The Best of Alabama Soul Music
Looking for some good Alabama soul music? Check out our top picks for the best Alabama soul music around. From classic hits to modern day bangers, we’ve got you covered.
Al Green
Al Green is a Memphis, Tennessee-based singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor, best known for his work in the soul and rhythm and blues genres.Green has been referred to as “one of the most important artists in soul music, with a voice that has been called angelic”, and “one of the greatest soul singers of all time”.
“Love and Happiness”
Al Green’s “Love and Happiness” is a classic soul song that was released in 1972. The song was written by Al Green and produced by Willie Mitchell. “Love and Happiness” peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number two on the Billboard R&B chart. The song has been covered by many artists, including Otis Redding, James Brown, and the Grateful Dead.
“Let’s Stay Together”
“Let’s Stay Together” is a song by American singer Al Green from his 1972 album of the same name. It was produced and written by Al Green and Willie Mitchell, and released as a single on March 13, 1972, by Hi Records. Recording sessions for the song took place at Royal Recording Studio in Memphis, Tennessee.
The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B Singles chart for seven weeks, becoming Green’s second single after “Tired of Being Alone” to achieve this feat. It also peaked at number two on the Cash Box Top 100. The song has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. In 1999, the song was listed at number 388 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. In 2004, it was ranked number 76 on Pitchfork Media’s “The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1970s”.
“Tired of Being Alone”
“Tired of Being Alone” is a song by American singer-songwriter Al Green from his 1971 album Al Green Gets Next to You. The song was written and produced by Green and Willie Mitchell, and released as a single in 1971. It peaked at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2003, the song was ranked number361 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. In 2004, it was ranked number four on Pitchfork Media’s list of the 500 greatest songs of the 1970s. In 2005, it was ranked number 76 on Blender magazine’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born”. In 2007, it was ranked number five on VH1’s list of “The 100 Greatest Songs of the ’70s”.
Wilson Pickett
Alabama Soul Music would not be the same without the one and only Wilson Pickett. He was born on March 18, 1941 in Prattville, Alabama. Pickett was a singer and songwriter who is best known for his singles “In the Midnight Hour” and “Land of 1,000 Dances”. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
“In the Midnight Hour”
“In the Midnight Hour” is a song originally performed by Wilson Pickett in 1965. The song was composed by Pickett and Steve Cropper at the historic Lorraine Motel in Memphis where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. The song became a hit single, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and becoming one of Pickett’s signature tunes.
“Mustang Sally”
“Mustang Sally” is a 1966 hit song originally performed by Wilson Pickett. The song was composed by Mack Rice in 1965. It hit number one on the Billboard R&B charts and number six on the Billboard Hot 100. It has been performed or covered by many artists, including the Commitments, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Otis Redding, and Bruce Springsteen.
“Land of 1,000 Dances”
“Land of 1,000 Dances” is a song written and first recorded by Chris Kenner in 1962. The best-known version is the 1966 recording by Wilson Pickett, which became a number-one hit single on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and R&B chart. It has been covered by many artists, including the Grateful Dead and Cannibal Corpse.
The song is powered by a simple vamp in which Pickett counts off the number of Dance steps—”na, na, na, na”—required to do various dances mentioned in the title and lyrics. These include “The Alligator”, “The Mashed Potato”, “The Loco-Motion”, “The Dip”, “The Slauson”, “Doing The Jerk”. In addition to being a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number six on that chart, it was also a massive crossover hit on radio stations that aired black music as well as those that did not: It peaked at number seven on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart.
Otis Redding
Otis Redding was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, and talent scout. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a pivotal figure in the development of soul music. His singing style influenced many other soul artists of the 1960s.
“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”
Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” was released on January 8, 1968, just a few days after the singer’s untimely death in a plane crash. The posthumous single, which features Redding’s whistling overdubbed onto the original recording, became one of the most successful singles of all time, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart and selling over four million copies. Despite its success, Redding’s widow, Zelma, initially refused to release the song, feeling that it was unfinished and didn’t represent her husband’s best work. She eventually relented, and “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” went on to become one of the defining songs of the 1960s.
