Rapture

Her voice is solid, not my favorite R&B voice. The songs kinda blur together after a while. Great background music but not something I’d ever request.

she's got a fantastic voice-great tone & control. just wish there was a bit more variety on the album. every song is a heartfelt love song at a similar tempo..... still, overall nice album 3.5 stars

Good soul - Caught Up In The Rapture, Been So Long, Same Ole Love.

Best Song: Sweet Love. Nice sultry voice, with a soaring chorus. Worst Song: Watch Your Step. I think I had maybe just grown tired of these kinds of ballads by this point in the album. Overall: An album that feels both dated and sanitized. Something about the "softness" of the ballads undercut any attempts they made at evoking any emotion. There is a sort of quiet groove that runs through the album, but it's not enough to engage your attention for very long.

This record is full of CVS bangers. Soft rock, supermarket-core, adult contemporary. Whatever you want to call it, it is smooth, silky, and ultimately, quite forgettable. I read this record scored Baker 2 Grammys and sold upwards of 8 million copies. The 80s were a crazy time! I don't hate this record at all, it's a very pleasant listen. I also LOVE smooth rock, so that might be why. Anyways...it's a fine record. Not great. You DEFINITELY don't need to hear this before you die. 3/5

3.5

Okay, but not for me.

Feel bad for the Americans as apparently it’s not available in the US. But I’m from the Uk! This is soul filled music that also taps into the 80’s sound. 3/5

this is pretty damn good! she has an outstanding voice and some solid song writing but it just got a little repetitive for me.

she has a fab voice and this was a nice compact album but i fear it is not for me

Nice powerful voice.

I wasn't a big fan going in, but the "Caught Up In The Rapture" got my attention. Pretty good, but a little generic at times. Probably wouldn't listen to these songs regularly, but they're not skips either.

Nice to listen to, but not too much more than that.

MMM pff

Well… i really like it. Not because it's iconic or very memorable but it does exactly what it was made for, creating a mood. I never heard about the "Quiet Storm" which kinda feels like the chill version of Yacht rock.

Enjoyable easy listening, but nothing very standout.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Maybe it was the steel pan band that Frances was playing at full volume in the office during my listening, but this just did not hit as strongly as I expected. Also could have been my mood.

Great vocals, but otherwise a little bit bland/uninteresting for a soul album.

From the opening 30 seconds I knew I was in for a good time with this one. Realised the opening track is the sample for Hoe Cakes by MF DOOM, listened to that album again, then came back to this one. If anything, the album was a bit generic. Pretty much the average 80's r&b/soul/jazz album. Notable Tracks: Sweet Love, Been So Long

Fun and short little ep that contains the magical sample for one of my favorite rap songs ever.

Album 795 of 1089 Anita Baker - Rapture (1986) Rating : 3 / 5 Enjoyed more than I expected. Great voice, songs and production. Love the jazzy element.

I was excited because the first track is so killer. But the rest felt like filler. It's fine, but she's done better on other albums.

I was 9-10 years old when this album came out and very much attuned to what was on the radio. Nothing more annoyed my soul than when Anita Baker came on - the musical equivalent of waiting in Jo-Ann Fabrics with your mother for two hours. Now that I am a lover of all things soft rock in my elder years, I appreciate this a good deal more. But not tons more.

A bit too dated and 80s sounding for my tastes but I can't deny she's got an incredible voice.

Never heard of this artist before, maybe heard 1 song, but I was pleasantly surprised, especially by songs "Mystery" and "Same Ole Love"

VERY smooth but not my ideal cup of tea, Sweet Love though? Chefs kiss

sweet love really did it for me 😌

Was good. One or two greats. But same same in others

This album was perfectly fine and pleasant to listen to…nothing to love or hate about it. I wasn’t crazy about Sweet Love back in the day, but hearing it again after all these years gave me a sense of nostalgia. It is a three star album for me.

Solid album for sultry soul.

I mean it was fine? Spotify had removed like 75 percent of the album though so I don't really feel like I listened to it lol

Complete

A solid soul album but compared to other albums on that list I don't see it standing out.

3.5/5

She has a beautiful voice, but nothing else was super special to me.

Weird that this album isn't on Spotify, but YouTube with the save again! I love the soul she brings to her music, and Sweet Love is a lovely classic. I like No One In The World too. Overall though, this kinda bored me as it went on, and there wasn't anything else that really grabbed me.

...

Nice one

Lækkert soulet album, catchy, måske lidt for skummet

normal

Solid R&B

I bought this album at the time, and the tracks Sweet Love and Rapture are still excellent examples of 80s soul. But the dry as dust production does her no favours, and on the whole it's an underwhelming listen. 2.5 but rounding up for the nostalgia.

To make a classic album, you cannot please everyone. I was not pleased. My tastes are for up-tempo stuff like metal and punk; this album simply was not made with me in mind and that's OK.

This is exactly what I needed on a chaotic Thursday morning. While this isn't anything that would have been playing in my home growing up as a kid, the sound is still very nostalgic. It's almost impossible to deny really good 80s Soulful R&B. Let the gentle waves wash over you, drawing you further out to sea on a peaceful Sunday afternoon.

While ultimately enjoyable, this is middle of the road 80's soul music that just happens to have a great voice over the top. It's pretty soulless and lifeless listening to it. If I asked an AI to create 80's soul music it would spit out this specific music bed.

