Soul by the Dozen VII

Oldies radio used to be so easy to find on American radio dials but appears to be headed for extinction as the majority of its fans dies and online music and music streaming services continue to supplant traditional radio formats. So when I was back home in New York this past summer and driving around one afternoon, I was happy to stumble across some scratchy oldies radio show which made the drive much more enjoyable for me as it included lots of great classic soul music.

Etta James

There is a fine line between oldies music and classic soul especially when it comes to Motown. The ‘60s and ‘70s produced the majority of oldies hits and these decades are also the zenith of soul music and so it makes sense that the two genres often sound great all blended together without color lines on the same radio program. Here are some more of my favorite soul songs including some doo wop which is a cornerstone of oldies, soul, and even rock music. Enjoy- and Happy New Year!

Wilson Pickett

01. Wilson Pickett – “In the Midnight Hour” (1965)

02. The Moonglows – “See Saw” (1956)

03. Stevie Wonder – “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1966)

04. The Marvelettes – “Don’t Mess with Bill”  (1965)

05. Doris Troy – “Just One Look” (1963)

06. Lou Rawls – “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” (1976)

07. The Spinners – “The Rubberband Man” (1976)

08. The Olympics – “Big Boy Pete” (1960)

09. Etta James – “Tell Mama” (1968)

10. Diana Ross & The Supremes – “Love Child” (1968)

11. Barbara Lewis – “Hello Stranger” (1963)
12. Jerry Butler – “Hey, Western Union Man” (1968)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...