Best Souls Predecessor

Star Time is a 1991 box set chronicling the music of American singer James Brown across 71 tracks. The compilation presents his career chronologically from 1956 to 1984, covering his evolution from rhythm and blues to funk. The collection includes hit singles, alternate takes, and previously unrelea...

The Complete Stax-Volt Soul Singles, Volume 1 is a 1991 box set compiling A-sides and B-sides released by the Memphis-based Stax and Volt record labels between 1959 and 1968. Spanning multiple discs, the collection thoroughly documents the rise of Southern soul music during its initial commercial pe...

'Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947–1974' is a box set compilation released in 1991 that documents the first three decades of rhythm and blues recordings on Atlantic Records. The collection spans 227 tracks across multiple discs and includes material by artists such as Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, the Drifter...

Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings is a comprehensive box set compiling the recorded works of American singer Aretha Franklin, released by Atlantic Records in 1992. Anthologizing her music between 1967 and 1979, the collection features standard album tracks alongside numerous previously unreleas...

Portrait of a Legend is a 2003 compilation album by singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, released by ABKCO Records. It contains 30 remastered tracks spanning Cooke's career from 1957 to 1964, including "A Change Is Gonna Come," "You Send Me," "Wonderful World," and "Cupid." The compilation received critical...

Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' is a landmark album that transcended the boundaries of soul music. Inspired by a Vietnam War protest, Gaye addressed themes of social injustice, environmental degradation, and police brutality with unprecedented depth and sensitivity. The album's lush arrangements,...

"Beg, Scream & Shout! The Big Ol' Box of '60s Soul" is a six-disc compilation album released by Rhino Records in 1997. The box set collects 144 tracks of American soul music from the 1960s, focusing on lesser-known hits and deep cuts rather than standard greatest-hits compilations. It serves as a co...

James Brown’s “20 All-Time Greatest Hits” is a collection of recordings from the iconic American soul singer. The album showcases his signature rhythmic style and influential contributions to funk music. It includes many of Brown's most popular singles which solidified his position as a foundational...

Al Green’s Greatest Hits is a collection of iconic soul tracks released in 1975. The album features his most popular recordings from Hi Records, showcasing his signature smooth vocals and influential Memphis sound. It includes hits like “Let's Stay Together” and “Take Me to the River.” This compilat...

Amazing Grace is a live gospel album by Aretha Franklin, recorded over two services at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles in January 1972. Franklin performs with the Southern California Community Choir under Alexander Hamilton, accompanied by musicians including the Reverend James C...

It's Too Late to Stop Now is a 1974 double live album by Van Morrison, compiled from 1973 concerts in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and London. Morrison performs with the Caledonia Soul Orchestra, an ensemble combining a rock rhythm section with horns and strings. The repertoire moves among his own com...

Marvin Gaye was an American soul and R&B singer who became a defining artist for Motown Records in the 1960s and 1970s. Early in his career, he scored hits with duets like 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' alongside Tammi Terrell. In 1971, he shifted his focus to socially conscious themes with the con...

James Brown was an American singer, musician, and bandleader whose career spanned over five decades. Often credited as a primary developer of funk music, his bands pioneered complex, syncopated rhythms built heavily around the bass and drums. Live albums like 'Live at the Apollo' (1963) captured his...

Ray Charles was an American singer, pianist, and composer who became blind in childhood and went on to pioneer the soul music genre. During the 1950s, he achieved mainstream success by fusing the rhythms of gospel music with secular lyrics on tracks like 'I Got a Woman.' His 1960s crossover into cou...

Stevie Wonder is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer who signed with Motown Records at age 11. Blind since shortly after his birth, he developed into a multi-instrumentalist skilled on the piano, harmonica, and drums. His prolific output in the 1970s, including albums like...

Aretha Franklin was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist widely recognized as the 'Queen of Soul.' Beginning her career singing gospel at her father's church in Detroit, she signed with Atlantic Records in the late 1960s and recorded definitive hits like 'Respect' and 'Chain of Fools.' Her po...

Prince’s “Purple Rain” is a landmark song blending rock, funk, soul, and theatrical elements. Released in 1984, it features a celebrated guitar solo and Prince's distinctive vocals exploring themes of love and loss. The track’s epic scale and emotional depth have made it an iconic piece within popul...

Whitney Houston was an American singer and actress cited as one of the most awarded female artists of all time. Her self-titled debut album became the best-selling debut album by a female act in 1985. She achieved massive crossover success with her soundtrack for the 1992 film 'The Bodyguard,' which...

'30 Greatest Hits' is a double-disc compilation album by American singer Aretha Franklin, originally released in 1985 by Atlantic Records. The tracklist documents her most commercially successful period during the 1960s and 1970s, featuring defining soul tracks such as 'Respect' and 'Chain of Fools....

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the American funk and soul band Sly and the Family Stone, released in 1970 by Epic Records. It collects previously released hit singles from the band's late 1960s albums, including tracks like 'Everyday People' and 'I Want to Take You Higher.' The record achie...

Sam Cooke was an American soul and gospel singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur who became a foundational figure in the development of soul music. He began his career as the lead singer of the gospel group the Soul Stirrers before crossing over into secular pop music in the late 1950s. Cooke wrote an...

Otis Redding was an American soul and R&B singer born in Dawson, Georgia, who became a defining figure of Southern soul music. Recording for Stax Records in the 1960s, he released influential recordings including '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay,' 'Try a Little Tenderness,' and 'Respect,' the latte...

Aretha Franklin’s “30 Greatest Hits” is a collection of recordings from her extensive career, primarily featuring tracks released while she was with Atlantic Records. The album highlights her unparalleled vocal talent and dominance within soul and R&B music. It's notable for presenting a comprehensi...

The Complete Stax-Volt Soul Singles Vol. 2 is a 1993 box set compilation chronicling the Memphis-based Stax and Volt record labels. It collects soul and R&B singles released between 1968 and 1971, a transitional period for the studio following the end of its partnership with Atlantic Records. The an...

The Essential Otis Redding is a two-disc compilation album released in 2003 as part of Legacy Recordings' "The Essential" series. The tracklist chronicles the career of the American soul singer, featuring key singles recorded for the Stax and Volt labels between 1962 and his death in 1967. It includ...

"Original Musiquarium I" is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, released in 1982 under the Tamla Motown label. The album features eleven previously released tracks that document his output from 1972 to 1980, including longer album versions of his funk and soul recordings...

"Step II" is the fourth studio album by American disco and soul singer Sylvester, released in 1978 on the Fantasy Records label. The album is distinguished by its prominent fusion of gospel-influenced vocal delivery with high-energy electronic disco production. It features two of Sylvester's most su...

'What's Going On' is a landmark album and title track that addressed pressing social issues of the time, including war, poverty, and environmental degradation. Gayes soulful vocals and innovative production created a powerful message of peace and understanding. The song remains remarkably relevant t...

Donny Hathaway Live is a 1972 album assembled from concerts at the Troubadour in Los Angeles and the Bitter End in New York City. Hathaway performs vocals and electric piano with a band that includes guitarist Cornell Dupree and bassist Willie Weeks. The set combines original songs with interpretati...