Could only find partial album on Spotify

Not something I'd choose to listen to - a bit smooth. But she does have a great voice, and sometimes the slickness appeals

Good but a little inconsistent

Итс файн. Лучшая песня - Sweet Love.

6/10 I remember all of these songs. from where? don't know. Why? don't know. I don't hate it and its pleasant enough. 4-8-2025

No terminé de conectar

3.2 That was alright actually. Kind of thing I can imagine my mum loving. Extremely inoffensive. Most tracks erred on the side of dull, but there were a few I quite enjoyed, including the opener. Not my kind of music but glad I heard it.

OMG! This album doesn't appear on Spotify. But in the process of finding this out, I found an account called "1001 Album Club" . About: Friends make a pact to listen and discuss 1001 of the best albums in a basement tiki bar. Which sounds better than this album probably does. Rude of me, yes. Looks like I need to rate it in order to get my next album, so I'm going middle of the road.

Ist echt gut, empfehlenswert Genrerepräsentierend

One top hit, the rest was fairly forgotten.

Good 80s R&B

3 - Great voice, watch your step was really good. Other than that though, just felt a bit empty song writing wise. Voice does all the heavy lifting

80's soul pop / R&B. Not bad, but just kinda meh. Favorite songs: Mystery, Watch Your Step, Sweet Love, Been So Long Least favorite songs: Caught Up In the Rapture 3/5

Uh, okay.

Not all of this was available to me, but what was available was decent. She has a good voice, but the style isn't one I really care for. 3/5

This album provides a taste of what adding a little too much big-hall reverb glamour and glitter sound effects does to RnB. The tier of albums it belongs to is just like the frequency response of the ceiling speaker it's usually coming out of: only the mids. Sweet Love is a good song, but again, all I can think of is walking out of a shopping centre at 6pm after a tired post-work Tuesday grocery shop, when half the shops have turned their lights off and the cleaner has just stopped giving a fuck about leaving wet floor signs around. Been So Long is technically good but fails to grab me at any point. Overall, this album just left me bored of her voice, jumping around the frequency register for the sake of doing so. What it did leave was an awesome soundscape for 25+ years of Hip Hop Sampling. Good job Anita.

she can definitely sing, but this was boring kmart music and I don't like the 80's era of r&b/soul but mmm.hmm.h;hm.h..... you can see,,,,, her feet..............yes...........

I've really enjoyed all the new R&B and Soul I've been introduced to thus far. Has opened my eyes to two genres never realised I adored as much I do. This doesn't feel like that though. Less of a Serenade and more of a woman shouting in my ear. It wasn't bad though, I enjoyed the goofy Japanese ass production (Thank you Yamaha execs) and the opening track was quite stellar and gripping. Just didn't last, will quickly forget this one until I inevitably hear a track can't put my finger on where from and go listen to Super Sonic Racing instead. 6/10

I was only familiar with the first track on this album, Sweet Love, which transported me back to being 8 years old accompanying my mum to a routine, EXTREMELY LONG routine shopping trip to Spotlight for knitting gear or something. Some people say all reggae sounds the same, but I would argue that all R&B from the 80s sounds the same. I don't know if the lyrical content here is just less punchy than the R&B/Soul music that we've received before from artists like Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles or if it's the production and arrangement here really holds this back for me. Anita Baker is a very talented singer and there isn't anything necessarily wrong with this album but it's not for me. There are a couple of songs here that I would listen to again but the album as a whole isn't for me. If the sound was a little more over-the-top and really leaned into it like Casiopea does with a similar noise it would be better than the lowkey effort here. The songs can be a bit same-y and having the instrumentation be a bit more jazzy and outgoing really could have made this more enjoyable for me. This is better than the last album that had similar production that bothered me (Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby) because though both have very talented singers, Anita Baker also has taste and doesn't absolutely send it in every single song and that's why I'm giving it a 3. Highlights: Sweet Love, Been so Long

Anita Baker has a great voice. It's like gospel and R&B and jazz and a little cabaret. It's also a little boring. But you can definitely hear the influence she had on Mariah and Christina. They definitely stole a few things from Anita.

I knew Sweet Love was a popular song at the time, but I didn't know the album was in any way notable outside of that. Maybe it's here to give the list a bit more diversity? It's a fine sounding album though. It's got the 80s soul sound down and it doesn't stray much at all from that. Good for what it is. Favorite track: Sweet Love.

She's got a good voice, but didn't really do anything too memorable. It was pleasant but that's all. 3

Smoother than a freshly buttered banister. It didn’t sound as dated as I thought it would.

A lot like off-brand Sade. It sounds so authentically 80s that it actually serves as a time machine. And it is also quite annoying.

pleasant listenable 80s pop hits

The songs all sound great, but they also all sound pretty similar to one another.

jo men ganska trevligt men det blir lite same same

Nice voice, good sound, okay songs, although I have never heard of Anita before. Just overall positive album, just not really in my style.

Actually quite enjoyable. I can see why its so highly regarded.

Amazing voice with great control. But somehow this fails to make me really feel any emotion. It's like a soundtrack to a bad 80s romance movie. I can't really describe how it feels. Sterile? Uptight? Over produced? Probably would be better as a live album where they could allow the musicians and Anita loosen up.

Perfectly nice, smooth 80's r&b. It's just not for me.

