1960s soul music: my personal Top 100

[NightTrain]

I just spent the better part of a week agonizing over a list of my 100 favorite soul records of the 1960s. The results are below. And this time, I even managed to rank-order my selections!

1. DARK END OF THE STREET – James Carr (2/67)
2. BRING IT UP – James Brown & The Famous Flames (1//67)
3. THINK – Aretha Franklin (5/68)
4. I CAN’T TURN YOU LOOSE – Otis Redding (12/65)
5. A CHANGE IS GONNA COME – Sam Cooke (1/65)
6. WISH SOMEONE WOULD CARE – Irma Thomas (3/64)
7. BERNADETTE – The Four Tops (3//67)
8. HOLD ON! I’M A-COMIN’ – Sam & Dave (4/66)
9. AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (6/67)
10. PEOPLE GET READY – The Impressions (2/65)

11. YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN – The Righteous Brothers (12/64)
12. LAND OF A THOUSAND DANCES – Wilson Pickett (8/66)
13. THERE IS – The Dells (2/68)
14. (I KNOW) I’M LOSING YOU – The Temptations (11/66)
15. PAPA’S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG – James Brown & The Famous Flames (7/65)
16. RESPECT – Aretha Franklin (5/67)
17. (YOUR LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER – Jackie Wilson (8/67)
18. THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (7/65)
19. DANCE TO THE MUSIC – Sly & The Family Stone (1/68)
20. ONE MORE HEARTACHE – Marvin Gaye (2/66)

21. GET READY – The Temptations (3/66)
22. NOWHERE TO RUN – Martha & The Vandellas (2/65)
23. EIGHT MEN, FOUR WOMEN – O.V. Wright (4/67)
24. UPTIGHT (EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT) – Stevie Wonder (1/66)
25. WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN – Percy Sledge (4/66)
26. SOUL MAN – Sam & Dave (9/67)
27. BABY, I NEED YOUR LOVIN’ – The Four Tops (8/64)
28. FUNKY BROADWAY – Wilson Pickett (8/67)
29. DO YOU LOVE ME (NOW THAT I CAN DANCE) – The Contours (8/62)
30. NEVER GIVE YOU UP – Jerry Butler (5/68)

31. OH, WHAT A NIGHT – The Dells (8/69)
32. CHAIN OF FOOLS – Aretha Franklin (12/67)
33. WHO’S MAKING LOVE – Johnnie Taylor (10/68)
34. I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE – Marvin Gaye (/11/68)
35. I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU GOT, BUT IT’S GOT ME – Little Richard (11/65)
36. SLIP AWAY – Clarence Carter (7/68)
37. SHOTGUN – Jr. Walker & The All-Stars (2/65)
38. I’D RATHER GO BLIND – Etta James (11/67) – B-side of “Tell Mama”
39. HEAT WAVE – Martha & The Vandellas (8/63)
40. YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE – The Supremes (8/66)

41. NOTHING BUT A HEARTACHE – The Flirtations (3/69)
42. WHEN SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MY BABY – Sam & Dave (2/67)
43. EVERY LITTLE BIT HURTS – Brenda Holloway (5/64)
44. AIN’T THAT A GROOVE – James Brown & The Famous Flames (3/66)
45. IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR – Wilson Pickett (6//65)
46. IT’S YOUR THING – The Isley Brothers (3/69)
47. RESCUE ME – Fontella Bass (9/65)
48. GREEN ONIONS – Booker T. & The MGs (8/62)
49. IT’S ALL RIGHT – The Impressions (10/63)
50. THESE ARMS OF MINE – Otis Redding (3/63)

51. STOP HER ON SIGHT (S.O.S.) – Edwin Starr (2/66)
52. I THANK YOU – Sam & Dave (2/68)
53. YOU’VE REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME – The Miracles (12/62)
54. THE FRIENDSHIP TRAIN – Gladys Knight & The Pips (11/69)
55. AIN’T THAT PECULIAR – Marvin Gaye (10/65)
56. YOU LEFT THE WATER RUNNING – Maurice & Mac (1/68)
57. HONEY CHILE – Martha & The Vandellas (11/67)
58. TELL MAMA – Etta James (11/67)
59. I FOUND A LOVE – The Falcons (4/62)
60. MEMPHIS SOUL STEW – King Curtis & The Kingpins (9/67)

61. SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE (SWEET SWEET BABY) – Aretha Franklin (3/68)
62. BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP – The Temptations (8//66)
63. BIG BIRD – Eddie Floyd (6/68)
64. NINE-POUND STEEL – Joe Simon (9/67)
65. SITTING IN THE PARK – Billy Stewart (6/65)
66. ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE – Jerry Butler (3/69)
67. GRITS AIN’T GROCERIES – Little Milton (1/69)
68. VOICE YOUR CHOICE – The Radiants (1/65)
69. EVERYBODY NEEDS SOMEBODY TO LOVE – Solomon Burke (7/64)
70. LOVE IS LIKE AN ITCHING IN MY HEART – The Supremes (5/66)

71. TOO MANY FISH IN THE SEA – The Marvelettes (1/65)
72. GOOD TIMES – Sam Cooke (1/64)
73. I FORGOT TO BE YOUR LOVER – William Bell (12/68)
74. SWEET SOUL MUSIC – Arthur Conley (3/67)
75. (I’M A) ROAD RUNNER – Jr. Walker & The All-Stars (5/66)
76. THAT’S WHERE IT’S AT – Sam Cooke (10/64)
77. WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED? – Jimmy Ruffin (8/66)
78. YOU’RE MY EVERYTHING – The Temptations (8/67)
79. DO RIGHT WOMAN—DO RIGHT MAN – Aretha Franklin (6/67)
80. COWBOYS TO GIRLS – The Intruders (3/68)

81. I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER – Stevie Wonder (6/67)
82. OOO BABY BABY – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (4/65)
83. GET IT WHILE YOU CAN – Howard Tate (3/67)
84. LEAVING HERE – Eddie Holland (2/64)
85. 25 MILES – Edwin Starr (2/69)
86. CLOUD NINE – The Temptations (11/68)
87. SOLDIERS OF LOVE – Arthur Alexander (5/62)
88. IF YOU NEED ME – Wilson Pickett (5/63)
89. A FOOL IN LOVE – Ike & Tina Turner (8/60)
90. SHOW ME – Joe Tex (3/67)

91. NOTHING BUT HEARTACHES – The Supremes (8/65)
92. MY WHOLE WORLD ENDED (THE MOMENT YOU LEFT ME) – David Ruffin (2/69)
93. CRY TO ME – Betty Harris (9/63)
94. HOLD ON – The Radiants (4/68)
95. SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL – The Soul Brothers Six (6/67)
96. A MAN NEEDS A WOMAN – James Carr (1/68)
97. MOTHER POPCORN – James Brown (6/69)
98. MR. CREATOR – The Apollas (1/67)
99. TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT – Solomon Burke (5/65)
100. STAY WITH ME – Lorraine Ellison (10/66)

Next, I suppose I'll get to work on my personal Top 100 of 1970s soul music.

[ProfessorGAC]

1. Nice List, Train

Geez, i wouldn't have the patience to work on a top 100 list. My compliments on your diligence!

I like almost everything on this list. I saw some i'd move higher than you had them, but that's detail, not disagreement. I wouldn't have any James Brown on my list. I don't dislike him or his music, but it just never did anything for me. My drummer loves him. Me, i'm lukewarm at best.

The Etta James tune, however, is a good catch. That's a wonderful song, wonderfully sung and very well recorded. That's one of the tunes that i'd put higher than you have here.

But, all in all, a very complete and impressive list.
The Professor

[NightTrain]

6. Which Etta James song did you mean?

"I'd Rather Go Blind" or its A-side, "Tell Mama?" They're both on my list, y'see!

[KoKo]

2. That's a great list! Can't wait to see your next one.

:-)'s In this polarized America it's interesting to remember a time when most people actually had some of these songs in common...could hum them, knew who sung them.

[NightTrain]

3. kick

n/t

[Zuni]

4. I love most of these songs

I would have more Otis on the list, more James Brown and less of the fluffy kind of sould.
My top song might be 'A Change is Gonna Come' though.

[cosmicdot]

5. my high school years

:eyes:

[Bossy Monkey]

7. Dr Feelgood?

Or is that the other side of Respect? (Hey, that sounded kinda cool.)