“Try a Little Tenderness”
“Try a Little Tenderness” is a song written by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, and Harry M. Woods. It was first recorded on March 22, 1932, by the Ray Noble Orchestra and became a big hit. The lyrics are about a man who is trying to convince his love interest to return.
The song has been covered by many artists, but Otis Redding’s version is considered to be the definitive version. Released in 1966, it reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song has been used in many movies and television shows over the years.
“I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)”
I’ve been loving you a long time
Doing everything I can
You know I-I-I, I-I-I
I’m losing my mind
Sugar, thinking ’bout you baby
Don’t deny you felt it too once
We both know we felt it
Yeah, so what’s the next move?
Aretha Franklin
When it comes to Alabama soul music, there is one artist who stands out above the rest, and that is the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin. Aretha was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but she moved to Detroit, Michigan when she was just a young girl. It was in Detroit where she really developed her musical talent and rose to fame.
“Respect”
Aretha Franklin’s signature song, “Respect”, was originally released as a single in 1967 on Atlantic Records. The song was written by Otis Redding, who recorded it in 1965. Aretha’s version became a worldwide anthem for the feminist movement, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest songs of all time. It has been covered by many artists, including Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, and P!nk.
“Chain of Fools”
“Chain of Fools” is a song written by Don Covay and published in 1967. Aretha Franklin recorded the song for Atlantic Records, which released it as a single in 1968. Her version peaked at number two on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart and number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song earned Franklin her fourth Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, which she received at the 11th Annual Grammy Awards in 1969.
In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked “Chain of Fools” at number 205 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. The song was included in the 2008 compilation Soul Ballads. In 2010, Rowman & Littlefield published Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment, an academic book that discusses the Apollo Theater and Franklin’s performance of “Chain of Fools” at the theater.
“I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”
“I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” is a song written by Ronnie Shannon and produced by Rick Hall. The song was released on March 10, 1967, as the lead single from Aretha Franklin’s eleventh studio album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967).
In Frank Sinatra’s 1986 autobiography, he said of the song, “[it] knocks me out every time I hear it. It has everything: soul, gospel, blues, rhythm and blues, and just about everything else you can think of.”
The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 500,000 copies. The song was also nominated for Grammy Awards in 1968 for Best R&B Recording and Best Rhythm & Blues Recording.
Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge will always be remembered as one of the pioneer soul artists who took the world by storm with his debut album “When a Man Loves a Woman”. The album was an immediate hit and put Sledge on the map as one of the premier soul artists of his generation.
“When a Man Loves a Woman”
“When a Man Loves a Woman” is a song recorded by Percy Sledge in 1966 at Norala Sound Studios in Sheffield, Alabama. It made number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. It was written by Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright, two former members of the Esquires.
The song is about a man’s dedication to a woman he loves, and how even though she doesn’t treat him right, he will still be there for her. The releasing of the single coincided with Sledge’s divorce from his first wife; many radio stations refused to play the song because they thought it was too personal.
Despite this, the single was a huge success, selling over two million copies. In 2004, it was ranked number 328 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time; in 2008, it was ranked number 25 on their list of the 100 greatest soul songs.
“Warm and Tender Love”
“Warm and Tender Love” is a 1966 single by Percy Sledge. The song was written by Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright. It reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B Singles charts. The song was Sledge’s second consecutive number one hit on both the Hot 100 and Hot R&B Singles charts, following “When a Man Loves a Woman”. It was also his second gold record.
“Take Time to Know Her”
“Take Time to Know Her” is a 1968 hit song written by Mack Rice and originally performed by Percy Sledge. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 8, 1968, and remained there for two weeks. “Take Time to Know Her” also reached number one on the Cash Box chart and peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart. The song was included on Sledge’s debut studio album Tell It Like It Is (1966).
The song is about a man who is urging caution to someone who is in a relationship with a woman who may not be entirely faithful. The lyrics advise the man to take his time in getting to know her better before he commits himself too deeply.
The song was covered by Aaron Neville on his debut solo album, Warm Your Heart (1991). Neville’s version was a Top 40 hit in the United States, peaking at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
