R.I.P. Ray Charles: His Top 50 Songs

Ray Charles Top 50 Songs

R&B singer Ray Charles (click link for DMDB encyclopedia entry) was well known for integrating multiple genres into his music. He was born Ray Charles Robinson on 9/23/1930 in Albany, GA. He died on 6/10/2004. His family moved to Greenville, Florida while he was still an infant. He was partially blind at age 5 and completely blind at age 7 from glaucoma. He studied classical piano and clarinet at the State School for Deaf and Blind Children, St. Augustine, Florida from 1937 to 1945. He worked with local Florida bands before moving to Seattle in 1948. He formed the McSon Trio (aka Maxim Trio and the Maxine Trio) with guitarist Gossady McGhee and bassist Milton Garret. His first recordings were in the King Cole Trio style. He formed his own band in 1954. Among his career highlights are his 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music and songs “Georgia on My Mind” (1960) and “I Can’t Stop Loving You” (1962), both featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era 1954-1999. Those two songs and “What’d I Say” (1959) also rank in the DMDB top 1000 of all time. Singer/actor Jamie Foxx won the Academy Award for Best Actor portraying Charles in Ray! For a complete list of this act’s DMDB honors, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry. Click here to see other acts’ best-of lists.

Awards:

Top 50 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. Songs which hit #1 on various charts are noted. (Click for codes to singles charts.) 1. I Can’t Stop Loving You (1962) #1 US, RB, AC, UK, AU 2. Georgia on My Mind (1960) #1 US 3. What’d I Say (1959) #1 RB 4. Hit the Road Jack (1961) #1 US, RB 5. Yesterday (1967) 6. I Gotta Woman (1955) #1 RB 7. Crying Time (1965) #1 AC 8. Hallelujah I Love Her So (1956) 9. Busted (1963) 10. Your Cheatin’ Heart (1962) 11. You Don’t Know Me (1962) #1 AC 12. Ol’ Man River (1963) 13. You Are My Sunshine (1962) #1 RB 14. Eleanor Rigby (1968) 15. America the Beautiful (1972) 16. That Lucky Old Sun (1963) 17. Makin’ Whoopee (1964) 18. Let’s Go Get Stoned (1966) #1 RB 19. Unchain My Heart (1961) #1 RB 20. One Mint Julep (1961) #1 RB 21. Take These Chains from My Heart (1962) 22. Come Rain or Come Shine (1960) 23. Here We Go Again (1967) 24. Lonely Avenue (1956) 25. Drown in My Own Tears (1956) #1 RB 26. Together Again (1965) #1 AC 27. Don’t Set Me Free (1963) 28. Born to Lose (1962) 29. Night Time Is the Right Time (1959) 30. No One (1963) 31. Ruby (1960) 32. Sticks and Stones (1960) 33. Baby It’s Cold Outside (with Betty Carter, 1961) 34. Without Love (with Aretha Franklin, 1974) 35. Hide Nor Hair (1962) 36. Don’t Change on Me (1970) 37. Mess Around (1953) 38. My Heart Cries for You (1964) 39. Baby Grand (with Billy Joel, 1986) 40. Without Love There Is Nothing (1963) 41. If You Were Mine (1970) 42. At the Club (1962) 43. I’m Movin’ On (1959) 44. No One to Cry To (1964) 45. A Tear Fell (1964) 46. I Didn’t Know What Time It Was (1969) 47. Booty Butt (1970) 48. I Choose to Sing the Blues (1966) 49. Swanee River Rock (1957) 50. In the Heat of the Night (1967) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Ray Charles Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists” First posted 5/20/2019; last updated 6/6/2022.