Here are the top R&B artists of the last 10 years. Although this list was hard to put together, we have the best reason why. We choose to focus on the talent these artists have to offer the world, and how strong their fan bases are.

Usher
Usher is number one on the list, simply because he has been in the music game since he was a child. For those of you that don’t know, Usher was, in fact, a child star and didn’t become an adult artist until the early 1990s.

He debuted his first album “Poetic Justice” in 1993. That was his album introducing himself back into the music world again; after not singing for so long, his second album “Usher” was the album that made everyone take notice of him. It included hits like “Can U Get Wit It” and “Think of You.” Sean Combs, aka P.Diddy, who was also at the top of the R&B charts, co-executive produced the entire album and thus helped Usher make his comeback into the music world during the 1990s.

We still know Usher today as one of the best top selling artists. He has won eight Grammys, done five successful tours, his fans stand by him no matter what, and his best performance was at Michael Jackson’s 2001 anniversary show.

John Legend
John Legend took us by surprise in middle school when his song “Greenlight” became a huge hit. John Legend has been working at his craft from a young age; he was a child prodigy and was born to be in the spotlight.

His name has never been in a bad light, and he has always had a good fan base. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelors degree. He began writing music professionally in 1999. At that time, he also held shows in popular cities like Philadelphia, DC, Atlanta, and New York. A couple years later, he started working as an independent artist and people began to take notice of him.

His debut album to the world was titled “Get Lifted,” which was produced and mastered by Kanye West and Dave Tozer. A surprising fact about Legend is that he actually worked with another legend: The King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Legend is also known for songwriting for other celebs such as Kanye West, Fergie, Will I Am, Jay-Z, Mary J Blige and many more.

Legend has gotten 27 Grammy nominations and has won 10 awards. He also has a love for the theater; each concert is well planned out and performed. He just doesn’t sing and dance like most R&B artists, Legend has a story to tell through his music. Because of his love for the arts, he constantly sells out tours and wins Grammys.

Chris Brown
Chris Brown began his career in the mid-2000s. If you are a ‘90’s kid his first appearance to you was probably a song played at an elementary or middle school dance; with hits like “Run it” and “Gimme That.”

In 2004, with his hit single “Run It,” he became the first artist since Diddy to have a debut single top the Billboard 100. He continued his career by dropping more hits like “Kiss Kiss,” “With You,” and “Forever.” His first album was titled “Exclusive” and released in 2007, which is when the world began to take notice of his talent.

Brown is a DMV native; he grew up in Tappahannock, Virginia. He started his music career by singing with his church. Later on, he took what he learned and made a professional move by signing with a label and stepping into the R&B and hip-hop scene.

He has earned 16 Grammy nominations, and his album “FAME” won the Grammy for best R&B album in 2014. Brown is also known for doing a little acting. He has appeared in movies like “Think Like A Man” and has had quick appearances in Tyler Perry’s Madea sequels.

Chris Brown sells out shows and arenas almost everywhere around the world. Brown beat his own record with selling out seats on the “Heart Break on a Full Moon” tour. This was his longest project yet; it has 45 songs and takes 2 hours and 39 minutes to listen to. He created a perfect list of songs and they all go in order because the songs are telling his story. This album filled with personal stories about his family life, himself, and his personal dating life. He told fans his story, and more people became accepting of him and he became a likable artist.

If you have not been to a Chris Brown show, you absolutely should go. Some people just sing on stage, but Brown is an artist that gives you his all on stage. He is a singer and a talented dancer. He engages with his fans by dancing with them in crowds and occasionally bringing them on stage to dance with him. Once you listen to his project and watch a couple of documentaries, you come to realize that Chris Brown is one of the best millennial artists our generation has to offer.

Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean took us by storm in 2010 and is the artist everyone wants more music from. Frank Ocean has a total of 4 albums Ocean, has two grammy’s winnings and is one of the best album storytellers. Although he doesn’t perform or tour much, he is an artist that people genuinely love because of his raspy voice and pure talent.

What makes him so cool is that he does everything from behind the scenes. He does not care about the spotlight and his name has never been in a bad light. He does music to express his emotions and shares his soul for the world to hear. His songs are a beautiful mix of indie vibes and the classic R&B sounds. His music will definitely get you into your feelings, whether you’re in love or going through a breakup.

Although he doesn’t make many appearances, when he does, all of his fans go wild. He makes appearances at any given time he feels like it and it usually means that he will be dropping a new song. People love Ocean simply because of his laid-back vibes and the fact that we get his music when he gets his music, which makes waiting for his music so much better. We all wish that he would do more shows and go on tour, so fans could get to know him better while watching him perform.

The Weeknd
Last but not least, The Weeknd. His given name is Abel Tesfaye, and he has written and produced over eight albums since 2010. He has worked on hits with Drake, and the pair of them became known as OVOXO, which stands for October’s Very Own, X (ecstasy), and O (oxycodone). Drake and Abel produced hits like “Crew Love” from Drake’s “Take Care” album, along with other songs like “Live For,” “The Zone,” and “Tell Your Friends.”

The world took notice of Tesfaye’s own sound of R&B in 2011. Tesfaye has an interesting story to tell with his music, whether it’s related to his bad drug habits and how he’s on a road to becoming sober or his love life. The message in his music is clearly that people make mistakes, and should be granted second chances or that people should forgive and continue to love.

With his powerful storytelling of his love life, his fans are constantly intrigued about what he’s going to write about next. Most of his fans believe his best music comes out of him after heartbreak, but his best volumes of work actually come out when he is in love. The songs may have been written during his heartbreak, but when he is happy again, he is able to finish his body of work and give fans the music they were waiting to hear.

The Weeknd has earned over nine Grammy nominations and won three of them. The Weeknd has amazing performances; he has performed in festivals with bigger than a crowd of 10,000 people, and his stage sets are extravagant and what tells his story. The Weeknd constantly sells out shows, he is, in fact, a music prodigy and has collaborated with artists like Daft Punk, Drake, Beyonce, Lana Del Rey and many more.

Who are your top 5 artist in the Last 10 years?