Rewind: What I listened to in 2024
…and in 2023. On cassette!
It’s that time of year when Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms are showing everyone what they listened to over the past year. Except, I don’t stream my music (for the most part). I still buy music and sync the same iTunes music library that I’ve been organizing since I got my first iPod back in the 2000s…
Even with my subscription to Apple Music that I use when I’m not at home, the yearly Replay that it generates for me doesn’t accurately portray what I truly listened to most within a year, since it only tracks what I have streamed and not what I played from my own library. It’s especially inaccurate considering that I mostly listen to my library of cassette tapes when I’m at home.
Two years ago I jokingly posted a picture of my most played tapes to my story, like “here’s my unwrapped/replay or whatever y’all” and some of you really got a kick out of that. At the recommendation of my friend Suzanne (hi Suzanne 👋🏽) when we were brainstorming content creation back in September, I’m publishing my 2024 (and 2023) most played tapes for you all to get a peek into what I really listen to most.
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Why I like listening to tapes?
Because I’m an old soul that’s nostalgic for an era that I didn’t really get to experience myself. Cassettes are the last in the chronology of music formats to have sides. As opposed to the CDs that I listened to as a girl, it’s not as easy to skip songs (unless you have a more modern tape deck that uses smart computer technology to seek next tracks by looking for silence on the tape).
When I listen to cassettes, I’m obliged to listen to the whole album straight through. With many of the albums that I’ve gotten on tape, I’ve come to appreciate the album holistically. Even with the songs that I might not have chosen to make the cut if I were A&R at the label… I know every song front to back, word for word—something that didn’t happen for me as a skip-happy kid when I listened to my CDs.
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You’ll see that most of the tapes I played frequently were acquired in these past two years. I’ll list my favorite tracks from each album, and put my overall top songs in bold. You can read notes about the albums, artists, and tracks in the footnotes at the very bottom. Now, without further ado…
My Top Albums of 2024 (and 2023)
My Top Genres
R&B, Smooth/Contemporary Jazz, and Dance (no surprise there, still, there’s lots of variety in sound and style on this list!)
Mint Condition ― From the Mint Factory (1993)
Genres: R&B, Funk–Hip-Hop–Jazz–Reggae–Rock fusion ~
Purchased from Discogs in 2023
Favorite tracks:
Heads
1. Nobody Does it Betta • 5. U Send Me Swingin’ • 6. 10 Million Strong
Tails
2. Good for Your Heart • 3. Harmony • 4. So Fine1 • 6. Always
Lisa Fischer ― So Intense (1991)
Genres: R&B, Dance, Pop
Purchased from Jinxed Fishtown in Philly in 2024
Favorite tracks:
Side 1
1. Save Me • 3. How Can I Ease the Pain2 • 4. So Intense
Side 2
2. So Tender • 5. Last Goodbye
Norman Brown ― After the Storm (1994)
Genre: Smooth/Contemporary Jazz
Purchased from Discogs in 2024
Favorite tracks:
Side A
1. Take Me There • 3. That’s the Way Love Goes3 • 5. Lydian • 6. For the Love of You4
Side B
1. Trashman • 2. It Costs to Love5 • 3. Let’s Come Together • 5. El Dulce Sol
H-Town ― Beggin’ After Dark (1994)
Genres: R&B, Hip-Hop, with some Reggae/Dancehall influences
Purchased at Going Underground Records in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles in 2024
Favorite tracks:
Side A
2. Sex Bowl • 4. Back Seat (Wit No Sheets) • 5. Emotions • 6. Full Time • 7. Beggin’ After Dark6
Side B
1. Indo Love • 4. Tumble & Rumble • 5. Rockit Steady
Guy ― The Future (1990)
Genres: R&B, New Jack Swing, Hip-Hop
Purchased at Going Underground Records in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles in 2023
Favorite tracks:
Side One
1. Her • 5. Let’s Chill • 7. Yearning for Your Love7
Side Two
4. The Future • 5. Let’s Stay Together • 6. Smile
Janet Jackson — Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
Genres: R&B, New Jack Swing, Pop (and Rock, on Side Two, Track 5: “Black Cat”)
Favorite tracks:
Side One
6. The Knowledge • 8. Miss You Much
Side Two
1. Alright • 6. Lonely • 7. Come Back to Me • 8. Someday Is Tonight
Strictly Business Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1991)
Genres: R&B, New Jack Swing, Hip-Hop, GoGo
Purchased from Discogs in 2023
Favorite tracks:
Side One
1. I Just Want Love – Stephanie Mills • 2. You Called and Told Me – Jeff Redd • 3. Fat Rat – Grand Puba8
Side Two
1. Let’s Fly – Jodeci • 2. How to Flow – Nice & Smooth • 4. Shining Star – Leaders of the New School • 5. Lockit – Rare Essence
Vanessa Williams ―The Comfort Zone (1991)
Genres: Dance, Pop, R&B
Purchased from Discogs in 2024
Favorite tracks:
Side A
1. The Comfort Zone • 2. Running Back to You • 4. You Gotta Go (feat. Brian McKnight)
Side B
2. 2 of a Kind • 4. Just for Tonight • 5. One Reason • 7. Goodbye
Najee ― Najee’s Theme (1986)
Genre: Smooth/Contemporary Jazz
Purchased from Discogs in 2023
Favorite tracks:
1
2. Najee’s Theme • 3. For the Love of You • 4. Can’t Hide Love9
2
1. Sweet Love10 • 2. Betcha Don’t Know
Sybil (1989)11
Genres: Dance, R&B
Purchased at Going Underground Records in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles in 2024
Favorite tracks:
A
1. Don’t Make Me Over • 2. Love’s Calling • 6. Walk On By
B
3. Living for the Moment • 5. We’re Gonna Make it Work This Time • 6. In My Dreams
Black Box ―Dreamland (1990)12
Genre(s): Dance, House/Italo House, Contemporary Jazz
Purchased at Going Underground Records in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles in 2023
Favorite tracks:
Uno
1. Everybody Everybody • 3. Open Your Eyes • 4. Fantasy13
Due
4. Ghost Box14 • 5. Strike It Up
Ill Al Skratch ― Creep Wit’ Me (1994)
Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
Purchased from Addison Vintage in Richmond, VA
Favorite tracks:
Side 1
1. Where My Homiez? (Come Around My Way) • 4. I’ll Take Her (feat. Brian McKnight) • 5. Chill With That • 6. Where My Homiez? (Come Around My Way) [Dub Version]15
Side 2
3. Brooklyn Uptown Connection • 4. Classic Shit (Ill’s Solo) • 5. Summertime (It’s All Good) [Al’s Solo] • 6. I’ll Take Her (Brian’s Flow)
Pebbles — Always (1990)
Genre: R&B
Favorite tracks:
Side One
1. Giving You the Benefit • 2. Backyard (feat. Salt-N-Pepa)
Side Two
1. Give It to Me • 4. Stay With Me • 5. Good Thang
…and that about wraps it for ‘23 and ‘24. I’m excited to add to my growing collection of tapes in 2025 (I already started doing so), and discover even more old-but-new-to-me music that I’ll love. After all, music isn’t milk―it doesn’t spoil or expire.
Let me know if you also have any favorites from this list, and let me know what other kinds of music content you’d be interested in from me―I want your feedback and I’d love to hear from you!
me and my cuzzo Janai’s JAM
I wrote about this song in my first ever Sunday Letter when the song came up in my Instagram feed. I bought it from iTunes for my library while I was on the road, then just a couple of weeks later after manifesting it, I found this tape at the Jinxed in Fishtown here in Philly!
smooth jazz Janet cover
smooth jazz Isley Brothers cover
this track is my favorite, and the only song on this album to feature vocals by none other than Norman Brown himself. A rare gem, as both my dad and myself have yet to hear of another song in his career where NB graces us with his voice!
this special instrumental interlude is really beautiful, and not available on digital streaming services―an example of one of the many rare treats that can come with listening to tape
a cover of my favorite song by Gap Band
samples another fave track of mine, “Over Like a Fat Rat” by Fonda Rae
a smooth jazz cover of the classic by Earth, Wind & Fire, me and my dad’s favorite group
a smooth jazz cover of the Anita Baker hit
this album is also known as Walk On By. Fun fact: My momma used to hang with Sybil back in the day!
Black Box is infamous for using the vocals of singer Martha Wash on the majority of their tracks without crediting her, and importantly, without intending to compensate her for using her voice. The woman you see on the cover is French model Katrin Quinol—the group’s chosen “frontwoman”―who was the girlfriend of one of the members of the group.
a surprising take on another Earth, Wind & Fire classic
a surprising smooth jazz track on an otherwise upbeat Dance album—LOVE
this album flows so smoothly from beginning to end, I LOVE the long dub versions included on the end of each side of this tape