Cooleyhighharmony (Plus Spanish Tracks)-Boyz II Men
With a musical ethos that retooled a rich history of doo-wop harmonies and soulful ballads into a remarkably consistent hit-making machine, Boyz II Men quickly became not only the most popular R&B band of the '90s, but of all time. Powered by a savvy fusion of the quartet's '60s soul roots and shrewd New Jack production conceits, their 1991 Motown debut found instant success via its infectious debut single, the dance-oriented R&B chart-topper "Motownphilly." The follow-up, an emotive, a cappella cover of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" (from the '70s filmCooley High, to which the album's title paid tribute), was nearly as successful. More importantly, its tight, flawless harmonies became the band's musical calling card. As if that wasn't enough, "End of the Road," their contribution to the Eddie Murphy filmBoomerangincluded on this expanded edition, became one of the biggest hits in history, spending a then-record 13 weeks atop theBillboardcharts. Capping their freshmen success, the album also won them a Grammy for Best R&B Group Vocal Performance.--Jerry McCulley