"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. "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

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

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

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

Track listings

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

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified 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

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

References

  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. 1 2 "Blackstreet Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  8. 1 2 "Blackstreet Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Blackstreet – Don't Leave Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  10. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  11. 1 2 "New Zealand single certifications – Blackstreet – Don't Leave Me". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  12. 1 2 "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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