Growing up in the 80's in my household, there were TWO artists my parents swore could do no wrong and every album they released had damn well better be in the collection: Luther Vandross and Anita Baker. It was announced late in 2017 that Anita would be hitting the road one last time for a "farewell tour" that coincides with her 60th birthday which just so happens to be today! So we look back at some of my favorite Anita Baker songs from her catalog:

  • 1

    "Giving You The Best That I Got"

    In 1989, Baker won 2 Grammys and was nominated for "Record Of The Year" and "Song Of The Year" for this masterpiece. It topped out at #3 on the pop charts and dominated the R&B charts and to date, still her most successful single.

  • 2

    "Same Ole Love (365 Days A Year)"

    (Peep the quick "Video Soul" flash at the start of the video). From the "Rapture" album, this is my JAM if anything for the way Anita seamlessly flows with music.

  • 3

    "Angel"

    With all respect due to Lalah Hathaway and her current smash hit cover of this song, the original is still a masterpiece. From her debut solo album "The Songstress", an album largely forgotten about (to the masses but not to R&B audiences) due to the success of "Rapture", this was an incredibly impressive debut.

  • 4

    "Caught Up In The Rapture"

    Baker's 2nd album "Rapture" has SO MANY hits on that one disc that it was very hard to pick which songs on that album were my favorite so I defaulted to the "title" track. Selling over 8 million copies worldwide, "Rapture" catapulted Anita Baker into icon status for the remainder of the decade.

  • 5

    "I Apologize"

    Before going on a long hiatus, 1996 brought Baker back into the spotlight with "Body & Soul" and an 8th Grammy for "I Apologize". Great song! Happy Birthday!

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