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Released: August 30, 1994

Rating: 4.000 (average of 3 ratings)

Genre: R&B/pop

Quotable: --

Album Tracks:

  1. Thank You
  2. All Around the World
  3. U Know
  4. Vibin’ (with Method Man)
  5. I Sit Away
  6. Jezebel
  7. Khalil (Interlude)
  8. Trying Times
  9. I’ll Make Love to You
  10. On Bended Knee
  11. 50 Candles
  12. Water Runs Dry
  13. Yesterday

Sales:

sales in U.S. only 12 million
sales in U.K. only - estimated --
sales in all of Europe as determined by IFPI – click here to go to their site. 1 million
sales worldwide - estimated 30 million

Peak:

peak on U.S. Billboard album chart 1 5
peak on U.K. album chart 17

Singles/Hit Songs:

  • I’ll Make Love to You (8/13/94) #1 US, #5 UK, #1 RB, #1 AC. Platinum single.
  • On Bended Knee (11/19/94) #1 US, #20 UK, #1 RB, #8 AC. Platinum single.
  • Thank You (2/25/95) #21 US, #26 UK, #17 RB
  • Water Runs Dry (4/29/95) #1a US, #24 UK, #1 RB, #3 AC. Gold single.
  • Vibin’ (9/2/95) #56 US, #27 RB

Awards:

Rated one of the top 1000 albums of all time by Dave’s Music Database. Click to learn more. One of the Top 100 All-Time World’s Best-Selling Albums The World’s Best Selling Album of the Year. Click to go to awards page.

II
Boyz II Men
Review:
When Boyz II Men landed atop the pop charts for a whopping 13 weeks with 1992’s “End of the Road,” it made the song the biggest pop hit in 45 years. At that point, only the Francis Craig Orchestra had topped the charts longer – 17 weeks with the 1947 hit “Near You.”

It seemed to not only be a feat that would stand for a long time, but but certainly couldn’t be repeated by the same group. Both assumptions would be wrong.

Shockingly, only one #1 song separated “End of the Road” from 14-week-chart topper “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston. Determined to maintain their place in history, Boyz II Men stormed the charts again in 1994 with I’ll Make Love to You, the lead single from II. The song, which matched Whitney’s 14-week run, would be knocked out by II’s second single, On Bended Knee.

“On Bended Knee” wasn’t quite as big as “I’ll Make Love to You,” but Boyz II Men would top themselves yet again – the very next year their duet with Mariah Carey, “One Sweet Day,” would land atop the charts for an astonishing 16 weeks. With three monster smashes in just a few years’ time, “Boyz II Men assured their place…[in] history” (Erlewine).

“Not surprisingly, II is a carefully constructed crowd pleaser, accentuating all of the finest moments from their hit debut. While there are some high-energy dance tracks, the album’s main strength is its slower numbers, where the group's vocals soar” (Erlewine).

Related DMDB Links:

  • Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

    Last updated March 26, 2008.