The Best of Sam Cooke

Few singers can equal the velvet soft vocal texture of Sam Cooke.  Achieving 30 U.S. Top 40 hits between 1957 and 1964, Cooke is credited as one of the first black crossover singer-songwriters, capturing the attention of a wide range of audiences with his signature sound and mesmerizing songs. 

Finally, Sony Music has released "The Best of Sam Cooke", which includes all of his signature hits.  The standouts include the timeless ballad "Bring it on home to me", the radio staples "Only Sixteen", "Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha" and "Cupid", as well as romantic standards "For Sentimental Reasons", "Summertime" and "Sad Mood".  His upbeat "Twistin' the Night Away" is guaranteed to put you in a good mood.  

The poignant ballad "Chain Gang", one of Cooke's biggest hits, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, is the real gem of the album.  Cooke was inspired to write the song after a chance meeting with an actual chain gang of prisoners, and you can hear the unmistakable echoes of Cooke's passion for black civil rights.  This compilation is outstanding and stands as a testament to Sam Cooke's genius as he created such unforgettable hits despite facing a lifetime of racism.  The phrase "he lives in the top 10" was consistently used to describe his prominence on the best selling charts.  This album perfectly captures that success with classic songs that will live on for generations. 

#GreatBuy - The vinyl includes a download link for an MP3 version of the entire album. This is a neat feature since you can easily store the songs on your phone. Accessing the download code from WeAreVinyl.com was fast and easy. I wish all vinyl packages were this cool! 

Ratings ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Review by Timothy Austin