To call the 1990s American boy band 98 Degrees a poor man’s Backstreet Boys is an unfounded accusation. They were one of the biggest Pop groups in America at the time and should be respected for that. Of course, they might not have been the Backstreet Boys or NSYNC. But Justin Jeffre, Jeff Timmons, and Nick and Drew Lachey as 98 Degrees held their own.
While they were not everyone’s cup of tea, the girlies loved them. The 10 best 98 Degrees songs are underrated Pop classics, in my opinion. Sure, they might not win the Pulitzer Prize for their writing, but the songs sounded great and made you feel good and positive. And, with so much negativity in the world, that’s not such a bad thing. Let’s check out the best 98 Degrees songs.
37 Best 98 Degrees Songs
1 Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)
“Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)” is one of their biggest-selling singles and one of their catchiest. The up-tempo Latin vibes give this song such a danceable feel that got butts moving when it came out in 2000. It was a single from their third studio album, Revelation, and it performed exceptionally on a commercial level.
It peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts in America and also performed well in Canada, Sweden, Australia, and the Netherlands. To this day, it is still their highest-charting solo song in North America. And at the time, it made big waves and was all over the radio. This is easily one of 98 Degrees’ best songs, if not their best.
2 I Do (Cherish You)
The way this band skillfully merged a Pop sound with R&B is quite underrated. “I Do (Cherish You)” is right up there as one of their finest songs. This romantic love ballad is a cover version of the same song by Country star Mark Wills. The 98 Degrees’ cover is very similar to the original track but has more R&B flavor than Country.
It was on their 98 Degrees and Rising album, which is known as the best one of their career. It’s a very inoffensive song that appealed to teenage girls and females in general, as most boy band songs do. “I Do (Cherish You)” still sounds great today and could essentially be a song from any top Pop band at the time.
3 Thank God I Found You by Mariah Carey, Joe, and 98 Degrees
“Thank God I Found You” by Mariah Carey also featured both Joe and 98 Degrees. It was released in 1999 from her Rainbow album and is still known today as one of the 10 best 98 Degrees songs. At the time, it received mixed reviews and took a basing in some quarters. But, over time, it’s cemented itself as one of the best songs by 98 Degrees.
It’s the highest charting single that 98 Degrees ever had. But because it was a collaboration and didn’t go on their own album, it’s seen more as a Mariah song, and rightfully so.
It peaked at #1 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts in the US. Although, it didn’t do quite as well across Europe. It’s a very sweet song that talks about saying thank you to god and being grateful for what you receive, and that’s an inspirational message right there.
4 Invisible Man
Have you seen him? Of course, you haven’t because he’s invisible. Joking aside, “Invisible Man” was a very successful song for the band. This was their first-ever single from their self-entitled debut album in 1997.
It was a breakthrough song for the band that really sprang them to prominence and introduced them to the American audience. The wholesome lyrics and unthreatening sound made them an instant favorite with teens and their parents.
It impressively charted at #12 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts, which for a debut single is very good. The lyrics are about a man at a party who takes a liking to a woman there, but she doesn’t even notice he exists. Almost like he’s invisible. Most men know what that feels like, but ironically, not many males bought this track, only women.
5 My Everything
The band sometimes gets grief because their lyrics are a bit wishy-washy. But nothing could be further from the truth with “My Everything.” This is quite a deep and meaningful track from their perspective. It was the second single from their third studio album, Revelation, and was released in November 2000.
It didn’t scale the height of the first single from that album, “Give Me Just One Night.” But it still did get into the Top 40 of the Hot 100 Billboard Charts in the US.
This dreamy but introspective love song is about how much he loves the woman in his life and how he would do anything for her. It’s a classic song that could be played at a wedding or a romantic dinner. And it will get your female partner hot for you.
6 Because of You
“Because of You” is a classic Pop song with a positive, feel-good vibe that is infectious. If you closed your eyes, it could be NSYNC or another popular boy band from that time. So, I suppose that’s a compliment. When it came out in September 1998 in their 98 Degrees and Rising album, it hit the Pop charts and the radio running and was unavoidable for the remainder of that year.
It peaked at #3 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts in the US and is still regarded as one of their biggest songs. The song performed very well across the world, hitting the Top 10 in the charts across the UK, Australia, Germany, Canada, and the Netherlands. It was certified Platinum in America and did wonders for the band’s reputation going forward. So, it’s a very important song for them.
