Don't Leave Me (Blackstreet song)

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"Don't Leave Me"
Single by Blackstreet
from the album Another Level
ReleasedFebruary 18, 1997 (1997-02-18)
Genre
Length5:20
LabelInterscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Blackstreet singles chronology
"Get Me Home"
(1996) 		"Don't Leave Me"
(1997) 		"Fix"
(1997)
Music video
"Don't Leave Me" on YouTube

"Don't Leave Me" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet, produced by Teddy Riley and released in February 1997 as the third single from their second album, Another Level (1996). It contains a sample of the DeBarge song "A Dream", also used in "I Ain't Mad at Cha" by Tupac Shakur.[citation needed] "Don't Leave Me" features Eric Williams, Mark Middleton, and Chauncey Hannibal on lead vocals. It topped the New Zealand Singles Chart for two weeks in May 1997 and reached No. 6 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the song peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.

Critical reception[edit]

Pan-European magazine Music & Media noted that after the success of "No Diggity", "Riley & Co. switch to ballad mode with this well constructed song, which has already met with approval across Europe." Stephan Hampe, head of music at RSH, a CHR network covering northern Germany commented, "I think this is going to break Blackstreet in a big way in Germany, because it is the kind of great song that really stands out". He added, "while No Diggity received a warm welcome too, it remained largely confined to the quarters traditionally inhabited by the R&B fraternity over here. This record however, has the potential to appeal to a much broader audience, so we put in powerplay rotation (32 plays a week) because we want to familiarize our audience quickly with this song."[1]

David Finlan from Experience said that the song "is slightly depressing, because it is about a man trying to keep his girlfriend from breaking up with him. This song hits home because everybody has been through a breakup and as we all know, they are not fun."[2] Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times noted "the fantastic four-part harmony interplay" on "Don't Leave Me".[3] A reviewer from People Magazine stated that Blackstreet "pours on the heartache and late-night yearning".[4] David Fricke from Rolling Stone felt "the turn-ons" in songs like "Don't Leave Me", "are as banal as the titles suggest."[5] James L. Brown from USC Today described it as "a slow bump and grind ballad".[6]

Chart performance[edit]

The song did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 or the Hot R&B Singles chart due to Billboard rules at the time preventing songs not released as physical singles from charting. However, the song peaked on the Hot 100 Airplay and Hot R&B Airplay charts at No. 12 and No. 1, respectively.[7][8] Internationally, it went to No. 1 in New Zealand and No. 6 in the United Kingdom.[9][10] In the former country, it stayed at No. 1 for two weeks in May 1997 and earned a Gold sales certification from Recorded Music NZ,[11] finishing the year as the 12th-most-successful single.[12]

Music video[edit]

The official music video for the song was directed by Michael Martin.[13]

Track listings[edit]

UK CD single[14]
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Leave Me" (radio edit)4:24
2."Don't Leave Me" (album version)5:10
3."No Diggity" (Das Diggity radio)4:25
4."No Diggity" (Teddy Riley Jungle Remix)8:03
UK 12-inch single[15]
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Leave Me" (album version)5:10
2."No Diggity" (Das Diggity radio)4:25
3."No Diggity" (Teddy Riley jungle mix)8:03
4."No Diggity" (BJ Das radio)4:20
UK cassette single[16]
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Leave Me" (radio edit)4:24
2."No Diggity" (Das Diggity radio)4:25
European CD single[17]
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Leave Me" (radio edit)4:22
2."No Diggity" (Teddy Riley jungle mix)8:02

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[11] Gold 5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Silver 200,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States February 18, 1997 (1997-02-18) Rhythmic contemporary radio Interscope [40]
United Kingdom April 14, 1997 (1997-04-14)
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [41]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Airborne" (PDF). Music & Media. May 3, 1997. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  2. ^ Finlan, David (October 18, 1996). "Blackstreef sings rhythm and blues". Experience. p. 3. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  3. ^ "Riley's masterpieces". New Straits Times. May 20, 1999. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  4. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Another Level". People. November 11, 1996. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  5. ^ Fricke, David (December 26, 1996-January 9, 1997). "The year in recordings". Rolling Stone. Issue 750/751.
  6. ^ Brown, James L. (April 23, 1997). "Blackstreet brings soul back to the R&B sound". USC Today. p. 10. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Blackstreet Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Blackstreet Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Blackstreet – Don't Leave Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  11. ^ a b "New Zealand single certifications – Blackstreet – Don't Leave Me". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  12. ^ a b "End of Year Charts 1997". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  13. ^ ""Don't Leave Me" by Blackstreet | Music Video | VH1.com". VH1. Viacom International. August 15, 2006. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  14. ^ Don't Leave Me (UK CD single liner notes). Blackstreet. Interscope Records. 1997. IND 95534.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ Don't Leave Me (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Blackstreet. Interscope Records. 1997. INT 95534.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ Don't Leave Me (UK cassette single sleeve). Blackstreet. Interscope Records. 1997. INC 95534.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ Don't Leave Me (European CD single liner notes). Blackstreet. Interscope Records. 1997. IND 97515.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ "Blackstreet – Don't Leave Me" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  19. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 3297." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  20. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 20. May 17, 1997. p. 11. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  21. ^ "Blackstreet – Don't Leave Me" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  22. ^ "Blackstreet – Don't Leave Me" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  23. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 217 Vikuna 17.4. '97 – 23.4. '97)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). April 18, 1997. p. 16. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  24. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Don't Leave Me". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  25. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 18, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  26. ^ "Blackstreet – Don't Leave Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  27. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  28. ^ "Blackstreet – Don't Leave Me". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  29. ^ "Blackstreet – Don't Leave Me". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  30. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  31. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  32. ^ "Blackstreet Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  33. ^ "Blackstreet Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  34. ^ "Rapports Annuels 1997" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  35. ^ "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 1997" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  36. ^ "Romanian Top 100: Top of the Year 1997" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on September 22, 2005.
  37. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1997". Music Week. January 17, 1998. p. 27.
  38. ^ "Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1997" (in Polish). Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  39. ^ "British single certifications – Blackstreet – Don't Leave Me". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  40. ^ "New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1184. February 14, 1997. p. 71. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  41. ^ "New Releases" (PDF). Music Week. April 12, 1997. p. 41. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
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