundtrack album.
Overview
In the musical, the song is the showcase pie ...
''.
Wanyá placed 4th for the
22nd season of the
ABC reality competition series ''
Dancing With The Stars
''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...
''. They also did music for an animated adaptation of ''
The Snowy Day''.
In 2017, the group began starring in television commercials for
GEICO
The Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO ) is an American vehicle insurance company headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland. In addition to auto insurance, GEICO provides motorcycle, ATV, RV, boat, snowmobile, travel, pet, event, hom ...
Auto Insurance.
On June 24, 2017, a section of Broad Street in Philadelphia, from Christian to Carpenter Streets, was renamed “Boyz II Men Boulevard” by the city council. Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, where the members of Boyz II Men were once students, is on this section of Broad Street.
In August 2017, it was announced that Boyz II Men would release a new album titled ''
Under the Streetlight
''Under the Streetlight'' is the fifteenth studio album by American R&B group Boyz II Men. It was released by Tango Entertainment, Masterworks and MSM Music Group on October 20, 2017. A collection of interpretations of songs from the 1950s, along ...
'' in the fall. The album, a collection of covers from the 1950s, along with one original track, "Ladies Man," was released on October 20, 2017, debuting and peaking at number 58 on the US
Current Album Sales chart.
On January 4, 2018, the group was featured in a new track released by
Charlie Puth
Charles Otto Puth Jr. (; born December 2, 1991) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his cover (music), song covers uploaded to YouTube. Puth signed with the record labe ...
, titled "
If You Leave Me Now", created for Charlie Puth's album ''Voicenotes''.
On September 6, 2018, the group performed at the NFL 2018–2019 season kickoff at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA.
On October 2, 2018, the group performed "Ladies Man" on ABC's ''Dancing with the Stars''. DeMarcus Ware and Lindsay Arnold danced a quickstep to the song.
The group is featured on a re-imagined version of
Take That
Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
's song ''
Love Ain't Here Anymore'' from their number one selling album
Odyssey
The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...
.
Howard Donald
Howard Paul Donald (born 28 April 1968) is an English singer, songwriter, drummer, pianist, dancer, DJ and record producer. He is a member of the pop group Take That. He was also judge on the German reality talent show ''Got to Dance'' from 20 ...
revealed during an interview with
Magic Radio that "he fulfilled a dream when they recorded this song".
On December 15, 2018, the group staged a concert at the
Smart Araneta Coliseum with Filipina singers
Kyla,
Yeng Constantino,
KZ Tandingan and
Angeline Quinto titled Boyz II Men with DIVAS.
On September 18, 2019, it was reported that the group would play themselves on the ABC comedy series ''
Schooled''.
On September 30, 2019, Boyz II Men announced their Asia Tour, which took place after returning from their US tour and residency in Las Vegas. They visited cities such as Kuala Lumpur (December 1), Bangkok (December 7), Singapore (December 9), and Manila (December 12).
On December 31, 2022, Boyz II Men performed the
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...
at the
Fiesta Bowl before the Michigan Wolverines and the TCU Horned Frogs faced off in the
College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual single-elimination tournament, knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, D ...
semifinals. They later performed an
a cappella
Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
version of the anthem at the
2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, which was widely panned by fans.
In 2024, Boyz II Men competed in
season twelve of ''
The Masked Singer'' as "Buffalos" where
Nick Lachey
Nicholas Scott Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American actor, singer-songwriter, producer, TV personality and host. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling boyband 98 Degrees and later starred in the reality ser ...
(who competed as "Piglet" in
season five) served as their Mask Ambassador. Shawn played the Buffalo named Maroon, Nathan played the Buffalo named Olive and Wanya played the Buffalo named Goldie. Originally, there was one "Buffalo" in the first appearance before the other two came out during their performance of
Cutting Crew's "
(I Just) Died In Your Arms". They became the first group to win a season of the show while member Nathan Morris became the oldest winner in the show's history at the age of 53, beating out the record held by
Wayne Brady
Wayne Alphonso Brady (born June 2, 1972) is an American comedian, actor, and singer. He is a regular cast member on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series '' Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' He was the host of the daytim ...
in
season two.
Robin Thicke,
Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg,
Ken Jeong
Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong ( ; ; born July 13, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and physician. He rose to prominence for playing Leslie Chow in ''The Hangover'' film series (2009–2013) and Ben Chang in the NBC sitcom ''Community'' ...
,
Rita Ora
Rita Sahatçiu Ora (; born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer-songwriter, television personality, and actress. Born in Pristina, modern-day Kosovo, she rose to prominence when she featured on DJ Fresh's 2012 single, "Hot Rig ...
,
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American comedian, television presenter, actor, and rapper. In television, he began his career as a teenager on Nickelodeon's '' All That'' before going on to host '' The Nick Cannon Show'', '' ...