7 The Hardest Thing
By the turn of the Millennium, the group was becoming the biggest boy band in the US. “The Hardest Thing” is the perfect balance of a romantic slow jam with Pop and R&B-inspired flavors. It was a massive hit with teens and housewives at the time. And it did great in terms of sales and commercial exposure. It was released in June 1999 and was the third single from their second studio album.
Although it achieved gold status in the US and reached #3 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts, it didn’t make too much of a dent in other countries. But it is still considered one of the greatest 98 Degrees songs all these years later.
8 Yesterday’s Letter
“Yesterday’s Letter” might be one of their most recognizable tracks. The vocals are beautiful, and the overall message is passionate and soulful. The R&B-inspired instrumentation is the star of the show with the vocals. It’s another successful single from their 2000 Revelation album that was a solid hit in the US.
The lyrics are sad and introspective and revolve around a woman who breaks up with a man and tells him that he needs to get over it. Anyone who has loved and lost knows how difficult it is to get over a relationship breakup, especially when it wasn’t you who called it off.
9 True To Your Heart (feat. Stevie Wonder)
If you had the chance to collaborate on a track with a Soul legend, Stevie Wonder would be the ideal choice. “True To Your Heart” features the legendary Stevie Wonder and was a song from the Mulan motion picture soundtrack in 1998. Even though critics liked the song at the time, they thought it sounded a bit out of place on this soundtrack. I guess you can’t please everyone.
It was the first single to be released from the soundtrack. And, even though the reception was mixed, it got nominated for a Grammy Award in 1998 in the Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television category. It was something a bit different for the band, but they got to perform with Stevie, so they are not complaining.
10 She’s Out Of My Life
“She’s Out Of My Life” is a very sad yet romantic ballad that came out in 1998 from their 98 Degrees and Rising album. A fun fact is that the song was originally recorded by music icon Michael Jackson and was on his classic Off The Wall album. No doubt, the boys didn’t quite perform the track to MJ’s level, but that’s not a knock on them.
This emotional song is about a man who loses the love of his life and regrets the mistakes he made in the relationship. Sometimes, you just have to accept that you messed it all up. And that is what this song is all about.
11This Gift
12If She Only Knew
13The Way You Want Me To
14Take My Breath Away
15The Love That You’ve Been Looking For
16Fly With Me
17I Wasn’t Over You
18To Me You’re Everything
19The Way You Do
20Was It Something I Didn’t Say
21You Should Be Mine (Don’t Waste Your Time) with Brian McKnight
22Give It Up (Interlude)
23Can You Imagine
24Dreaming
25Dizzy
26Just Wanna Dance
27Fly with Me (Acoustic)
28True to Your Heart (feat. Ming-Na Wen)
29That’s Why I Love You
30Let Go of My Heart
31Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche) (Blacksmith Club Mix)
32I Do (Cherish You) (Cutfather & Joe Mix)
33Yesterday’s Letter (Mambo Mix)
34My Everything (Pied Piper Mix)
35I Wasn’t Over You (Peter Rauhofer Club Mix)
36She’s Out of My Life (David Morales Radio Edit)
37Thank God I Found You (Make It Last Remix) by Mariah Carey, Joe, and 98 Degrees
Want More Awesome Pop and R&B Tunes?
If so, check out our thoughts on the Best R&B Songs of All Time, the Best 2000s R&B Songs, the Best Pop Songs of the 2000s, the Best NSYNC Songs of All Time, the Top 10 Michael Jackson Songs, and the Top 10 Miley Cyrus Songs for more incredible song selections.
10 Best 98 Degrees Songs – Final Thoughts
From 1997 to 2017, 98 Degrees made six studio albums, with the last one being Let It Snow (2017). They were most famous and commercially successful from 1998 to 2001 and have sold over ten million records. The Top 10 98 Degrees songs are a mix of Pop and R&B ballads that were all the rage at the turn of the Millennia.
As far as I know, they are not still making music, but they do tour occasionally. They might not have reached the heights of some other boy bands at the time, especially on a worldwide stage, but they had a very successful career. Will they make another album? I highly doubt it, but you never know.
Until next time, happy listening.
