Chaka Khan Songs Ranked
Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. Her career has spanned nearly five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the “Queen of Funk”, Khan was the first R&B artist to have a crossover hit featuring a rapper, with “I Feel for You” in 1984. Khan has won ten Grammy Awards and has sold an estimated 70 million records worldwide. With Rufus, she achieved four gold singles, four gold albums, and two platinum albums. In the course of her solo career, Khan achieved three gold singles, three gold albums, and one platinum album with I Feel for You. She has collaborated with Ry Cooder, Robert Palmer, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Guru, Chicago, De La Soul, Mary J. Blige, among others. In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked her as the 65th most successful dance artist of all time. She was ranked at No. 17 in VH1’s original list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll. She has been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times as a solo artist and four times as a member of Rufus featuring Chaka Khan; the first time in 2012 as a member of Rufus. Here are all of Chaka Khan’s songs ranked.
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10. Clouds (Naughty, 1980)
“The uniqueness, the power, the range, the force, the gravity, heart, soul and phrasing was all her own and she wasn’t even 30 yet! Young singers like this on the mainstream stage just don’t seem to exist anymore!”
9. Can’t Stop the Street (Krush Groove, 1985)
“I disliked nothing about this music, just like the movie is an classic so is the music. Hip hop was just beginning back then and the music from Krush Groove helped it. It also helped launch LL Cool J career and others.”
8. What Cha’ Gonna Do for Me (What Cha’ Gonna Do for Me, 1981)
“As a fan of Chaka Khan, I found this collection of songs one of her better ones. Accompanied by a great group of musicians and her working collaboration with Arif Mardin, this album mixes funk, R&B, and jazz, which highlights her eclectic style, as well as her incredible vocal ability.”
7. Never Miss the Water (The Essential Chaka Khan, 2011)
“I’ve always loved this song…. ever since I started playing the music video when I was DJing back when the song originally came out. This song is very true. That well will run dry if not treated right do each other right Love one another.”
See more: Chaka Khan Albums Ranked
6. We Can Work It Out (We Can Work It Out, 1981)
“This has gotta be the best Chaka Khan track ever! Extremely funky cover of the Beatles classic. Great! If you like Jacko and Stevie Wonder you’ll love this.”
5. I’m Every Woman (Chaka, 1978)
“No reproduction can equal the original. Never was it afforded the title of a Great Disco Era Hit. She was on target with this one. Even the reproductions lack “something” that is present in her voice and the original production.”
4. Love of a Lifetime (Destiny, 1986)
“This is the best Chaka Khan album ever in my opinion-I literally love every song on it. The first song gets the CD rolling well with an incredibly infectious beat and vocals and match and the title song ‘Destiny’ is powerful and groovy. All of the songs have their strengths but my two favorites are definitely ‘Love Of A Lifetime’ and ‘Destiny’.
3. This is My Night (I Feel for You, 1984)
“Listening to this album as many times as I have, I know for darn sure that this album was meant to be a commercial success when it was released. There is no song on this album that can’t induce dancing or sing-alongs.”
2. I Feel for You (I Feel for You, 1984)
“I Feel For You” is a legendary Chaka performance that needs no explanation as we all know that this is one of the greatest things ever recorded thus making this incomparable singer a legend.”
1. Ain’t Nobody (Ain’t Nobody, 1983)
“Ain’t Nobody is one of the best singles of 1983. Of course, because it is a commercial release, it languishes far down the list on this website- though it has improved markedly on a couple of years back. Anyway, this is a very well-written song with a complex melody which builds for a long time before reaching the chorus. Chaka Khan gives a nuanced and soulful vocal performance. This is a great party record but also more than that. I will quote from one reviewer who describes it very well.”