, the entire audience, and
Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
as "Wasp" (who finished in second place) figured out that Boyz II Men was "Buffalos". Boyz II Men did an encore performance of "Motownphilly".
On November 22, 2024, the charity Christmas album ''
A Philly Special Christmas Party'' by
The Philly Specials was released, featuring Boyz II Men on the song "It's Christmas Time (In Cleveland Heights)".
Style and influence
Boyz II Men is among the biggest names in a cappella and R&B. With what was called "crossover appeal", Boyz II Men found themselves at the vanguard of the 1990s movement to take R&B back into the mainstream, where it had been back in the 1970s. Their use of hip-hop beats in combination with R&B was not unique, but it was Boyz II Men's enormous success with mainstream audiences in "putting harmony over the hip-hop tracks" that helped usher in the near-total dominance of the R&B genre on the pop charts in the 2000s and 2010s. On January 5, 2012, Boyz II Men were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They were featured on the first episode of the 2021
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
series ''This Is Pop'', called "The Boyz II Men Effect", about their impact on the boy band scene in the 1990s.
Members
Current members
*
Nathan Morris (1985–present)
*
Wanyá Morris (1987–present)
*
Shawn Stockman (1988–present)
Former members
*
Michael McCary (1988–2003)
Pre-chart members
*
Marc Nelson (1985–1990)
*
George Baldi (1985–1988)
* Jon Shoats (1985–1988)
* Marguerite Walker (1985–1988)
Timeline
Discography
; Studio albums
* ''
Cooleyhighharmony'' (1991)
* ''
Christmas Interpretations'' (1993)
* ''
II'' (1994)
* ''
Evolution
Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
'' (1997)
* ''
Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya'' (2000)
* ''
Full Circle'' (2002)
* ''
Throwback, Vol. 1'' (2004)
* ''
The Remedy'' (2006)
* ''
Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA'' (2007)
* ''
Love
Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment (psychology), attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most su ...
'' (2009)
* ''
Covered: Winter'' (2010)
* ''
Twenty'' (2011)
* ''
Collide'' (2014)
* ''
Under the Streetlight
''Under the Streetlight'' is the fifteenth studio album by American R&B group Boyz II Men. It was released by Tango Entertainment, Masterworks and MSM Music Group on October 20, 2017. A collection of interpretations of songs from the 1950s, along ...
'' (2017)
Filmography
* "Going Home" (1995): A
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
concert special filmed during Boyz II Men's "All Around the World Tour" live from the
Alamodome
The Alamodome is a 64,000-seat domed indoor multi-purpose stadium in San Antonio, Texas. It is located on the southeastern fringe of downtown San Antonio. The facility opened on May 15, 1993, having been constructed at a cost of $186 milli ...
in
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...
.
* The group makes a guest appearance in the
fourth season episode "Twas the Night Before Christening" of ''
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz that aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...
'' in which they sing at
Nicky
Nicky is a diminutive form of the name Nicholas, Nicola and Nicole, occasionally used as a given name in its own right. Sometimes it is spelled as Nikki, Niki. It can also be used as a diminutive of Dominic.
People Sports
* Nicky Adams (born ...
's christening (1993).
* "Living In Paradise?" (2000): They appeared as themselves on the hit show ''
Moesha
''Moesha'' (, ) is an American television sitcom that aired on UPN from January 23, 1996, to May 14, 2001. The series stars Contemporary R&B, R&B singer Brandy Norwood, Brandy as Moesha Denise Mitchell, an African-American teenager living with ...
''.
* ''
How I Met Your Mother
''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom created by Craig Thomas (screenwriter), Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005, to March 31, 2014, follows main char ...
'' (2014): They appeared as themselves in an episode to perform "You Just Got Slapped".
* ''
Long Shot
In photography, filmmaking and video production, a wide shot (sometimes referred to as a full shot or long shot) is a shot that typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surro ...
'': They appear as themselves performing at a charity event.
* ''This Is Pop'' (2021): They are featured on the episode "The Boyz II Men Effect".
* ''Celebrity Wheel of Fortune'' (2021): Wanyá and Shawn play to win money for charities of their choice.
* ''A Very Boyband Christmas'' (2021): Wanyá and Shawn join members of 'Nsync, 98 Degrees and other boy bands to celebrate the holidays.
* ''
Live in Front of a Studio Audience'' (2021): The group performs the theme song of ''
Diff'rent Strokes
''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which originally aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and ...
'' as the intro to the special's reenactment of "Willis’s Privacy".
* ''
Barmageddon'' (2023): They appear as themselves as contestants, taking parts in various games & challenges during the show.
