THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

694-Bobby Brown-Two Can Play That Game. (K Klassic mix)

1994-Number 38 single. When it was re-issued in 1995 it peaked at Number 3.

Best Bit-At 1.01. Bobby Brown is no stranger to games, especially dangerous ones.

Bobby Brown was born Robert Barisford Brown, on February 5th, 1969, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. He was a child star, having been an original member of the American ‘R&B/Pop’ group New Edition (see also best songs 236) at the age of 12. In 1986 Brown mutually parted company with New Edition, and launched what would become a very successful solo career. He has since performed and recorded with New Edition on several occasions. Like many child stars, Bobby Brown has had a very troubled life, and has suffered with drug addiction, and alcoholism. He has had many legal issues since 1989, leading to his imprisonment on four occasions, for driving under the influence, and owing $63,000 in back child support. In 1992 Brown married the American singer Whitney Houston, (1963-2012) (see also best songs 704) and they had one child together, Bobbi Kristina Brown (1993-2015.) Throughout their marriage, there were rumours of infidelity on Brown’s part, as well as alcohol, and drug abuse, and domestic violence. In 2005, the couple participated in the reality television show ‘Being Bobby Brown,’ which gave a picture of their lives behind the scenes, the couple divorced in 2007.

The solo discography of Bobby Brown, who has sold in excess of 50 million records worldwide, includes five studio Albums released between 1986-2012, and 24 singles issued between 1986-2018, he has also appeared as a featured artist on a further six singles, and there are also six official compilation Albums available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, nine of his tracks have made the top 40, with ‘My Prerogative’ reaching Number 1 in 1988, he has also had a further three hits as a featured artist, with ‘She Ain’t Worth It,’ by Glenn Medeiros featuring Bobby Brown, making Number 1 in 1990. In America ‘Two Can Play That Game’ has never charted. In the UK, as the lead artist, 14 of his singles have reached the top 40, with ‘Two Can Play That Game (K Klassic mix’) peaking the highest at Number 3. He has also charted as the featured artist on three occasions, with ‘She Ain’t Worth It,’ peaking the highest at Number 12.

‘Two Can Play That Game’ was co-written by Teddy Riley, (see also best songs 236 and 48) Bernard Belle, (1964-2022) David ‘Redhead’ Guppy, and Bobby Brown, with the production being by Riley. The original version of ‘Two Can Play That Game’ is significantly different from the ‘K Klassic’ mix, and was never issued as a single, but appeared on Bobby Browns’s third studio Album ‘Bobby,’ from August 1992. In it’s original form ‘Two Can Play That Game’ can be filed in the ‘New Jack Swing’ musical genre. ‘New Jack Swing’ is a fusion of ‘Hip-Hop,’ ‘Dance/Pop,’ and contemporary ‘R&B,’ which was at it’s commercial peak in the late 1980’s, to the early 1990’s.

The version of ‘Two Can Play That Game’ that I have chosen is the 1994 remix of the track by ‘K-Klass,’ which reached Number 38 in the UK when first released in June 1994. The song was re-issued in 1995 in order to promote Bobby Brown’s remix Album also called ‘Two Can Play That Game,’ and this time the song would reach Number 3 in the UK. ‘K-Klass’ are a British Electronic Music group from Wrexham, in Wales, and Chester, in England, the four members who made up ‘K-Klass’ at that time were Andy Williams, Carl Thomas, Russ Morgan and Paul Roberts. ‘K-Klass’ were formed in 1988, and at the time of writing they remain active as a trio of Morgan, Roberts, and Bobbi Depasois. In the mid 1990’s ‘K-Klass’ were one of the main go to production remixers, working on tracks for artists of the calibre of Blondie, and Janet Jackson, as well as being successful recording artists in their own right. They have released three Albums between 1993-2017, and 16 singles between 1990-2005, with five of those singles reaching the UK top 40, with ‘Rhythm Is a Mystery,’ peaking the highest at Number 3 in 1991. The ‘K-Klass’ remix of ‘Two Can Play That Game’ is filed under the musical genre of ‘House Music.’

‘Two Can Play That Game’ is a song about a guy whose girlfriend starts to act differently towards him. He suspects that she might be considering leaving him, and tells her to think about it before making a decision, because he knows that he can also play her at the same game, and find a new partner if he wishes. The crux is, ‘two can play that game,’ meaning, if his partner can do something, so can he.

‘Lately you’ve been acting mighty strange, to me it seems your attitude has changed. And suddenly you just don’t seem the same, instead of playing all those silly games.’