What better song to kick off this thread than Arthur Conley's huge hit from 1967?
Amen.
This Sam Cooke number was a huge hit and has been covered by more artists than you can count. Of note is that the legendary Lou Rawls is on backing vocals.
Cooke was only 33 years old when he was shot and killed by a motel manager in 1964.
Amen.
Originally from Cincinnati, these brothers have been making music for decades. This is one of my favorites from 1969:
Amen.
I remember when this hit the radio. Good stuff. The band was put together in Detroit back in 1969:
Amen.
Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield were a spectacularly successful duo known as The Righteous Brothers. As such, they were at the forefront of what came to be known as "blue-eyed soul." I've seen them twice, although the latest was after Hatfield passed in 2003 from a heart attack.
This is one of their greatest songs:
Amen.
This old school number has been covered by dozens of artists:
Amen.
This hit by Marvin Gaye was also covered by CCR:
Amen.
Thus timeless classic made it all the way up to #11 in 1965:
Amen.
Sly & The Family Stone had several hits, but success eventually went down the shitter thanks to drugs. Nevertheless, they were damn good in their day and this is my favorite:
Amen.
Known as the "King of Soul", Otis was only 26 when he died in a plane crash. Never to become outdated, this song is in a league of its own:
Amen.
The great Wilson Pickett had a nice crossover hit with this number he co-wrote with Steve Cropper of Blues Brothers fame:
Amen.
According to https://www.thisdayinmusic.com/ on Valentines Day 1965, "Otis Redding recorded 'Respect' at Atlantic Studio, New York City. At first a ballad, 'Respect' was written by Redding for Speedo Sims, who intended to record it with his band, the Singing Demons. Redding rewrote the lyrics and sped up the rhythm. The song became a 1967 hit and signature song for soul singer Aretha Franklin."
Aretha definitely nailed it:
Amen.
I saw The Four Tops in Las Vegas many years ago. The were a huge part of the Motown Sound. This song came out in 1965 and today it's every bit as good as it was sixty years ago: