No Billy Preston? And why isn't Tower of Power Top 100-worthy?

Those are important artists, but not Top 100-worthy for this list.

Great list!

Agreed, but I question Gaye being above Cooke....

What are your reasons to the objection?

Yes, Zach and Nick obviously put a lot of work into this list.

The only thing I see Marvin winning is popularity.
Cooke was, simply put, a much more important artist. He played a CRUCIAL role in the transition of r&b to 'soul', especially within the context of the gospel-flavored vocals.
It's impossible to describe Sam's significance to his art. He's like the Elvis of r&b, imo.

Gaye had more commercial success, but that's really the only immediate advantage I see.

I'd be interested to hear Sampson's input here...

I could see Sam Cooke being above Marvin Gaye, but it'd help the editors here (Zach and Nick) if you gave them more meat about your objection, applying it to the criteria, than just simply saying you question the artist's placements.



As have others before him, including Ray Charles, The Dominoes, Johnny Ace, James Brown, Faye Adams, and The "5" Royales to name a few.



James Brown and Ray Charles, again.



It's not impossible to describe.



You have to consider that Gaye was a monster of Motown, a major influence of the British Invasion and the development of rock and R&B/soul in particular, and has some of the most impacting, influential and beloved classic records of all time. That's just the surface. He's a major contender.

Anyway, I don't really have much to quibble about the artists in the Top 10.

Yeah it's really not that huge of an issue, I agree.

But I never said Cooke turned r&b into soul all by himself. The artists you cite definitely played huge roles in it too.

Gaye had FOUR of the biggest records ever in R&B.

Grapevine
What's Going On
Let's Get It On
Sexual Healing

I think that top 5 is pretty solid.

Maybe the only that could take off Gaye is MJ, if Jackson 5/The Jacksons was combined with it.

Yeah it was just a minor quibble. They're dangerously close and I guess it isn't worth arguing about.

On a different note, does anyone else think Tina could bump up a notch? I've always personally felt that she was the queen of rock & roll. I love Janis, Aretha, so many others...but for me no other woman can touch Tina Look At Those Legs Turner.
Along with Presley of course, she was largely the first rock performer that brought raw sexuality to the stage, and the influence of that, especially on female performers that succeeded her, is just immense.
Also, her amazing longevity should be counted for something, imo.

Hope I'm not being biased because I just LOVE this woman to death.
Early Tina just rocks my world...

It's worth arguing about, and I could see either one coming out on top and be fine with it.



Yes, I agree, she's still sexy for her age.



Tina, I think, is unique in a sense in that she did some straight up rock while doing straight up R&B/soul as well. However, I would have people like The Isley Brothers, Earth, Wind & Fire and Gladys Knight & the Pips ahead of her.

Seriously, I don't know why the hell Aretha is called "the queen of soul":



Now HERE is the queen!

No, Tina is not the queen of soul. In fact, she made very few soul records. She went from R&B right to rock when she got away from Ike.

But she did make one really great soul record with Ike in 1969: