Song · Boyz II Men
“Motownphilly” by Boyz II Men
From the album Presents Urban Nostalgia, Vol.1 (2001)
“Motownphilly” by Boyz II Men appears on 3 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 2022 and 2025. It was first released in 2001 on the album Presents Urban Nostalgia, Vol.1. Its best result is #277 on the WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #425 of the '90s.
"Motownphilly" is where Boyz II Men came in: their first single, which Motown put out in April 1991 to launch their debut album, Cooleyhighharmony, with a title that spells out the whole plan by splicing 1960s Motown to 1970s Philly soul. Dallas Austin co-wrote and produced it, a new jack swing strut with Nathan Morris and Shawn Stockman also in the writing credits, and Michael Bivins, another co-writer, barges in with a rap on the bridge. It went to 3 on the Hot 100.
The video roams around the group's hometown of Philadelphia and plays like a block party. Another Bad Creation and Bell Biv DeVoe, both name-checked in the song, drop by; so does Sudden Impact, an R&B group Bivins put together that didn't last long, and Questlove, who knew the group from high school, sits in on drums for a moment.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 540 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s | 900 |
| 2023 | 543 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s | 893 |
| 2025 | 277 | WFPK | WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s | 500 |
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