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16 Original Hits
R&B / Soul · 1987

16 Original Hits

Ray Charles

A definitive survey of the High Priest of Soul, blending gospel fervor with secular grit across sixteen essential piano-driven R&B and jazz-inflected classics.

1987 · PGP RTB

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This compilation captures the literal big bang of soul music. Ray Charles didn't just play the piano; he used it as a vessel to bridge the gap between the sacred and the profane, taking the ecstatic energy of the black church and transplanting it into the smoky atmosphere of the rhythm and blues circuit. The sound is defined by his gravelly, incredibly expressive baritone, which can shift from a heartbroken whisper to a triumphant shout within a single bar. It feels like a living history of American music, where jazz sophistication meets the raw honesty of the blues.

Moments Worth Listening For
the transition from the soft piano intro to the swelling orchestral strings and ray's iconic, weary vocal entry on georgia on my mind
the electric piano riff that breaks into the frantic, sweat-soaked call-and-response finale with the raelettes on what'd i say
the rhythmic interplay between the walking bassline and the sassy, dismissive female backing vocals on hit the road jack
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does 16 Original Hits sound next to the rest of Ray Charles's catalogue?

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Bittersweet saturates this record a touch more than the artist's norm.

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