Perfectly fine album but not my style

Quiet storm is typically way too smooth and mellow for my taste, but I'll give Anita a chance... Smooth. Mellow. Great music for other people. Doesn't feel particularly essential to the history of music, unless you're specifically talking about popular 80s music that wasn't new wave. Meh.

3.7

A good album, I liked Lead Me Into Love, Giving You The Best That I Got, Just Because and You Belong To Me the most.

MF DOOM with a real clean sample on that first track (and apparently at least one other one too). I love when an old soul album pops up and there's little easter eggs. Overall the album is fine though.

2.75

Sweet album.

Short and sweet but not really my vibe.

Good album. Nothing special though. Baker has an incredible voice.

This was quite nice, but it felt also dated and irrelevant to me.

This passed me by a bit! Sure she's a very good singer but these sort of Tina Turner ballads don't really do it for me. Totally fine

This was good fun but didn't blow my mind

Thanks to this album, I just learned about the term “Quiet Storm,” which blends smooth, sensual, and romantic elements from R&B, soul, and jazz to create an intimate, laid back vibe. While I can appreciate the concept, it’s not really my thing. I’m sure there are some gems in the genre, but I don’t feel the urge to dig deeper. That said, this wasn’t a bad album, and it had its moments, but nothing really stood out as memorable for me. It mostly feels like background music, the kind of thing that doesn’t demand much attention. Still, I can see why people are drawn to this style, even if it doesn’t quite connect with me.

Pretty good. Good enough to listen to twice

Fav: Same Ole Love (365 Days A Week) Least Fav: Watch Your Step Just standard soul tbh, nothing to really say - it’s just average

I enjoyed this album. This is not a genre I listen to often, but when I saw that Whitney Houston was a big fan of Anita’s I was definitely excited to listen. I always say how much I love short and well produced albums that are not bloated to pad out run time. And this is a great example of how short albums can make the experience better. If there was ten more song this album would be grading. But overall I really liked this album and while I won’t be able to listen to it on streaming, I enjoyed searching for it and finding it.

While not exactly my genre of preference or expertise, there is no denying the power and beauty of Anita Baker's vocal instrument. Oddly, unless I missed it Ms. Baker's "Rapture" is available for streaming on Apple Music but not Spotify...

I find it kind of funny how Anita Baker is from Ohio. I just would not expect sensual R&B to come out of… fucking Ohio. Anita, you’ve got a stellar voice, it’s just too bad you chose R&B. At least for me it is, i just can’t do this genre. It always sounds like a bit of a joke or something, like a skit? Maybe it’s the saxophone? I don’t know Anita, I am sorry you grew up in Ohio. No One in The World was pretty decent synth pop, that’s probably the best track bc you dropped sax McGee. It’s probably better than most R&B I suppose but this is overrated as fuck. 3 stars

Remember the hits and that’s about it.

Listening to this album i remember Anita Baker having the hits included and her distinctive and resonant voice.

Like most 1980s soul records I've heard, this is completely killed by the dated sound. The vocals are gorgeous. The songwriting is decent. The mood and emotion are there in Anita Baker's delivery. But everything else sounds plasticky smooth in the way only an overpolished record of the 1980s mainstream can manage. The sweet timbre of electric piano. The funk-lite bass. The cut-to-commercial saxophone. The clean and flat drum sound. Even the backup vocals are a little too sweet and saccharine. The whole sound design is verging on unbearable. I'm going to give it 3* because the songs themselves deserve so much better.

yeah this one really wasn't for me. anita baker has a nice enough voice but the incredibly dated production here comes off ass beyond cheesy and the strength of the songs is not there to make up for it. without the dated production, this album is a pretty middling one anyways. yeah, not really exciting and not really my thing.

Opener Sweet Love was amazing. Her voice is incredible and the track was very interesting musically. The rest of the record was more forgettable, the production wasn't my favourite and the songs were a bit too repetitive. I loved her voice but I probably won't revisit except for the opener. 3/3.5

A powerful voice with good music behind it.

Favourite song - been so long

I mean...this wasn't bad. I enjoyed the guitars in 'Caught in the Rapture', but for the most part, I wasn't really too musically captivated or emotionally moved.

Album not available on Spotify so I listened to the only Anita Baker album that was available - Christmas Fantasy. Nice vocals, enjoyed listening to it as I set up Christmas decor to get into the Christmas spirit.

3.6 liked it

Spotify had this as an incomplete album, not even listed in her discography. I enjoyed the 4 songs I got to hear ("Sweet Love", "You Bring Me Joy", "Caught Up In The Rapture", and "Same Ole Love (365 Days A Year)"), but it was a very 80s movie soundtrack vibe.

Not my usual. I recognise a couple of MF DOOM samples. I won't return to this, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would

It's fine. Like completely down the road generic fine. It's inoffensive and bland and very easy listening. That's about it.

The next time I find myself scanning the radio dial and come across the soft rock station, I'll know who sang "Sweet Love." She has a lovely voice, and this brings back those synthy mid-to-late 80s late night McDonalds dine-in vibes.

What a voice. It's great to listen to Anita Baker's runs and there's some pretty tasty bass playing too. It's a shame there's also quite a bit of filler on the album. Anita's voice is great but the songs themselves are just too samey. Standout track 'No One In The World'.

Pretty but each song felt long

Solid R&B jazzy feel to this. I enjoyed it. It didn't strike me so strongly that I would seek it out again.

