R&B icon R. Kelly has released a slew of albums throughout his career, each one showcasing his incredible vocal range and songwriting skills. From his debut album 12 Play to his most recent release, 12 Nights of Christmas, Kelly has proven time and time again that he is a master of the R&B genre. But which of his albums is the best?
We’ve ranked all of R. Kelly’s albums from best to worst, taking into account both the commercial success of the album as well as the critical reception it received. On top of that, we’ve also included our personal favorite tracks from each album so you can get a taste of what each one has to offer.
Without further ado, here are R. Kelly’s albums ranked from best to worst:
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Love Letter 2010 |
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The Best Of Both Worlds 2002 |
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Unfinished Business (Parental Advisory) 2004 |
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Rise Up (Single) 2007 |
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Trapped In The Closet (Chapters 1-12) 2005 |
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R. 1998 |
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The R. In R&B Collection: Volume 1 2007 |
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Let Your Light Shine (Single) 2005 |
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TP-2.com 2000 |
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Number One 2009 |
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Untitled 2009 |
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Sign Of A Victory (The Official 2010 Fifa World Cup(Tm) Anthem) (Feat. Soweto Spiritual Singers) 2010 |
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Playlist: The Very Best Of R. Kelly 2010 |
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A Love Letter Christmas 2010 |
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Promise (Go And Get Your Tickets Mix/Single) 2007 |
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I’m A Flirt (Main Version) (Single) 2007 |
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Trapped In The Closet, Chapters 1-12 (Parental Advisory) 2005 |
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R. Kelly 1995 |
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Remix City Volume 1 2005 |
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Skin (Single) 2008 |
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Chocolate Factory 2003 |
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TP-2.com (Parental Advisory) 2000 |
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Hotel (Vacation) Remix 2004 |
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Double Up 2007 |
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TP.3 Reloaded 2005 |
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When A Woman Loves 2010 |
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The R. In R&B Collection, Vol.1 2003 |
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I Believe 2008 |
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Supaman High (Single) 2009 |
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Happy People/U Saved Me 2004 |
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Hotel (Single) (Feat. R. Kelly) 2003 |
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12 Play 1993 |
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Number One Remixes 2009 |
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Double Up (Parental Advisory) 2007 |
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Tp.3 Reloaded (Parental Advisory) 2005 |
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Same Girl (Triple Up Remix) (Parental Advisory) 2007 |
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Supaman High (Single) 2009 |
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Number One (Remix)(Feat. T-Pain & Keyshia Cole) 2009 |
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In The Kitchen/Trapped In The Closet Chapter 1 (Parental Advisory) 2005 |
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Same Girl (Triple Up Remix) 2007 |
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I’m A Flirt (Clean Radio Version) (Single) 2007 |
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Hair Braider (Single) 2008 |
About R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois), better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is a Grammy award-winning American R&B; singer-songwriter, rapper, actor and record producer. D
Debuting in 1991 with the group Public Announcement, Kelly went solo in 1993, starting off a successful career with the release of the album 12 Play. He has since released a further eleven studio albums, collaborated with Jay-Z on two albums and has had many successful singles including Bump N’ Grind, I Believe I Can Fly, Ignition, The World’s Greatest and Trapped in the Closet. His ninth studio album, Zodiac, will be released sometime in 2010.
Kelly has also produced and performed in many tracks by other R&B; and hip-hop artists. In 1994, Kelly produced and wrote the debut album of R&B; singer Aaliyah and in 1995, Kelly co-produced and wrote the song “You Are Not Alone” for Michael Jackson, which was included on Jackson’s album, HIStory.
Kelly has sung the hooks for many notable hip-hop songs, such as “Fuckin’ You Tonight” by The Notorious B.I.G., “We Thuggin'” by Fat Joe, “Gigolo” by Nick Cannon, and “Go Getta” by Young Jeezy, and has collaborated for two albums with Jay-Z.
In his personal life, Kelly has had several sex scandals. Reports surfaced that he married the then-teenaged Aaliyah, for whom he was a songwriter. Kelly and Aaliyah annulled their marriage. After a video of a man purported to be him having sex with an underage girl was released, Kelly was indicted on several counts of child pornography in 2002. After several delays, his case went to trial in 2008, with the jury ruling Kelly not guilty on all 14 counts.
Before you go, listen to some of the best songs from R Kelly’s discography and after that, check out our top 100 list of most popular songs on BearShare!