Let's be real for a second. If you grew up anywhere near a radio in the last thirty years, Usher Raymond IV hasn't just been a singer; he’s been the literal soundtrack to your highest highs and those 2:00 AM "why did I text them?" lows. Checking out a songs by usher list is basically like flipping through a dusty photo album of the entire R&B genre’s evolution. He didn’t just survive the transition from the baggy-jeans 90s to the TikTok era; he dominated it.
It’s wild. Most artists get a five-year window if they’re lucky. Usher? He’s been "The King" for longer than some of his newest fans have been alive.
From the moment Jermaine Dupri helped him find that signature Atlanta bounce to the world-shattering success of Confessions, Usher has stayed relevant by being a chameleon. But not the fake kind. He just knows how to make a beat feel like a heartbeat. Whether it's the sheer, unadulterated confidence of "U Remind Me" or the "I’m-literally-screaming-into-the-void" energy of "Burn," the man knows how to tap into a very specific kind of human messiness.
The Mid-90s: Finding the Groove
When Usher first showed up, he was this kid with a voice that sounded way older than his face. His 1994 self-titled debut, executive produced by P. Diddy, was... okay. It was fine! But it wasn't Usher. Not yet.
🔗 Read more: Why Disney Channel Presents the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards Still Feels Like a Time Capsule
Then 1997 hit. My Way changed everything. You can’t talk about a songs by usher list without starting here. "You Make Me Wanna..." was everywhere. It had that acoustic guitar lick that immediately made you feel like you were sitting on a porch in Georgia. Honestly, it was the first time we saw him balance that "nice guy" image with a bit of a wandering eye—a theme he’d basically perfect later on.
Then came "Nice & Slow."
It’s arguably one of the best slow jams ever written. Period. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for a reason. It wasn't just about the lyrics; it was about the space between the notes. Usher understood that in R&B, sometimes what you don't sing is just as important as the high notes.
The 2004 Earthquake: Why Confessions Matters
If you were alive in 2004, you didn't have a choice. You were listening to Usher. There was no escape. Confessions sold 1.1 million copies in its first week. In an era where people were actually still buying CDs at Target, that was an astronomical number.
The songs by usher list from this era is essentially a Greatest Hits album on its own.
- "Yeah!" was a fluke, honestly. Lil Jon and Ludacris brought that Crunk energy, and Usher just slid right in. It stayed at number one for 12 consecutive weeks.
- "Burn" gave every person going through a breakup a reason to stare out a rainy window.
- "Confessions Part II" started rumors that wouldn't die for a decade. Was it about Chilli? Was it about a secret baby? It didn't matter because the storytelling was so vivid people felt like they were in the room.
The nuance here is that Usher wasn't just singing. He was creating a soap opera. He leaned into the vulnerability that most male R&B stars at the time were too "tough" to show. He admitted to cheating. He admitted to being scared. That's why it worked. It felt human.
The EDM Shift and the "OMG" Era
A lot of R&B purists hated this part. When Usher teamed up with Will.i.am for "OMG" and "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love," it felt like a betrayal to some. But look at the charts. He saw where the world was going.
The 2010s were all about the club. Las Vegas residencies were becoming the goal. Usher adapted. Songs like "Climax" (produced by Diplo) showed he could do "Alt-R&B" better than the kids who invented it. That song is a masterpiece of vocal control. If you listen closely, the production is actually super sparse and eerie, which was a huge departure from the lush sounds of his earlier work. He proved he didn't need a heavy beat to carry a track. His falsetto did all the heavy lifting.
👉 See also: Percy Jackson Book Covers: Why Everyone is Arguing Over Which Version is Better
Breaking Down the Essential Songs by Usher List
Let's get into the weeds. If you're building a playlist and you want the "all-killer, no-filler" version, you have to look at the tracks that defined specific shifts in his career.
- U Got It Bad: The definitive "sad boy" anthem. The guitar solo at the end? Iconic. It captures that specific feeling of being so distracted by someone that you're "looking at your phone, calling her name."
- Caught Up: This is Usher at his peak performance level. The funk influence is heavy here. It’s fast, it’s aggressive, and it showed off his dance ability.
- Love in This Club: It’s hazy. It’s synthesizers. It’s 2008 in a nutshell.
- Superstar: This wasn't even a massive radio single compared to "Yeah!", but if you ask any die-hard fan, it's in their top three. It shows his appreciation for the slow-burn R&B of the 70s.
- Good Good: His 2023/2024 comeback with Summer Walker and 21 Savage proved he still has the "IT" factor. He sounds exactly the same as he did twenty years ago. It’s actually kind of unfair.
The Super Bowl and the 2024 Renaissance
His Super Bowl LVIII halftime show was a victory lap. It reminded everyone that his catalog is deep. Deep enough that he could leave out five massive hits and still have the crowd screaming every word. Seeing him on roller skates while singing "Don't Waste My Time" was a reminder that Usher is an athlete as much as he is a vocalist.
What’s interesting about his recent work, like the Coming Home album, is the lack of desperation. He isn't trying to sound like a 21-year-old rapper. He’s leaning into his "Uncle" status—the cool, smooth veteran who has seen it all.
Actionable Insights for the R&B Fan
If you're diving back into the songs by usher list, don't just stick to the Spotify "This Is Usher" playlist. You're missing the context.
- Listen to the Deep Cuts: Tracks like "Can U Help Me" or "Throwback" show a lot more soul than the radio hits.
- Watch the Live Performances: Usher is one of the few remaining "Triple Threats." Watching him perform "Trading Places" live gives you a completely different appreciation for his breath control.
- Trace the Production: Look at the credits. Notice how he moved from L.A. Reid and Babyface to Jermaine Dupri, then to Bryan-Michael Cox, and eventually to Diplo and Kaytranada. It’s a roadmap of how popular music has changed.
The legacy of Usher isn't just about the numbers, though 100 million records sold is nothing to sneeze at. It’s about the fact that he’s still the gold standard. Every new R&B artist—from Chris Brown to Brent Faiyaz—has to deal with the "Usher comparison" eventually. Most of them don't win.
To truly appreciate his impact, go back to the Confessions album and listen to it start to finish. No shuffling. No skipping. You'll see why, even in 2026, we’re still talking about his "confessions." He turned his personal life into a universal language. That's not just pop music; that's staying power.