Sweet Soul Music
“Do you like good music, that sweet soul music?”
That was a question posed by Arthur Conley on his 1967 classic single ‘Sweet Soul Music’ and it’s as valid today as it’s ever been. But what is ‘Soul Music’…well we all know what it is when we hear it, but maybe a little more precision is called for in the definition.
One online definition says this… “A kind of music incorporating elements of rhythm and blues and gospel music, popularized by American black people. Characterized by an emphasis on vocals and an impassioned improvisatory delivery, it is associated with performers such as Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Otis Redding.”
Well, we’re on the right track because all of those artists feature in our list of 45 of the greatest soul 45s ever.
According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is “music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying”
Again, we have some of the bases covered here with a number of tracks that are straight out of the gospel tradition, including Aaron Neville, Sam Cooke and The Staple Singers for starters.
Anyway, there’s no point in spending too much time explaining it, just listen to our playlist and you’ll hear 45 of the greatest soul records of all time. But of course we’d like to hear from you as to what you think. We’ve limited ourselves to one track per artist and these are in alphabetical order… Listen on Spotify here
Aaron Neville – Tell it Like It Is
Al Green – Let’s Stay Together
Ann Peebles – I Can’t Stand The Rain
Aretha Franklin – Respect
Arthur Conley – Sweet Soul Music
Barrett Strong: Money (That’s What I Want)
Barry White – Can’t get enough of Your Love, Babe
Billy Paul – Mr & Mrs Jones
Brothers Johnson – Strawberry Letter 23
Diana Ross – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions – Boogie Wonderland
Edwin Starr – Stop Her on Sight (SOS)
Etta James – At Last
Funkadelic – One Nation Under A Groove
Gladys Knight and the Pips – Midnight Train To Georgia
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes – If You Don’t Know Me By Now
Isaac Hayes – The Look of Love
James Brown – It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World
James Carr – The Dark End of the Street
Johnnie Taylor – Who’s Making Love
Judy Clay & William Bell – Private Number
Luther Vandross – Never Too Much
Martha & The Vandellas: Dancing In The Street
Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell – Your Precious Love
Mary Wells – My Guy
Maze featuring Frankie – Back In Stride
Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
Otis Redding – Try A Little Tenderness
Percy Sledge – When A Man Loves a Woman
Ray Charles – What’d I Say
Rufus & Chuka Khan – Ain’t Nobody
Sam & Dave – Soul Man
Sam Cooke – A Change Is Gonna Come
Sly And The Family Stone – Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles – Tracks of My Tears
Stevie Wonder – Superstition
Teddy Pendergrass – Love TKO
The Commodores – Still
The Four Tops – Reach Out I’ll Be There
The Impressions – People Get Ready
The Main Ingredient = Rolling Down A Mountainside
The Staple Singers – Respect Yourself
The Temptations – My Girl
Wilson Pickett – In The Midnight Hour
UK English
