Any Time, Any Place

With its gospel and soul roots, R&B was never short on electrifying singers. Mariah Carey was the true multi-octave marvel of the '90s, though, especially when she hooked up with Boyz II Men for 1995's record-breaking, heart-swelling duet “One Sweet Day.” But even with Mariah's platinum pipes dominating charts, R&B had plenty of room for a dizzying variety of voices. Adina Howard dared the bad boys to keep up with her freaky ways over a grinding funk stomp. Zhane shouted out the DJs who kept the party jumping with a little disco-era sparkle. And the ladies of TLC commanded a moody brass-and-breaks groove that rivaled any '90s hip-hop.