De 100 mooiste soulnummers aller tijden

De 100 mooiste soulnummers laten horen waarom soul een van de invloedrijkste muziekstijlen van de twintigste eeuw werd. Gospel, rhythm-and-blues, sterke ritmes en uitgesproken stemmen kwamen samen in muziek die later funk, disco, pop en moderne R&B diepgaand beïnvloedde.

De 100 mooiste soulnummers: klassiekers van Motown, Stax en daarbuiten

Van gospel naar soul

Soul groeide in de Verenigde Staten uit gospel en rhythm-and-blues. Labels als Motown en Stax hielpen het genre een internationaal publiek te bereiken. Meer achtergrond staat op onze pagina over Soul muziek en in de geschiedenis van Motown.

Nummers 1 tot en met 25

1. Aretha Franklin – Respect
2. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
3. Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay
4. Sam Cooke – A Change Is Gonna Come
5. Stevie Wonder – Superstition
6. Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through the Grapevine
7. The Temptations – My Girl
8. Sam & Dave – Soul Man
9. Ben E. King – Stand by Me
10. Ray Charles – What’d I Say
11. Wilson Pickett – In the Midnight Hour
12. Percy Sledge – When a Man Loves a Woman
13. Nina Simone – Feeling Good
14. Bill Withers – Ain’t No Sunshine
15. Al Green – Let’s Stay Together
16. The Supremes – You Can’t Hurry Love
17. Four Tops – Reach Out I’ll Be There
18. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – The Tracks of My Tears
19. Etta James – I’d Rather Go Blind
20. Otis Redding – Try a Little Tenderness
21. Wilson Pickett – Mustang Sally
22. The Isley Brothers – This Old Heart of Mine
23. Jackie Wilson – (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher
24. Martha and the Vandellas – Dancing in the Street
25. Sam Cooke – You Send Me

Nummers 26 tot en met 50

26. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
27. Four Tops – Baby I Need Your Loving
28. Martha and the Vandellas – Heat Wave
29. The Supremes – Stop! In the Name of Love
30. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Ooo Baby Baby
31. Curtis Mayfield – Move On Up
32. Isaac Hayes – Theme from Shaft
33. The Staple Singers – I’ll Take You There
34. Sly and the Family Stone – Everyday People
35. Bill Withers – Lean on Me
36. James Brown – It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World
37. James Brown – Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag
38. Aretha Franklin – Think
39. Percy Sledge – Warm and Tender Love
40. Solomon Burke – Cry to Me
41. Otis Redding – I’ve Been Loving You Too Long
42. The Drifters – Under the Boardwalk
43. The Spinners – Could It Be I’m Falling in Love
44. Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes – If You Don’t Know Me by Now
45. Billy Paul – Me and Mrs. Jones
46. The Chi-Lites – Have You Seen Her
47. The Delfonics – Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)
48. Barry White – Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe
49. Teddy Pendergrass – Close the Door
50. The O’Jays – Love Train

Nummers 51 tot en met 75

51. Gladys Knight & the Pips – Midnight Train to Georgia
52. The Manhattans – Kiss and Say Goodbye
53. The Stylistics – You Are Everything
54. The O’Jays – Back Stabbers
55. Rufus & Chaka Khan – Tell Me Something Good
56. Average White Band – Pick Up the Pieces
57. Commodores – Easy
58. Commodores – Three Times a Lady
59. The Isley Brothers – Between the Sheets
60. Earth, Wind & Fire – Reasons
61. Stevie Wonder – Isn’t She Lovely
62. Stevie Wonder – Living for the City
63. Marvin Gaye – Mercy Mercy Me
64. Bill Withers – Use Me
65. Al Green – Tired of Being Alone
66. Donny Hathaway – A Song for You
67. Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly with His Song
68. Minnie Riperton – Lovin’ You
69. Natalie Cole – This Will Be
70. Bill Withers – Lovely Day
71. Chaka Khan – I’m Every Woman
72. Rufus – Sweet Thing
73. Donny Hathaway – Someday We’ll All Be Free
74. Barry White – You’re the First, the Last, My Everything
75. The Stylistics – You Make Me Feel Brand New

Nummers 76 tot en met 100

76. Marvin Gaye – Sexual Healing
77. Luther Vandross – Never Too Much
78. Anita Baker – Sweet Love
79. Alexander O’Neal – If You Were Here Tonight
80. Dennis Edwards – Don’t Look Any Further
81. Chaka Khan – Through the Fire
82. George Benson – Give Me the Night
83. Earth, Wind & Fire – After the Love Has Gone
84. The Whispers – And the Beat Goes On
85. Shalamar – A Night to Remember
86. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly – Joy and Pain
87. Patrice Rushen – Forget Me Nots
88. Gwen McCrae – Keep the Fire Burning
89. Rose Royce – Wishing on a Star
90. Deniece Williams – Free
91. Phyllis Hyman – You Know How to Love Me
92. Michael Jackson – Rock with You
93. The Jacksons – Show You the Way to Go
94. Diana Ross – Love Hangover
95. Smokey Robinson – Being with You
96. Aretha Franklin – Until You Come Back to Me
97. Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On
98. Stevie Wonder – As
99. Al Green – Love and Happiness
100. Otis Redding – These Arms of Mine

Van soul naar funk, disco en dance classics

De lijst laat ook horen hoe vloeiend genregrenzen zijn. Soul schoof richting funk en disco en leverde daarmee bouwstenen voor Disco Radio, Dance Classics en talloze baslijnen die later opnieuw werden gesampled.