A pleasant listen rather than an outstanding one. She does have a absolutely fabulous voice though & part of me can't help thinking it's capable of so much more than 'pleasant'.

Nice album but it didn’t stir anything inside me.

Anita Baker is a powerhouse! Her sexy, smoky vocals are a perfect fit for this sort of ultra-smooth R&B but when the songs reach their climax, she unleashes her voice and belts like no one else I've heard before. What a performer. She even does some nice scatting, like at the end of "Been So Long." I don’t seek out this style of music but it’s very well made here and Anita Baker is excellent, particularly on the first few songs.

"Sweet Love" is a wonderful clean R&B jam. I love the bass + drums, and her voice sits really nicely over the band. The song itself is super cool too, it's almost like a Seal song. At 00:44, the prechorus / chorus comes in and it's really magical. "Caught Up in the Rapture" is another delight of a song. Anita sounds like a confident and talented vocalist that controls her voice effortlessly. A really easy-to-enjoy record.

What shall I say about music that is absolutely not my style but has meticulous production, execution, well above average songwriting and an outstanding singer? Well, exactly that. Unfortunately, Soul rarely reaches mine, specifically this kind of Pop-Soul. So I give this one a technical judgement and will happily forget about it after half-way through

I enjoyed listening to this in a doctor's-waiting-room-in-the-late-80s sort of way. Like, when you have that appointment where it's not gonna be anything heavy. Maybe just a checkup. Not even a blood draw. It's sunny outside and once you're done with this the rest of your day is yours.

4/8 songs available on Spotify so can’t really give an entirely fair rating. The ones that were available were good though.

Nice voice, but the songs were quite boring and forgettable 3 ⭐️

# Album Name: Rapture # Artist: Anita Baker # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: The opening song - sweet love - is a cracker. Good song. Anita has a wonderful voice. Theres also some decent sounds on the album but overall it was a forgettable experience. It gets a low 3 for me. # Top Tunes: Sweet love # Would I listen to it again? No. Only Sweet love.

Pretty decent soul

01) Sweet Love - 7,0 02) You Bring Me Joy - 6,5 03) Caught Up in the Rapture - 6,5 04) Been So Long - 6,5 05) Mystery - 6,0 06) No One in the World - 6,0 07) Same Ole Love (365 Days a Year) - 6,5 08) Watch Your Step - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,44 (64/100) Current ranking: 266/348 This is how the rainy afternoon in autumn 1986 had to sound like. Anita has a great voice, but the songs are very monotonous...

NOT ON SPOTIFY

Her voice is worth 3 stars even if I don't enjoy the music much. 3 stars or C.

It is fine. Kind of forgettable, but she has a good voice. Someone else mentioned Whitney Houston and I got curious, apparently she didn't make the list which feels really weird. I don't know enough about her, but maybe she was more of a singles person, or maybe she got snubbed IDK. I think the fact that I talked 5x more about Whitney Houston than this album shows how unremarkable this album is. low 3.

Sweet Love is great. Lots of powerful ballads on here.

This album was fine, but as someone not into R&B, I cannot find anything I truly like about it. It's not bad music by any means, but it just isn't something I can get into. I feel like giving it less than 3 stars is not fair, as I was never annoyed by it, but I'd probably give it 2.5 stars if I could.

This was alright. A lot of the songs sounded the same, but Anita Baker’s voice is fantastic, and there’s no denying that. I understand why this is on the list, but personally it was just okay.

It was fine, nothing stood out to me.

Great voice, but the album comes off a little bland / basic for its time. Still a nice listen though :) Favorite track: Been so Long

helviti þreytt þetta

Good vocalist. Just not my cup of tea.

ganz ok aba nit so mei mukke

Anita Baker has a very strong vocal performance, with high quality mid-1980s production, but it feels electronic and sterile. Nothing to hate, but the quiet storm isn’t for me (it’s only for the grown and sexy people). 3⭐️

It sounds like Whitney Houston's less talented cousin

First couple songs I've hear in a remixed form in a completely different genre (jungle iirc) so that was a nice surprise. Beautiful voice, but not enough to woo me.

I wish this whole thing was on Spotify. I really like Sweet Love. Makes me happy. She has a beautiful rich voice. This album put me in a good mood and was not a chore to listen to at all, even if it might not be a regular go-to.

Lovely voice, very pretty songs. Makes me think of people in nice clothes and high heels drinking wine in high-end kitchens. This kind of music is as unconnected to my life as are country songs about trucks.

3-4

Pretty good, but just doesn't feel special

Beautiful voice

Lovely voice

Real enjoyable funky soul Good 68/100

Ok

Can’t find much remarkable about this record for it to merit its place among the 1001. Anita’s voice is wonderful and there is hint of soul grandeur in the songs but the production fights very hard to sterilize it and you really have to struggle to see anything special in this assortment of songs. To me the only thing going for is that it’s short - 36 mins - but that alone is not going to make me seek it out to play it ever again.

Precies van je van een plaatje uit 1986 verwacht. Je hoort een vrouw in plaats van een man. Dat is het wel. Ik had best zonder dit schijfje gekund... 2,5 ster.

