Celebrating Usher's 40th birthday with his top 20 songs

Usher first came on to the music scene in 1993 with a song featured on the "Poetic Justice" soundtrack. His debut song “Call Me a Mack” reached No. 56 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

By the time Usher released his second studio album "My Way," he was starting to become an artist for fans to watch. “You Make Me Wanna” was co-written and co-produced by Jermaine Dupri and is still known as one of Usher’s most classic hits.

Usher took a four-year hiatus before returning for his third studio album "8701." The album’s lead single “U Remind Me” was produced by the legendary Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, earning Usher his first Grammy Award.

The second single from "My Way" was his hit song “Nice & Slow.” The song became Usher’s first single to peak at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hype Williams-directed music video featured more of Usher's sex appeal. 

The lead single from Usher’s fifth album "Here I Stand" was the Polow da Don-produced track “Love In This Club.” The first version featured rapper Young Jeezy, while the Soundz-produced remix featured Lil Wayne and Beyonce.

Usher returned to his ballad mode on “U Got It Bad.” Co-written by the singer and produced by Bryan-Michael Cox and Jermaine Dupri, the song went on to peak on the Billboard Hot 100. The music video also features TLC member Chilli as the singer’s love interest.

The album’s title track was the final single from his 1997 project. Although the song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, it’s the music video that shows fans an extent of Usher’s showmanship. The video even features a cameo from fellow R&B singer Tyrese.

The one thing Usher has managed to excel at in his career is giving fans a sweet ballad. His single “There Goes My Baby” is the perfect tune that can make listeners want to fall in love. The song earned him a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

The final single on "8701" was The Neptunes-produced track “U Don’t Have To Call.” Hit-maker Pharrell Williams once mentioned how the track was originally for Michael Jackson — one of Usher’s idols.

When Usher’s album "Confessions" started blowing up, his relationship with TLC member Chilli had faded. Fans started to think the album’s themes of heartbreak and infidelity were insights into their relationship, however, producer Jermaine Dupri often stated the album was a reflection of his own life.

Although Usher is known for his smooth R&B sound, he’s never been afraid to experiment with other genres. Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am. helped Usher do just that on their single “OMG.” The track gave Usher more of an auto-tune with EDM club vibes. The multiplatinum hit became the fifth-best-selling song of 2010.

Usher got more into developing his songs as pop club hits, and “DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love” was his peak EDM status. The song featured rapper Pitbull, who also co-wrote the track. 

On Usher’s sixth album "Raymond v. Raymond," he wanted to show his audience how there could be two sides to him. He accomplished showing a more sensual side on his second single “Lil Freak” featuring Nicki Minaj. The song became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2012, Usher remained in his groove of experimenting with sounds. EDM producer Diplo was behind the boards on “Climax,” giving Usher a ballad with pockets of electronic and house influences. The song earned the singer a Grammy for Best R&B Performance.

Throughout his career, Usher hasn’t done many duets. The first collaborative effort was alongside R&B singer Monica on his "My Way" album. In 2004, he decided to join forces with Alicia Keys on “My Boo.” The song is all about a former couple still having feelings for each other.

Usher decided to work with producers Max Martin and Shellback, who also produced his track “DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love.” His song “Scream” was a huge hit among the EDM fans, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

In 2014, the singer dropped “Good Kisser,” a single that was originally intended for his eighth studio album. The Pop & Oak-produced track never made it to an album, but the song became a top 20 hit on the R&B charts.

After the massive success of “Yeah!,” Usher’s team needed to figure out which song would be a strong follow-up. Thanks to producers Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox, the team decided to release “Burn.” In fact, the song replaced “Yeah!” as the top hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Usher released his last studio album "Hard II Love" in 2016. The album’s lead single “No Limit” had inspiration from Master P’s 1997 track “Make Em Say Uhh.” The song features Young Thug and reached No. 9 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The single that led his best-selling album "Confessions" to the top of charts is “Yeah!.” Usher recruited his fellow Atlanta natives Lil Jon as the producer and Ludacris with a featured verse. With Lil Jon’s creative assistance, the song was the epitome of the Crunk&B sound (crunk and R&B). The song reached No. 1 on a number of charts and earned Usher a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.