Awards and nominations
American Music Awards
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="5" ,
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
!scope="row" rowspan="3" , Boyz II Men
, Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist
,
, -
, Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist
,
, -
,
Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group
,
, -
, "
Motownphilly"
,
Favorite Soul/R&B Single
,
, -
, ''
Cooleyhighharmony''
,
Favorite Soul/R&B Album
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="2" ,
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
, "
End of the Road"
,
Favorite Pop/Rock Song
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="3", Boyz II Men
!scope="row" rowspan="2", Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="4" ,
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
,
, -
,
Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="2", "
I'll Make Love to You
"I'll Make Love to You" is a song by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Motown label. Written and produced by Babyface, it was released on 26 July 1994 as the lead single from the group's second album, '' II'' (1994). The song was a commer ...
"
, Favorite Soul/R&B Single
,
, -
, Favorite Pop/Rock Song
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="5" ,
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
!scope="row" rowspan="2", ''
II''
, Favorite Soul/R&B Album
,
, -
, Favorite Pop/Rock Album
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="4", Boyz II Men
,
Artist of the Year
,
, -
, Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="2", Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group
,
, -
,
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
,
, -
Billboard Music Awards
The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by '' Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of ...
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="2" , 1992
, Boyz II Men
,
Top Hot 100 Artist
,
, -
, "
End of the Road"
!scope="row" rowspan="2" ,
Top Hot 100 Song
,
, -
, 1994
, "
I'll Make Love to You
"I'll Make Love to You" is a song by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Motown label. Written and produced by Babyface, it was released on 26 July 1994 as the lead single from the group's second album, '' II'' (1994). The song was a commer ...
"
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="3" , 1995
, ''
II''
,
Top Billboard 200 Album
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="2" , Boyz II Men
,
Top Artist
,
, -
,
Top R&B Artist
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="2" , 1996
!scope="row" rowspan="2" , "
One Sweet Day" (with
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
)
, Top Hot 100 Song
,
, -
, Billboard Music Special Hot 100
,
, -
Children's & Family Emmy Awards
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="2" , 2023
, "The City of Brothery Love" from ''Jam Van''
, Outstanding Original Song for a Preschool Program
,
, -
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="2" ,
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
, Boyz II Men
,
Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1960 (except in 1967) "for a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that ar ...
,
, -
, ''Cooleyhighharmony''
!scope="row" rowspan="4",
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
,
, -
,
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
, "End of the Road"
,
, -
,
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
, "
Let It Snow"
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="3" ,
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
, !scope="row" rowspan="2", "I'll Make Love To You"
,
, -
,
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
,
, -
, ''II''
,
Best R&B Album
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="2" ,
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, !scope="row" rowspan="2", "
One Sweet Day" (with
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
)
, Record of the Year
,
, -
,
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="2" ,
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, "
A Song For Mama"
, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
,
, -
, ''
Evolution
Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
''
!scope="row" rowspan="2", Best R&B Album
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="2" ,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, ''
Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya''
,
, -
, "
Pass You By"
!scope="row" rowspan="2", Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocal
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="2" ,
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
, "Ribbon In The Sky"
,
, -
, ''
Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA''
, Best R&B Album
,
, -
MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category ...
!Ref.
, -
,
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
, "
End of the Road"
, rowspan=2,
Best R&B Video
,
, rowspan=4,
, -
, rowspan=2,
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
, rowspan=2, "
Water Runs Dry"
,
, -
,
Best Cinematography
,
, -
,
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, "
One Sweet Day"
(with Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
)
,
Best R&B Video
,
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony which honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the production company of '' Soul Train'', the program from which it takes its name, and ...
, -
,
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
, Boyz II Men
, Best New R&B/Soul Artist
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="3",
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
!scope="row" rowspan="2", "End of the Road"
, Song of the Year
,
, -
, Best R&B Music Video
,
, -
, "
Please Don't Go"
, Best R&B Single – Group, Band or Duo
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan="2",
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
, ''II''
, R&B/Soul Album Group, Band or Duo
,
, -
, "I'll Make Love to You"
, R&B/Soul Single Group, Band or Duo
,
, -
,
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, Boyz II Men
, Entertainer of the Year
,
, -
,
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, ''Evolution''
!scope="row" rowspan="2", Best R&B/Soul Album – Group, Band or Duo
,
, -
,
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
, ''
Full Circle''
,
, -
See also
*
List of best-selling music artists
The following list of best-selling music artists includes musical artists from the 20th century to the present with claims of 75 million or more record sales worldwide. The sales figures are calculated based on the formula detailed below.
The ...
*
List of artists who reached number one in the United States
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
African-American musical trios
American contemporary R&B musical groups
American soul musical groups
American pop music groups
American vocal groups
Ballad music groups
American boy bands
Grammy Award winners
Motown artists
Musical groups established in 1988
Musical groups from Philadelphia
Sony Music Publishing artists
Vocal quartets
Vocal trios
Avex Group artists
1988 establishments in Pennsylvania