Quiet storm, ik had er nog nooit van gehoord, maar het is blijkbaar een heel genre op zich. Het is wel iets herkenbaars, een soort powerballad-achtige R&B-soul uit de jaren 80. Bombastische arrangementen bestaande uit oa piano, drumcomputers, saxofoon en een zangeres die op standje burenruzie staat te schreeuwen. Nou, gooi daar een album vol mee en je hebt Rapture van Anita Bakker, waar we in NL nog nooit van hebben gehoord. En daar missen we verder weinig aan, want er is genoeg van dit soort muziek overgewaaid destijds. Het is allemaal niet slecht hoor, ze kan goed zingen en de basloopjes kan ik altijd wel van genieten. Maar het is wel typisch jaren '80 en daarmee inmiddels behoorlijk gedateerd. Ach, het stoort me verder niet, vergeetbare 3.

Lovely voice, but not really my favorite music.

I've heard many songs from this era that sound exactly the same. This album is no exception. There's nothing wrong with it, I like it. Baker does a good job here. I think this album is decent. 3 stars for "Rapture".

Sounded nice but I couldn’t get into it

Despite her beautiful voice, it feels as if I've already heard these songs, that how basic they are. They sound the same as all the other 80s soul songs. Favorite: Same Ole Love

Enjoyable 80's jazzy love songs with nice vocals

Some sections veer dangerously close to department store soundtrack territory, but under the right circumstances, a little Anita could definitely set this party off right.

Listened to this during golden hour driving down King. Kinda smacked

3.5

Correcto

Alright, but nothing that really stood out to me

Sweet Love is a good opener, but the rest of the album is an excellent cure for insomnia

Ahh it was alright. Simpsons: No

I enjoyed Sweet Love, but the album as a whole didn't give me joy

Spotify doesn't have the full album. Nice, sweet. Not really my genre but it's good.

Pleasant! And she has a great voice.

Sounds like 80s R&B. The instrumentation doesn't age well but the songs and vocal performances are solid.

Oikein kelpo r'n'b-levy!

Some really good vocals but lack of variety in the songs

I love the 80's smooth lovers vibe. I remember one hit and could easily put this one at a dinner party I'm hosting with a collections of friends and a special lady I have my eye on.

This one's alright. This album is weirdly balanced in terms of things I have to praise and things I have to complain about. As far as praise goes, I like Anita Baker's singing. She's good at it, and the vibes this album is going for fit the singing quite well. The sound is also pleasant to listen to. The writing is also solid. As for my complaints, it mainly boils down to this album not standing out much and feeling repetitive. With the "not standing out" point, I feel that this album just kind of exists. Nothing really stands out to me that much. Even the things I praised are things you can experience in better albums. As for the repetition complaint, yeah it's kind of undeniable. This is a very repetitive album. However, it's not the worst repetitive album I've ever heard. Don't get me wrong, I still feel like all of these songs were practically written to be the same both musically and lyrically. However, when the one song that they all feel like is pretty good, you can't really complain too much about the album. Overall, this is a fine album, just not one I feel like revisiting ever again. 3/5.

Nice voice

Three 7/10 albums in a row, wonder if we'll keep the streak alive? I know Anita Baker in name, but I'm not really familiar with her music. Case in point, I just had to look up if she made "Killing Me Softly with His Song," but no, that was Roberta Flack. Anyway, this album is cool. She's got a killer voice, and the sounds on here a nice cruise through Adult Contemporary Nation. As usual, a few that I really enjoyed; not enough on an album scale for me to call this "great," but it's smooth sailing. Favorite tracks: Same Ole Love (awesome song), Sweet Love, Been So Long. Album art: Anita chilling on the floor. Actually, she looks pained, maybe not so chill after all. Is she missing someone? Perhaps a baker? Is that the meaning behind her name? I should be PUNished for that one. Cool portrait shot though, great mood setter. 3.5/5

Polished sultry ballads, perfect for a 1980s movie soundtrack, without falling into the sax solo stereotype.

Sounds like when the lights went down in the roller rink and the disco ball started spinning. Beautiful voice and delivery but ultimately impactless. Not a bad album, at all, just not something you must hear.

I mean, I’m not sure this is a ” must listen to” album, but her voice is so rich and smooth, it certainly is an easy listen. Late night cognac vibe start to finish. If you’re with the right person it will take you to a lovely place.

3.5

Interesting, although I think the project does not contain any huge and unforgettable moments or tunes in it…

Buen disco de pop, tiene hitazo

Good Soulmusic….5/10

Decent and has held up well

She has a good voice, but other than that this doesn’t really have much to offer.

Sometimes soul, rithmyn & blus and 80' are difficult!

Overall enjoyed.

Omg sweet love wow !!!! Stunning gorgeous angelic voice This made me feel like I was in an 80s romcom

I almost like Been So Long, Mystery, No One in the World

That's not my taste in musik. But ok.

She can sing! Doesn’t make the songwriting better. 2.5/5

V soulful, smooth and beautiful voice. Not my typical go-to but I enjoyed this enough. Better for background music for me. I think some of the songs are longer than they need to be and I don’t love the production.

It’s a classic, consistent album though it’s only 4 songs. “Sweet Love” is the biggest hit and it’s still such a great song.

It's not really my jam but side 2 had some jams so it's alright.

An easy listen if not made difficult due to Spotify incompleteness. None of the songs made a lasting impact but I wasn't waiting for them to be over.

smooth as silk...

I enjoyed her vocals. The album had a very soft, relaxed feel which I liked. Unfortunately I was interrupted by ads throughout the entirety of the album since it is not on Spotify.

