Top Ten Soul Songs of the 60's

The 60's was a pivotal decade in many ways. Several nations got their independence, key steps were taken in the civil rights movement and politics leaned more towards liberal. Amidst all this, soul music rose to prominence in a way it hadn’t before and one man deserved more credit than most. When Berry Gordy formed Motown records in 1959, he had a vision of black music becoming so popular that white audiences would have no choice but to embrace it. It is impossible to choose a top ten of the greatest soul songs in the 60s that won’t heavily feature Motown acts as Gordy’s label in many ways created the template. These are not only some of the best soul songs of the decade but of all time.

Ten

Shop Around

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

Hi…We’re the Miracles (1960)

This was the single that started it all for Motown and Berry Gordy. When frontman Smokey Robinson penned the single and released it in 1960, the song shot straight to the top of the charts and helped to establish the winning formula that would guide numerous Motown artists to superstardom. The song has since been inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So not a bad way to start the list.

Nine

Nowhere to Run

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas

Dance Party (1964)

Another staple from Motown’s classic period. This song about a woman sticking it out in her rotten relationship may not have aged well thematically but it is still one of the biggest singles of the decade. The production by the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland team is still as thrilling and groovy as it was back then.

Eight

Try a Little Tenderness

Otis Redding

Complete & Unbelievable (1966)

The song was actually written in 1932 and performed by the Ray Noble Orchestra. But since Otis Redding (along with help from the legendary Isaac Hayes) did a cover version in 1966, his version has become the popular version. Granted it peaked at only 25 on the Billboard charts but it has easily gone down as one of the greatest soul songs in history. Rolling Stone placed it as number 204 on their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list and it has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Seven

My Girl

The Temptations

The Temptations Sing Smokey (1964)

The song that would become the Temptations’ signature song was specifically written for member, David Ruffin as Smokey Robinson wanted to give the former a chance to showcase his vocals. “My Girl” not only became the Temptations’ first number one, but it became one of the most popular songs of the era. It has since then been preserved in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.

Six

Georgia on My Mind

Ray Charles

The Genius Hits the Road (1960)

Like a few of the songs on this list, the song was originally conceived years before its recording. It was originally written by Hoagy Carmichael in 1930 and recorded that same year. But it was when Charles, a native of Georgia, recorded his version in 1960 that the song achieved maximum popularity as it shot straight to the top of the Billboard charts. It has since been covered and sampled by a few more artists. It was number 44 in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of all Time” list and was officially adopted as the state song for Georgia in 1977.

Five

You’re All I Need to Get By

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

You’re All I Need (1968)

Before Marvin became the prince of soul music in the 1970’s he was one half of one of the most dynamic singing duos of the 1960s. Along with Tammi Terrell, he made a string of iconic love songs that dominated the charts and still warm hearts up to this day. Unfortunately Terrell ended up passing away two years after the recording due to a malignant brain tumor. Although the song would end up been covered by other notable artists like Aretha Franklin, Deniece Williams and Emma Bunton (of Spice Girls fame), Gaye and Terrell’s version is still revered as the definitive version.

Four

Dancing in the Street

Martha and the Vandellas

Dance Party (1964)

One of Gordy’s primary concerns when establishing Motown’s template for success was abstaining from anything overtly political in the music. So it must have been of great surprise when “Dancing in the Street” became an unofficial anthem for demonstrations and protests in inner cities. It also topped charts and became one of Motown’s biggest selling singles. It has since been covered by several acts including Grateful Dead, The Kinks and David Bowie/Mick Jagger. It has also been preserved in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.

Three

Walk On By

Dionne Warwick

Make Way for Dionne Warwick (1964)

This ode to heartbreak not only helped establish Dionne Warwick as a force to be reckoned with after her 1963 hit, “Anyone Who Had a Heart”, it inspired future collaborator, Isaac Hayes to create a cover version in 1969 that is superlative in its own right. It may only have reached number 6 on the Billboard charts, but it has endured as one of the biggest songs in the 1960’s. Not only has it spawned numerous other covers from the likes of Average White Band, Sybill and Aretha Franklin, it was also ranked as number 70 in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of all Time”, thus making it the second highest entry by a solo female artist.

Two

Respect

Aretha Franklin

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)

Arguably the greatest cover song of all time. Although the great Otis Redding wrote and recorded his version in 1965, it wasn’t until Franklin released her version two years later that the world got its definitive version. More than the chart topping success and the awards (it earned Aretha Franklin two Grammy awards in 1968 and got inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1987) it became an international anthem for feminism. Since then it has also been inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress and placed number 5 in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list which made her the highest placed female act on the list.

One

A Change is Gonna Come

Sam Cooke

Ain’t That Good News (1964)

What is it about disaster that tends to yield compelling art? When Cooke and his entourage got turned away by a whites-only motel, he was inspired to write a song that spoke to the racial struggles that plagued America. Although the song only garnered moderate success for Cooke, it became an unofficial anthem for the Civil Rights era. It has since been sampled and covered numerous times as well as referenced in several forms of media. Like a few of the songs on this list, it’s been inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress and also placed number 12 in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. But perhaps most importantly, in 2019, the Shreveport mayor not only formally apologized to Cooke’s family for the incident but also posthumously awarded him the key to the city. Turns out Cooke was right.

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