The Isley Brothers Songs Ranked

The Isley Brothers (/ˈaɪzliː/) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that started as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O’Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley, and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, the group has been cited as having enjoyed one of the “longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music”. Sixteen of their albums charted in the Top 40 and thirteen of those albums have been certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum by the RIAA. The brothers have been honored by several musical institutions, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted them in 1992. Five years later, they were added to Hollywood’s Rockwall, and in 2003 they were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. They received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. Here are all of The Isley Brothers songs ranked.

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20. Take Some Time Out for Love (This Old Heart of Mine, 1966)

“”Take Some Time Out for Love” is updated with heaps of tambourine slathered throughout the mix and almost comically histrionic falsetto vocals following the chorus. The falsettos are the element that stay with you once the record’s groove has finished, and the song is highly entertaining, but obviously pales in comparison to “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)”, which was the group’s previous single and title track of their Tamla debut.”

19. Live It Up (Live It Up, 1974)

“As Sly and James faded in the early 70’s, soul and funk was wide open to newcomers in the field and so we saw the rise of EW & F, The Commodores and the whole Parliament / Funkadelic thing /thang. What no one foresaw was the re-birth of the Isleys as a creative force, but following on from the success of “3 + 3″ and its related singles, the heat was on for them to keep up to the mark.”

18. Fight the Power (The Heat Is On, 1975)

“It’s great, the funk-rock formula they touched on here. Crazy futuristic synthesizers, wailing Hendrixian guitar, funky bass, smooth vocals… I love it!”

17. Please, Please, Please (The Complete UA Sessions, 1991)

“No matter how old you get this music will grow with you and if you can’t sing it don’t matter because songs will have your body moving. Truly an amazing song and artists “

See more: The Isley Brothers Albums Ranked

16. You’ll Never Leave Him (The Isley Brothers Story, Volume 1: Rockin’ Soul (1959-68), 1991)

“The legacy of this band can not be understated or underestimated, The Isley Brothers were truly one of the all time greats and this was a shining moment in their history and music catalog.”

15. Contagious (Eternal, 2001)

“This is a funny melodious song by ronald isley. it’s smooth and heart breaking but a sing along for all. This was a good song, not great but good.”

14. Don’t Say Goodnight (Go All the Way, 1980)

“The instrumental is quite middle of the road, but the phrase “Life is for the living” paired with “love is for the giving” alone make this an evocative, beautiful track. Don’t even listen to the instrumental alone. You’ll have wanted a few minutes of your life back.”

13. Footsteps in the Dark (Go for Your Guns, 1977)

“Not only more substantive than the best of the other Isley ballads, “Footsteps in the Dark” is also arrestingly beautiful. You wouldn’t expect that a hocketted groove like the intro could sound so solemn, but it does. Then there’s the masterful transition to stillness as Ronald Isley begins to reflect on his relationship. And finally, the career-high, uncanny-valley resolution to major in the chorus. It’s one of the loveliest R&B songs in existence.”

12. Work to Do (Brother, Brother, Brother, 1972)

“It speaks volumes about the quality of the Isley Brothers’ music in the ’70s that a single this intoxicating could fall through the cracks. Though “Work to Do” reached a respectable #11 on the Soul chart, it sputtered at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100. What a shame.”

11. It’s Your Thing (It’s Our Thing, 1969)

“Funk, soul, and oldies classics all with a tinge of rock ‘n roll. …and we’re all thankful for young brother Ernie Isley stepping into the mix as the ’70s rolled around, offering the brothers much needed screaming guitar, setting the group apart from the rest, and honing in the spirit of the departed Hendrix.”

10. Groove with You (Showdown, 1978)

“The other one you probably know (if you listen to ’70s soul, which you should) is “Groove with You,” and I like it even more than I like “Take Me to the Next Phase.” It’s the only song here that qualifies as make-out music, and it’s a testament to how well-written it is that you can listen to it nonstop even when you’re not making out with anyone”

9. Shout (Shout!, 1959)

“Shout” is now an annoying staple at weddings, but the song was only a modest hit when it was first released by The Isley Brothers in 1959. James Brown, sensing the song’s commercial potential, released a single in 1961 called “Shout & Shimmy” that sounded exactly like the Isley’s song, but with the word “shimmy” added.”

8. So You Wanna Stay Down (Harvest for the World, 1976)

“Perhaps the Isleys just lacked the individual genius of say Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield to really ascend to the uppermost echelons of the soul hierarchy in the mid-70’s but year after year they put out wall-to-wall solid albums which I always enjoy returning to.”

7. Summer Breeze (Summer Breeze, 2005)

“This is feel-good music of the highest order: many of the tracks will be instantly familiar to most people, and they’ll bring a smile to your face, lift your spirits and have you singing along in no time.”

See more: The Doobie Brothers Albums Ranked

6. Twist and Shout (Shout!, 1959)

“”Twist and Shout” was the first of the Isley Brothers’ 74 rhythm & blues chart entries (although after this one they would have no more in that market until 1966), debuting on The Billboard Music Week Hot R&B Sides on 16 June 1962, climbing up to #2 for 2 weeks of its total 19 weeks chart run.”

5. That Lady (3 + 3, 1973)

“This one is the one that has the cowbell, and a smooth vocal performance. The song does not have that overwhelming hook of Who’s that lady. It does have it there but not the same(which is a lot better) mix of sounds soul, funk, and groovy ass baby making music.”

4. Between the Sheets (Between the Sheets, 1983)

“You know? This songs is 83 shades of excellent. It’s at once both complete bedroom BS, that no woman could keep a straight face through, and at the same time it is pure 80s production perfection. It plods along, for about three and a half minutes of languid sexytime (about right huh?) and then goes absolutely ANDROID-ORGASM-NUTS.”

3. For the Love of You (The Heat Is On, 1975)

“Lovely, smooth soul from the Isleys, its gossamer-light melody sails on the dreamy keyboard backing and sighing background vocals, with Ronald giving a typically finely-nuanced lead vocal on top. Especially like the bridge to the chorus. Make sure you stay with the fade until Ron tells us to write that down.”

2. Harvest for the World (Harvest for the World, 1976)

“Predicated on some of the best recorded acoustic guitar strumming you’ll ever hear, the brothers here passionately deliver their paean for world peace. The final fade, with Ronald improvising, is fantastic but the whole song is a triumph.”

1. This Old Heart of Mine (This Old Heart of Mine, 1966)

“Pretty correct compilation, with 8 tracks (1958-1957) from the Impressions, and 14 from the Isley Brothers (1962-69). This is not the best we could find, but for an economic CD, it is rather well done., with some liner notes, and chart positions.”