You cannot deny Sweet Love. Hell, MF DOOM turned it into an all time classic sample. The rest of the album is a series of great 2 minute pop soul songs which regrettably last 5 minutes.

Flott rödd, ágætur flutningur, lítið eftirminnileg lög við fyrstu hlustun, og svakaleg níunda tugar production, sem eldist ekki vel. Tæpur þristur.

Anita is a true artist food sure. This just isn’t my jam in this particular album.

Good smooth R&B

Hey Maxi Jazz sung about her! I'll have to finish listening tomorrow. Very 80s that's for sure. Reminds me of Whitney Houston or something. There's only 4 tracks on this album that I can listen to on Spotify. It was alright. I'll give it a 3

Banger, tror jeg

Loin d'être un mauvais album, mais ça sonne tellement trop de son époque. On dirait que ça sort d'une capsule de temps. Ce n'est pas du mauvais rnb/soul, mais ça sonne tellement trop "comme ça doit sonner". 6/10

First song really stand out on what's an otherwise okay album of romantic songs.

When I was younger and this came out I wondered what adult contemporary would sound like when I was an adult. Guess it doesn't really exist anymore, but now that I'm an adult I get the appeal. Very middle of the road

Haven’t heard this album in years. Still an amazing voice.

Smooth R&B. This was a nice pleasant album; not a great one.

I've known about the legend of Anita Baker ever sense a kind old ladies eye lit up when she was mentioned in one of my college music classes: "Sweet Anita!" she replied back. She was right, idk what took me so long. Rapture is short and sweet Anita Baker Best Song: Caught Up in the Rapture Worst Song: N/A

언니... you're gold

Sexy and smooth

First one is an absolute banger. The album is generally very enjoyable but not too sure how often I’ll listen again

of its time, enjoyed some of it, some a bit meh

Baker's voice, which is very "full" (particularly in the lower register), has an almost Cher-like quality to it. Coupled with the cliched heavy piano chords and light drumbeat, the album has an aggressively 80s feel. The opening track ("Sweet Love") is very catchy, and an easy playlist-padder. It's pretty infectious. The following tracks, "You Bring Me Joy" and "Caught Up in the Rapture", are also strong. The song "Mystery" almost reads like a slow disco song, with its outspoken electric keyboards, wiggly bassline, and call-and-response backing vocals. "No One in the World" is similar, but commits the sin of distracting the ear with too many incongruous elements (possibly a failed attempt at emulating MJ). The track "Been so Long" is a slight stinker, mainly for the vocals being nonsensical and lacking any kind of hook. Same Ole Love is almost good, although the use of lyrics with any number greater than 100 is always risky because it often just sounds clunky. Also, the phrase "365 Days a Week" is part of the song's title, but the word "week" doesn't appear anywhere in the lyrics. Strange. I'm a sucker for iv-I chord changes, and the final track, "Watch Your Step", is drenched with them. (The entirety of every verse is just those two chords.) Not too much else stands out, except for the "you fall and hurt yourself one day" hook performed by gospel-esque backing vocals, and the cool sax solo. I'm very surprised this track has the least listens on the album, because it clears all the other tracks except "Sweet Love". Still, the inconsistency of quality means this album gets 3 stars from me. A high 3 stars, but 3 stars nonetheless.

Blues

This 80’s production… oof. Still, pretty nice sounding album. Boring though.

I liked it more than I expected to, but I will never seek it out again.

Liked this, I liked the dated sounding 80s production, it reminded me of the video game Shenmue.

A time capsule of 80s smooth r&b

Good enough to listen to.

Clearly couldn’t go less than three stars—can sing, what pipes, etc.—but honestly it didn’t put me in sexy time mood, which was really what I was going for.

Anita is talented, but the production of this album doesn't help. For example, "Caught Up in the Rapture" has too much cheesy synth and drum machine. I understand that Anita's voice is the main instrument, but her supporting cast sounds like the weak part of '80s pop/R&B. Plus, this is just too much modern R&B, where the desire to wow with loud vocals and melisma (which I like to call warbling). The reviews at the time were so-so, and I think some of the retrospective reviews rely too much on the popularity of the album vs. it's actual merit. I think this probably deserves 2 stars but given it's history in R&B and Anita's talent, I'll bump it up to a 3.

The vocals are impeccable. The production is lush. And yet on the face of it, Anita Baker’s “Rapture” is a fairly mediocre 1980’s pop record: nothing particularly leaping out, no jaw-dropping surprises, no unforgettable ear-worms. It’s Baker’s story, though, which makes her hard not to root for: a struggling waitress, dropped from her first band at the close of the ‘70’s, later giving the music industry one more go and striking gold with “Rapture”. It’s every underdog’s dream scenario, played out here with often stunning control and passion. Instrumentally, “Rapture” marks the calm before the quiet-storm boom of the mid to late ‘90’s: these songs seem as though they could have fit in anywhere from ten to fifteen years later. While the sweeping synths and twinkling electronic keyboards became a little grating, I still enjoyed the broody, quivering basslines of “Been so Long” and “Mystery”, alongside some tasteful palm-muted guitar. But the best contribution of all comes from the soulful backing vocals: listen for them sweeping in during the coda of “Same Ole Love (365 Days a Week)”, or the chorus of the magnificent “Watch Your Step”. They prevent “Rapture” from being all quiet-storm until we fall asleep, rousing the rabble at the eleventh hour. Elsewhere, though, the album seems content to frame everything around Baker’s performance without reaching for glory anywhere else. “Sweet Love”, the lead single, has what could be a soaring hook, but ends up stifled a little by a plodding rhythm and corny electric piano. The ballads like “You Bring Me Joy” are well performed, but syrupy enough to slow proceedings down a little too much. Perhaps, though, these moments just aren’t for me: the commercial and critical performance of “Rapture” attests to the underdog’s dream, as it reached 11 in the Billboard charts and won 2 Grammy awards. Ultimately, these hits may sound modest and unassuming, but they were hits nonetheless. Elegant; classy; vintage… it secured Anita Baker’s legacy for many years to come.

