Don't Be Cruel (album)
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  [2] |
| The Village Voice | B+[3] |
Don't Be Cruel is the second album by American R&B singer Bobby Brown. It was released in the United States on June 20, 1988 by MCA Records.
The album was far more successful than Brown's debut, peaking at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and spawning 5 Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles, including Brown's very first #1, "My Prerogative". It spent a total of six weeks on top of the Billboard 200 and was the best-selling album of 1989 in the United States. The album also reached the Top 5 in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Don't Be Cruel received extremely positive reviews from music critics.[1] Brown also won his first Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 1990 Grammy Awards for "Every Little Step".
The album has been certified 7x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of over 7 million units in the United States.[4]
Development
Brown changed producers for this album, and worked extensively with hit-making songwriting/production duo Babyface and L.A. Reid. Alex Henderson of Allmusic writes
Don't Be Cruel was to Bobby Brown what Control was to Janet Jackson -- a tougher, more aggressive project that shed his "bubblegum" image altogether and brought him to a new artistic and commercial plateau. With "My Prerogative" and the title song, Brown became a leader of new jack swing -- a forceful, high-tech blend of traditional soul singing and rap/hip-hop that's also associated with Guy and Brown's New Edition colleagues, Bell Biv DeVoe.[5]
Commercial Performance
Don't Be Cruel debuted at #74 on the Billboard 200 on July 23, 1988. It wasn't until six months later that the album reached #1, starting a six-week non-consecutive run at #1, from January 21, 1989 - February 4, 1989 and February 18, 1989 - March 4, 1989. Its reign at number one was interrupted for one week by Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction.
The album also spent a total of 11 non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart over the course of 1988 and 1989. It spent an eight-week non-consecutive run at #1 from September–November 1988, and then remarkably returned to #1 four months later in Match 1989.
Don't Be Cruel was the best selling album of 1989 in the United States, and finished #1 on the Billboard Year-End album chart.[6]
Singles
All five singles released from the album reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. "Don't Be Cruel" was released as the lead single. The second single, "My Prerogative" earned Brown his first #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. "My Prerogative" was also the second-biggest single of 1989, finishing at #2 on the Year-End Billboard Hot 100 Singles of 1989. Three of the singles also reached #1 on Billboard's Hot R&B Songs chart.
| Year | Single | Chart positions[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop |
US R&B | ||
| 1988 | "Don't Be Cruel" | 8 | 1 |
| "My Prerogative" | 1 | 1 | |
| 1989 | "Roni" | 3 | 2 |
| "Every Little Step" | 3 | 1 | |
| "Rock Wit'cha" | 7 | 3 | |
All singles have been certified Gold by the RIAA.[4]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cruel Prelude" | Babyface, L.A. Reid | Babyface, L.A. Reid | 0:39 |
| 2. | "Don't Be Cruel" | Babyface, L.A. Reid, Daryl Simmons | Babyface, L.A. Reid | 6:52 |
| 3. | "My Prerogative" | Bobby Brown, Gene Griffin | Gene Griffin, Bobby Brown (co.) | 4:51 |
| 4. | "Roni" | Babyface | Babyface, L.A. Reid | 5:58 |
| 5. | "Rock Wit'Cha" | Babyface, L.A. Reid | Babyface, L.A. Reid | 4:49 |
| 6. | "Every Little Step" | Babyface, L.A. Reid | Babyface, L.A. Reid | 3:57 |
| 7. | "I'll Be Good to You" | Bobby Brown, Gene Griffin | Gene Griffin, Bobby Brown (co.) | 4:25 |
| 8. | "Take It Slow" | Jay Logan, Lee Peters, Larry White | Larry White | 5:22 |
| 9. | "All Day All Night" | Dennis Wadington, DeWayne Sweet, Larry White, Lee Peters | Larry White | 4:40 |
| 10. | "I Really Love You Girl" | Bobby Brown, Gordon Jones | Gene Griffin, Bobby Brown (co.) | 5:11 |
| 11. | "Cruel Reprise" | Babyface, L.A. Reid | Babyface, L.A. Reid | 0:18 |
| Total length: | 47:08 | |||
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1988–89) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart[8] | 5 |
| Dutch Albums Chart[9] | 27 |
| German Albums Chart | 26 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart[10] | 2 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[11] | 20 |
| UK Albums Chart[12] | 3 |
| US Billboard 200[13] | 1 |
| US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[14] | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1989) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 1 |
Chart procession
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | 2× Platinum | 600,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[16] | 7× Platinum | 7,000,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from Allmusic.[17]
Musicians
- Drums, Percussion: Richard Aguon, Dewayne Sweet, Larry White
- Drum Programming: Markell Riley
- Bass: Kirk Crumpler, Larry White
- Synthesized Bass: Dewayne Sweet, Kirk Crumpler
- Keyboards: Larry White, Dewayne Sweet, Percy Scott, Teddy Riley, Ben Rayes, Kirk Crumpler
- Guitars: Larry White, Emilio Conesa
- Saxophone: Melecio Magdaluyo
- Finger Snaps: Tommy Brown
Production
- Producers: Babyface, Bobby Brown, Gene Griffin, Gordon Jones, Larry White
- Mixing: Larry White, Teddy Riley, Dennis Mitchell, Jon Gass, Michael Denton, Babyface
- Engineering: Babyface, Michael Denton, Jon Gass, Mitch Gibson, John Guggenheim, Fred Howard, Howard Johnston, K2, Ruben Laxamana, Dennis Mitchell, Mark Slagle, Larry White
- Mastering: Steve Hall
References
- ^ a b Eddy, Chuck (March 2011). "Essentials: R&B Rubs Hip-Hop the Right Way and the New Jack Swing Era Is Born". Spin. New York: 84. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
- ^ Henderson, Alex (November 1, 2001). "Don't Be Cruel - Bobby Brown: Review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-07-28.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (January 24, 1989). "Consumer Guide Jan. 24, 1989". The Village Voice. Village Voice Media. Retrieved 2011-07-28.
- ^ a b http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/dont-be-cruel-mw0000652329
- ^ http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1989/the-billboard-200
- ^ "Bobby Brown US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
- ^ "ARIA Albums Chart - November 26, 1989".
- ^ "Dutch Albums Chart - April 15, 1989".
- ^ "New Zealand Albums Chart - June 18, 1989".
- ^ "Swedish Albums Chart - April 5, 1989".
- ^ "UK Albums Chart - July 16, 1989". The Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Billboard 200 January 21, 1989". Billboard.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums September 10, 1988". Billboard.
- ^ "British album certifications – Bobby Brown – Don't Be Cruel". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Don't Be Cruel in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "American album certifications – Bobby Brown – Don't Be Cruel". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ "Don't Be Cruel - Bobby Brown". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-07-03.