As one of the defining artists of the late ‘90s and early 2000s, Usher’s catalog spans eight studio albums and over 80 singles, cultivating the R&B sound dominating the Y2K era. As Usher prepares to release his ninth studio album on Friday and headline the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show this Sunday, The Daily Texan ranked Usher’s discography.
- Looking 4 Myself
Usher’s ability to combine a wide range of genres serves as one of his strongest qualities as a musician. His 2012 project Looking 4 Myself nearly abandons his characteristic R&B to experiment with the more trendy Electronic Dance Music.
- Hard II Love
In 2016, Usher once again pivoted his sound but this time to a new style of R&B. Featuring production from PartyNextDoor and Metro Boomin, Hard II Love includes “No Limit” featuring Young Thug— one of Usher’s all-time classics.
- Usher
At just 15, Usher released his self-titled debut record on the Atlanta-based label LaFace Records, which saw success with acts such as Outkast and TLC. His album didn’t make a dent in the music landscape at the time, which inspired him to refine his sound and image with his sophomore album, My Way.
- Raymond V. Raymond
While Usher helped manage up-and-coming singer Justin Bieber’s career, he released his own album in 2010 by the name of Raymond V. Raymond, which includes commercial successes “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” with Pitbull and “OMG” featuring will.i.am. This album delivers a well-crafted blend of Usher’s signature R&B sound with the electronic sound that became popular toward the end of the 2000s.
- Here I Stand
Coming off the massive success of his 2004 album, Confessions, Usher presented his follow-up album that included the chart hit “Love in This Club” featuring Young Jeezy and a remix with Beyonce and Lil’ Wayne. The album also features classic singles “What’s Your Name” with will.i.am and “Trading Places.”
- My Way
After releasing his debut album, Usher took a few years to hone in on his musical skills, resulting in the beginning of one of the best three-album runs in R&B history. The track “You Make Me Wanna…” and love jams “Nice & Slow” and “Slow Jam” featuring Monica established him as a prominent member of the late ‘90s R&B scene.
- 8701
If My Way made Usher a known figure in R&B music, 2001’s 8701 cemented him in R&B royalty with crossover hits such as “U Remind Me” and “U Got It Bad”, both of which peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
- Confessions
In 2004, Usher became inescapable. “Yeah!” featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, “Burn,” “Confessions Part II” and “My Boo” spent a collective 28 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. The album also sold over 1 million copies in its first week.