красивое

соул в целом не для меня, но если остановиться и сконцентрироваться, проникновенно

Not a bad album. Very 80's. Probably not anything I will be coming back to.

Very pleasant.

Very nice, very smooth, I also don't know why I would listen to this over the 1 million other artists in this genre. I would like this if it showed up in a playlist of mine but wouldn't seek it out. 6/10

Very nice voice with music that’s trapped in the 80s. This is a dated album that sounds of its time. Doesn’t mean it’s not good just kind of left in the past. This is the 80s music that just didn’t make it to the modern age. 5/10

Música elegante para momentos de ocio

Had not listened to this album for quite some time. A very smooth 80s soul/r&b megaseller and easy to listen to once and a while.

I can't deny this is pretty and well executed.

80’s r&b by a talented voice. nothing too special, but a decent album.

I remember some of this. For what it is, it’s pretty darn good.

Nice album. I like this kind of soul although I‘m not often in the mood to listen to it

Lovely soul voice, but dated 1986 style of music.

favourite song: sweet love undeniably fantastic singer just not the biggest fan of the songs themselves

First two singles didn't really stand out but enjoying the soulful basslines and keys on tracks like Been so Long. Mystery is a highlight - atmospheric and catchy - and No One in the World.

Anita has a beautiful and multifaceted voice, but the boring, elevator music style production really holds this album back. I listened with my mom and she liked every other song. Some choruses slapped and some were dull. They really blended together, but it is a vibe if you’re in the mood for it. 3/5

Plenty of nice songs in here sung well. It's not something I'm massively into in general, but it's easy listening.

It's fine. Just classic R&B love songs with a female vocalist. Not what I would choose to listen to, but otherwise unobjectionable.

Canta muy bien. Un disco agradable.

It is an album my mother would like. Slow, easy listening. If that is what you like, then it is a good one.

Great voice. Very 80s. Pop-soul with those synth keys. The choir is a nice touch, but could have been perfected a bit more.

Easy going soul music, okay for background.

Good singer but boring songs that don't really work for her style.

It was nice!! None of the songs really stood out but I liked it more than the previous two

A little too produced for my taste. But I hear the quality.

Great singer. All the songs sound very similair

# Anita Baker, Rapture Released 1986 2-3* just too jazzy/swoony/disco for me. But I will gladly admit that Anita's vocals are top notch and that bass on Same Ole Love is fantastic. ## "Sweet Love" Anita Baker, Louis A. Johnson, Gary Bias 4:26 3* I remember this jam on the radio and it wasn't my favorite at the time. But yeah, the chorus gets you going. ## "You Bring Me Joy" David Lasley 4:24 2* Just too smooth and jazzy for me. ## "Caught Up in the Rapture" Garry Glenn, Dianne Quander 5:17 2* Just too slow for my taste. ## "Been So Long" Baker 5:07 2* Man she's got an incredible voice. The scatting is top notch. Just not my style of music. ## "Mystery" Rod Temperton 4:56 2* Great voice, too jazzy/swoony for me. ## "No One in the World" (Produced by Marti Sharron and Gary Skardina) Ken Hirsch, Marti Sharron 4:10 2* Just sooooo jazzy/swoony. Not my style. ## "Same Ole Love (365 Days a Year)" Marilyn McLeod, Darryl K. Roberts 4:05 3* Probably my second favorite song on the album after Sweet Love. That bass is awesome! Great slapping by Freddie Washington. ## "Watch Your Step" Baker 4:54 3* Great voice, too jazzy for me.

Good music for a romantic coffee shop scene, alas I'm here sitting on my ass trying to figure out why my code isn't fucking working. Still really enjoyable. Has that "rainy friday evening" atmosphere that I dig. Makes me want to light a cigarette and lean against a sign post while a raspy-voiced Englishman narrates my inner thoughts.

Was only able to listen to half of the album because Spotify doesn't have it. Thought it was fine. Anita has some great performances, but the songwriting seemed a little lacking

Her voice is beautiful and insane, but the music itself didn’t feel like anything special, if anything maybe stuck in the 80s in a way that doesn’t transcend the cliches of the decade. I’m also not a fan of smooth jazz and the parts that felt like smooth jazz were only resuscitated by Anita’s vocals.

Sweet Love is a banger and it was nice to be reminded of it. Beyond that nothing else really grabbed me, but it was an enjoyable listen and there's no denying that voice.

