Ray Charles Popular Song Rankings [2025]

I’ll Be Good To YouQuincy Jones ft. Ray Charles & Chaka Khan8rank/position

#nowwatching Quincy Jones ft Ray Charles & Chaka Khan – I’ll Be Good To You (ReMix)

It’s a feel-good, upbeat classic in which the legendary Quincy Jones remixes the timeless vocalists Ray Charles and Chaka Khan.

The groove and grit of their lead vocals are, of course, outstanding, and the arrangement—crafted by a master of dance music—is superb.

By the way, whenever I’m about to feel down, I almost always listen to this song and bounce back in a brighter mood.

It’s a track I can’t live without.

Come Rain or Come ShineRay Charles9rank/position

Come Rain or Come Shine

This song was written for the musical St.

Louis Woman and released in 1946.

The music was composed by Harold Arlen and the lyrics were written by Johnny Mercer.

Today, it’s covered by many singers and instrumentalists as a jazz standard.

It’s a bluesy number about loving you come rain or come shine, no matter the circumstances.

Ray Charles’s version was also used in Martin Scorsese’s 1983 film The King of Comedy.

Let it beRay Charles10rank/position

Let it be – Ray Charles

The Beatles’ massive hit song “Let It Be.” With its catchy melody, it’s still listened to all over the world.

This is Ray Charles’s cover version of “Let It Be.” It retains the essence of the original while giving it a more sophisticated finish.

It also has a more emotional atmosphere than the original.

Although many artists have covered this song, Ray Charles’s version brings out the beauty of the piano the most.

Lonely AvenueRay Charles11rank/position

Ray Charles – Lonely Avenue

A song written by Doc Pomus.

It was released as a single in 1956.

It is said to have been one of the first songs The Beatles rehearsed when they started as a group.

The song has been covered by many artists, including the Everly Brothers and Los Lobos.

Somewhere Over The RainbowRay Charles12rank/position

Somewhere over the Rainbow

Here is a song written for the 1939 musical film The Wizard of Oz.

Winner of the 1939 Academy Award for Best Original Song, it’s one of those tunes that even Japanese people unfamiliar with jazz will likely recognize and find easy to hum.

Judy Garland’s original version is wonderful, of course, but Ray Charles’s warm, embracing rendition is also outstanding.

It’s well received by listeners and is a song I can recommend to both men and women.

What’d I Say Pts. 1 & 2Ray Charles13rank/position

Ray Charles – What’d I Say Pts. 1 & 2

It’s well known that “What’d I Say” was originally a piece over seven minutes long and was therefore recorded in two parts, Part 1 and Part 2.

The intro is lengthy, and it might make you impatient on first listen, but from the second time on, the electric piano in that intro gradually lifts your mood.

What’d I Say, Pt. 1Ray Charles14rank/position

What’d I Say, Pt. 1

Ray Charles was a soul singer who, despite the handicap of blindness, drew worldwide attention for his superb piano technique.

He was known for his free, genre-defying arrangements.

He’s also very familiar to Japanese listeners and is famous for covering Japanese songs such as “Itoshi no Ellie.” His signature track “What’d I Say, Pt.

1,” released in 1959, later received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award.