This is only one small fragment of a long list of what I see as the best rock, pop, and folk music of my time. Remember, it’s subjective, Jake! Feel free to mention your favorites that you don’t see here, though unless I’ve missed something, I’m unlikely to supplement what’s below, which came from decades of listening.
This list, containing songs that all came out when I was around my teens, is why I say that I lived through the best era of rock music in history. (Remember, this is only one out of ten pages.)
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted Jimmy Ruffin
Ooo Baby Baby Smokey Robinson
More Love Smokey Robinson
Since I Lost My Baby Temptations
What’s Going On Marvin Gaye
This Old Heart of Mine Isley Brothers
Heat Wave Martha and the Vandellas
Ask the Lonely Four Tops
I Was Made to Love Her Stevie Wonder
Nowhere to Run Martha and the Vandellas
I Can’t Help Myself Four Tops
Jimmy Mack Martha and the Vandellas
When a Man Loves a Woman Percy Sledge
Nothing But Heartaches Supremes
Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone Bill Withers
Use Me Bill Withers
Back in My Arms Again Supremes
Come and Get These Memories Martha and the Vandellas
My Girl Temptations
I’m Losing You Temptations
Man’s World James Brown
It’s the Same Old Song Four Tops
Just My Imagination Temptations
Georgia on My Mind Ray Charles
My Baby Must be a Magician The Marvelettes
Heaven Must Have Sent You The Elgins
Tell It Like It Is Aaron Neville
What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) Junior Walker and the All-Stars
1-2-3 The Jackson 5
Everlasting Love Carl Carlton
It’s a Shame Spinners
Give Me Just a Little More Time Chairman of the Board
Never Had a Dream Come True Stevie Wonder
You Don’t Know Me Ray Charles
Try a Little Tenderness Otis Redding
Let’s Stay Together Al Green
(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman Aretha Franklin
Too Busy Thinking About My Baby Marvin Gaye
I Heard It Through the Grapevine Marvin Gaye
You’re All I Need To Get By Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell
If I Could Build My Whole World Around You Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell
With This Ring Platters
Too Late to Turn Back Now Cornelius Bros. & Sister Rose
Joanna Kool and the Gang}
Stop (the Love You Save May Be Your Own) Jackson 5
Could it be I’m Falling in Love The Spinners
Oh, How Happy You Have Made Me Shades of Blue
Use Me Bill Withers
Chain Gang Sam Cooke
Change Gonna Come Sam Cooke
Soul Man Sam and Dave
Stoned Soul Picnic Fifth Dimension]
If Loving You is Wrong (I Don’t Wanna Be Right) Luther Ingram\
Me and Mrs. Jones Billy Paul
Dock of the Bay Otis Redding
Baby It’s You Shirelles
My Guy Mary Wells
Higher and Higher Jackie Wilson
People Get Ready (There’s a Train A’Coming) Curtis Mayfield
To me, this song—performed live in France by the Four Tops—epitomizes soul. Look at the sweat pouring off Levi Stubbs!
Good list!
You know I watched Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) again earlier this year and they and then I got the soundtrack and it has Martha and the Vandellas Nowhere To Run so I added it to my every day playlist – “Yes!” (Adrian Cronauer).
I’d add Just The Two Of Us which Bill Withers sang on – Grover Washington, Jr. on sax. I’d have to look up the writing credits though.
… Hard to Handle too!
Somebody make a Spotify playlist….please!
A couple of additions:
Midnight Train to Georgia — Gladys Knight & The Pips
Love Train — The O’Jays
I’ve Been Loving You Too Long – Otis Redding
Also,
What’d I Say – Ray Charles
My nomination is one of the best songs ever written: Ike and Tina Turner’s River Deep, Mountain High. I guess it could be argued that the song is a hybrid of soul and rock, since Tina sang it when she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but in any case, here’s a video. It’s not the best quality, but it does showcase the Ikettes! (remember them?)
Edited to add a link to the Phil Spector version of the song:
Oh, yes. And let’s not forget their cover of Proud Mary.
There are so many great ones. Just the first few that came to my mind, all from the early 1970s:
I’m Stone In Love With You – Stylistics
I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash
Theme from Shaft – Isaac Hayes
And I second Norman’s additions, especially Midnight Train to Georgia .
I was in my twenties and an ocean away but there’s not much to argue with there.
I’d add Green Onions. Booker T & the MG’s.
When the Four Tops landed in Auckland NZ playing our town hall I was very surprised (as a 14yr old) went to the gig, couldn’t believe they would come down under.
American artists that were current were a very rare occurence in the 60’s.
A Dunedin friend said he learned about American Soul music from the Black sailors stationed on a U.S. Navy weather ship out of Dunedin back in the Sixties. It must have been magical for him to hear something so different from his, until then, fare of Kiwi songs.
Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye,Stevie Wonder, Ike and Tina, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin
Dancing in the Streets and Nowhere to Run To, wonderfully infectious tunes from Martha and the Vandellas; Baby Workout , by Jackie Wilson; Mustang Sally and In the Midnight Hour, by Wilson Pickett; Chains, by Aretha Franklin; Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, by the Temptations. So many more.
Great music 🎼🎶🎵
Otis Redding recorded a song called “That’s How Strong My Love Is”. It’s a great soul song, and may be one of the songs listed on the other nine pages of your soul song list of greats (Only 10 pages?). Steve Young, a country singer, covers it on his album “Rock, Salt, and Nails”. It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end when I listen to it.
No, it’s not on my list. I’ll have to listen to it.
My list goes back to late 50s, early 60s:
Try Me, James Brown
Maybe, The Chantels
Could This Be Magic, The Dubs
There Goes My Baby, The Drifters
Searching, The Olympics
At Last, Etta James
Quarter to Three, Gary U.S. Bonds
Dedicated to the One I Love and Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?, The Shirelles.
Aretha’s version of Respect, with IMO one of the very best hook lines ever.
I am flabbergasted! The greatest female and male soul singers are under-represented. There should be at least half a dozen songs by Aretha Franklin and Al Green.
There are different tastes in different people.
I’ll take Gladys Knight over Aretha any day.
I Want You Back … Jackson Five
Be My Baby …. Ronettes
Ain’t No Mountain …. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Tell Him … The Exciters
Get Ready … Temptations
Great list, great music.
Perhaps not quite the same category of soul as your list, but one of the most soulful songs I’ve ever come across is Maggot Brain by Funkadelic.
As a young teen the only time you would here music like this on the radio was after about 2 AM when the DJ would play whatever they wanted to. If this song doesn’t make you feel, you must be dead.
Some that are personal favorites . . .
The Manhattans – Kiss and Say Goodbye
Rose Royce – Wishing On A Star
Heatwave – Always & Forever
Earth Wind & Fire – Reasons (Live Version off of Gratitude)
Outstanding list of songs! Folks’ll still be enjoying them 50 years in the future.
I’d add James Carr. His long list of great soul songs starts with Pouring Water on a Drowning Man. Check out That’s the Way Love Turned Out for Me. Oh and Love Attack and Dark End of the Street.