Ray Charles is an interesting person, in that he’s a musician everyone knows and largely loves, yet he doesn’t often appear atop anyone’s top artist’s lists. Yet, when all the songs are accounted for and all the influences tracked, Charles may indeed be the most important American artist of the 20th century.
For Charles, who was born in Albany, Georgia in 1930 and died at 73 years old in June of 2004, the piano was as much his voice as the sounds of the words and melodies that emanated from his mouth.
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While he’s known for hits like “Georgia on my Mind” and “Hit The Road Jack,” Charles truly has a number of standouts that have since become standards. So, without further ado, let’s dive into Ray Charles Greatest Hits.
10. “Mess Around”
9. “Night Time Is The Right Time”
8. “What’d I Say”
7. “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
6. “Hallelujah I Love Her So”
5. “American The Beautiful”
4. “What Would I Do Without You”
3. “I Got A Woman“
2. “Hit The Road Jack”
1. “Georgia On My Mind”
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Portrait of American country and gospel music singers The Oak Ridge Boys (L-R: Richard Sterban, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden and Duane Allen), 1986. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
