Boyz II Men almost passed on 'I'll Make Love to You': 'We didn't want to do it'

On July 26, 1994, Boyz II Men released "I'll Make Love to You," the lead single off their second album, II. The emotional ballad, written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, quickly became a hit, holding the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks, tying the record set by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" in 1992. Twenty-five years later, "I'll Make Love to You" remains one of the group's best-known (and most beloved) songs. And yet, back in the early '90s, they almost passed on recording it.

"The funny part is that we felt like it sounded too much like 'End of the Road,'" Stockman says, referencing the group's 1992 smash. "We didn't want to do it." As young artists, they were hoping to try something different, even though they liked the song. Thankfully, they were "somewhat forced" to record it, Stockman recalls. "We didn't understand how much of an impact the song was going to have," he says, adding with a laugh, "That's youth."

Now, Stockman has a message for one of the group's "staples," as he calls it. "Happy anniversary, 'I'll Make Love to You,'" he says. "You knew something that we didn't! We appreciate that you came to us and allowed us to sing you."

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