‘What’d I Say’ — Ray Charles
Rolling Stone named Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say” the 10th best song of all time. It was written in 1958 while the band was touring in Pittsburgh. They had some free time, so he wrote one of the greatest songs of all time. “I told the boys, ‘Hey, whatever I do, just follow me,” he told David Letterman. “And I told the females the same thing: “Whatever I say, just repeat it; I don’t care what it is,” he continued. The audience gladly followed the instructions. He went on to get his first top ten pop hit with the tune. At the end of his gigs, he would always play this song. The National Recording Registry was established in 2002 to preserve recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States.”
‘What’d I Say’ — Ray Charles
‘Paint It Black’ — The Rolling Stones
“Paint It Black” by the Rolling Stones is now ranked fifth on Ranker. The record was a tremendous smash when it was released in 1966. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, it is the band’s third No. 1 hit single, and in the United Kingdom, it is their sixth. It was rated the band’s third-best hit by Rolling Stone readers, behind only “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Gimme Shelter.” According to Keith Richards in 2004, the secret to the song’s success was Bill Wyman on the organ. He said, “It didn’t sound like the finished record until Bill said, ‘You go like this.'”
‘Paint It Black’ — The Rolling Stones
