The essential Mary J. Blige playlist

In 1992, Mary J. Blige released her debut album What’s the 411? and the lead single was “You Remind Me.” The hit song had Mary singing about meeting a guy she feels she had already met, a déjà vu type of moment.

Although it wasn’t released as a single, “My Life” is one of those tracks that can have anyone can relate to. In proper Mary fashion, it samples the hit song, “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” performed by Roy Ayers. Mary emphasizes how life can get difficult, but everyone is going through their own battles, and eventually, things can turn around.

Babyface was the genius behind curating and producing the soundtrack to the film, Waiting to Exhale. He recruited Mary J. Blige to sing the hit song, “Not Gon’ Cry,” helping the singer earn her third Grammy nomination.

For fans who love when the worlds of R&B and hip-hop come together, “I Can Love You” is a staple. Mary collaborated with Lil' Kim on the Rodney Jerkins-produced track as they pour their heart out about being the best one for their partners.

If there’s one song that defines Mary's discography, “No More Drama” is definitely in the top five. Produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the single focuses on how Mary wants to rid the drama in her life, knowing who her true friends are, and finding happiness.

In 2017, Mary released her thirteenth album Strength of a Woman. The album's lead single “Thick of It” was written by Jazmine Sullivan and DJ Camper. By the time the album dropped, Blige was in the midst of a divorce, and topics of relationships and heartbreak were catered throughout the song and the rest of the album.

Mary's second single “Real Love,” tells the story of what people may go through when dealing with relationships. She feels like she might have found her true love, but eventually sees her lover for who they truly are. Once she realizes this, she’s adamant about having the freedom to find the love she desires and deserves.

In 1999, Mary released her fourth album simply titled, Mary. For the lead single, she released “All That I Can Say,” a song written and produced by another R&B queen, Lauryn Hill. Once again, Mary is putting her feelings about love into her music. 

By the time Mary released her fifth album No More Drama, it was evident that she would experiment with different productions to make sure each album sounded different than the last. The album’s lead single “Family Affair” was produced by hip-hop giant Dr. Dre and coined the famous line, “Don’t need no hateration, holleration, in this dancery.”

In 2000, Wyclef Jean released his second studio album The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book and one of the hit singles was the Mary-assisted track "911." The top 40 single earned the singers a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. 

R&B singers are no strangers to covering classic songs for different eras. Mary did just that with her version of the Rufus and Chaka Khan hit song, “Sweet Thing.” Due to Mary having a different tone than Khan’s, she was able to make the song sound like her own. 

Although it wasn’t released as a single, “Share My World” is a standout album cut from her third project. Mary’s musical power is putting her relationship feelings into a song and making listeners relate. 

After collaborating back in 1995, Mary and Method Man teamed up again nearly a decade later on her single, “Love @ 1^st Sight.” This time around, Blige worked with longtime producer Diddy, alongside Mario Winans and Stevie J. In proper Diddy fashion, the dance-heavy track samples “Hot Sex” by A Tribe Called Quest.

In the early 2000s, rapper Ja Rule was dominating the charts as a solo and feature artist. Ja Rule and Irv Gotti wrote “Rainy Dayz” as a response to the 9/11 attacks, singing how people may go through troubled times, but continue to push through it all. 

On “Mr. Wrong,” Mary and Drake sing about the difficulty of letting go of someone who may be wrong for them, The feelings and chemistry may seem right, but they're well aware that their lover is no good to them.

Mary decided to take on another cover song, this time it was the Rose Royce single, “I’m Going Down.” Mary’s version became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and quite the popular singing competition or karaoke song. 

On Mary's seventh album The Breakthrough, the singer was back in action to work with different producers. The album’s lead single “Be Without You” was written by Johntá Austin and Bryan-Michael Cox. In 2017, Billboard named the single the most successful R&B song of all time.

Mary continued to pay homage to the greats before her as she sampled artists like The Stylistics and James Brown on her single “Everything.” The breezy production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis fits Mary's slightly raspy tone immaculately. The song became a top-five hit on the Billboard Hot R&B and Hip-Hop Songs chart.

On “Love No Limit,” Mary experimented with more of a jazz sound. Sticking with her romance theme, the singer is all about letting her partner know she’ll always give him love and affection.

“Just Fine” is a fun-loving, dance-heavy track produced by Jazze Pha and Tricky Stewart. It’s the type of track that puts listeners in a good mood. Mary sings how she wants to let go of negative energy, live stress-free, and won’t let anyone kill her vibe.

By the time Mary released her 1997 album Share My World, she decided to work with different producers to help elevate her sound. The album’s first single “Love Is All We Need,” had production from duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The Nas-assisted song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

Love was a prominent theme on Mary’s debut album What’s the 411? and it was evident on her third single, “Reminisce.” She reflects on the sensual times with her lover and although it appears they went their separate ways, she wants that old feeling back. 

Mary puts herself in these songs in a way that fans can see themselves. On her single “Take Me As I Am,” she realizes that she’s a work in progress, but people should accept her for all or nothing. In the song, she says, “Put my life all up in these songs / Just so you can feel me / So you can get the real me.”

In order to continue the success of her first album, Mary had to make sure she didn’t fall into the sophomore slump. Her next single was the Diddy-produced “Be Happy” that included a sample of Curtis Mayfield’s “You’re So Good To Me”—sampling became part of Diddy’s repertoire.

Mary has never been a stranger to singing about how relationships have helped her grow as a person. That theme is evident on her single “U + Me (Love Lesson),” which serves as a theme for anyone going through a breakup or someone who needs the push to get away.

On Mary's single "I Am,” she stresses that her lover won’t find another person that can treat them better than she can. The song became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.

On her single, “You Bring Me Joy,” she sampled Barry White’s “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me.” In the song, she emphasizes how lost she would be without her lover by her side because he brings her so much joy. 

Putting Method Man and Mary on a song together is a match made in heaven. Mary's tone was the perfect vocal over Method Man’s grit on “I’ll Be There for You / You’re All I Need to Get By.” The song earned a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

On her twelfth studio album The London Sessions, Mary enters newfound territory with her sound. Her single “Right Now” was produced by Disclosure and co-written by Sam Smith. The song has a heavy house and UK garage inspirations, helping the singer reach No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart.

In the 2000s, production duo The Neptunes were reigning heavy across radio airplay. The duo produced Common’s single, “Come Close” that featured Mary on the hook. Common’s poetic flow on the verses syncs with Mary’s smooth vocals perfectly.