If you didn't tell me that this album was from the 1980s then it wouldn't have mattered because I would have guessed it. From the diva-like vocals to the large arrangements, Anita Baker tries to embody what we know today of the powerhouse female artists - keyword being tries. Every time I thought she was going to really wow me, it fell short. Best: Sweet Love Worst: Watch Your Step

I'm a child walking around the mall in 1986 with my mother and I'm happy.

Knew some songs, this is a weird feeling of a soul into easy listening which I think it was on the edge of. Not my favourite album I've ever heard but it's worth a listen.

Undeniably she gas a great voice. Solid album to slow dance with someone. The instrument choices aren't my style.

Powerful voice but think I would prefere to listen to other artists doing a similar style

Nice

Anita is packing some killer pipes! Although this really isn’t the kind of thing I go for, I respect the talent. It’s a mellow listen, but worthy.

Kind of cool, interesting voice but a lot of it felt pretty generic to me. Rapture song was kind of groovy. A lot of it felt like gospel. Ultimately not worth the effort of listening on YouTube.

Finally got around to this. There are some cool moments but the songs really all blend together. Her voice is super cool though.

Not bad

I remember well when this came out. Beautiful voice, but sounds dated now.

I didn't sit and listen to the story my full attention but it made really great backround music

Soi kyllä kauniisti. Rahoittava ja tunnelmallinen kokonaisuus joka painuu osittain kutumusan puolelle.

Bisschen beliebig. Trotzdem mittige drei Sterne.

She does a lovely job and has a gorgeous voice but this level of romance has never really done much for me. Can't fault the album, it's just a personal preference. Gonna give it 3/5 stars tho.

No disrespect towards this album for me but I think it's a one and done. Nothing really enraptured me, it was all pretty good sweet songs but except for very specific circumstances I can't see myself throwing this album on again. She's a great singer though, definitely pleasant to listen to but nothing that had me going ~ooh okay~.

Beautiful voice and some good songs in there but didn't really move me

This is far from terrible but I don't really get it's placement on the list. The songs are all 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 but apart from Mystery there wasn't another song that I thought was great.

Not on Spotify as a full album, so listened to what I could. Wonderful, soulful singing

A couple of lovely tracks, otherwise quite run of the mill. 3*

I really have enjoyed this album, soothing to listen to

For the most part it was ok. As soon as I heard the opening song I was like, "Oh yeah, I remember this song." But a lot of the other songs? Yeah, not so much. People mock some of the lyrics of the prog rock I listen to, but the lyrics to "Mystery" were as bad as I anything I've listened to. Some of the songs do really showcase Anita's ability, but the songs are pretty standard R&B fare. I was expecting more from this.

Now come one. Anita Baker gets an album on the 1,001 list and Whitney Houston gets zero? That's ridiculous. No doubt Baker can sing but there's only one Whitney. And this album has just as much 80's radio-friendly schlock as any Whitney album. Rant over, let's focus on Baker's album. Her voice is fantastic, the soft rock/pop/jazz accompaniment is cringeworthy. I don't know enough to say whether this album is a pioneer of the quiet storm R&B genre or just a well-polished example of it at its height. Yep, I'm putting this album on when it's throwback or guilty pleasure night. But otherwise? I'm not so sure.

Short and sweet

Soul. Ni fu ni fa.

Canta muy bien. Un disco agradable.

Great voice. I didn’t care much for the backing music.

this is pleasant, but no idea why its on list. and why not on Spotify? Maybe its a rogan thing.

Не поклонник соул,но этот альбом цепляет!

Nice bit of 80’s soul

Liked it but not quite enough to buy it.

She has a good voice. It's not my type of music. you bring me joy

Decently enjoyable R&B album, nothing too special. FS: Sweet Love, Been so Long

3.5

Solid, nice voice. A little uninspiring in places though.

Not bad

Don't get me wrong, beautiful voice, but I kept getting JCPenny vibes. Like if the store my grandma shops at had a gospel choir every now and then. Not in a bad way though, this girl can sing better than most! Just hard to vibe to on the regular.

Yeah this is a pretty decent soul album with some well-known singles but I’m only ~ 140 albums into this project and I’ve already heard more moving examples of 80s soul

the first song (sweet love) set my expectations wayy too high, the rest of the album just felt boring after that song. the bass lines were super groovy and carried every song

Great production, slightly bland songwriting though.

Great voice, but not my thing.

Typical 80's affair. Great voice. reminded me of glass and shiny surfaces in generic nightclubs called Ritzys or Champs.

Great voice

Spotify just removed this album unfortunately, but I was able to listen to about half the songs before it disappeared. Nice, easy listening. Not really my thing, but I definitely appreciate her voice.

Tuommoista ihan menevää rnb poppia

Stolen from another reviewer "feels by the numbers but those numbers are so much bigger than normal". She has a great smooth voice and I enjoyed listening, it does blend into the background however. 3.4

Belle voix, écoute agréable

Her voice is soooo smooth. This is on the better side of 3, but still not something I'd likely revisit anytime soon.

Soulful singer. The pieces have interesting melodies, but the synth and 80's feeling funk seem a bit dated. Overall, it has some interest but doesn't fully pull me in and engage.

Only able to listen to some of the songs on this due to Spotify licensing but I got the gist. Pretty good but nothing stood out.

Very good, although not very exciting to me. She's a great singer though, and following in a grand tradition of soul/disco crossover.

Her vocals are fantastic, but the style of songs isn’t really something I’m drawn to.

This isn't really my type of music, but it was pretty good for what it was