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TOP 1200 CHOICE TRACKS

#445 (SITTIN' ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY Otis Redding
Otis Redding was born in Georgia, USA in 1941. He became 1 of the most influential vocalists in R&B. He wrote numerous soul staples, including Aretha Franklin's "Respect". He won over new white fans at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. 
On December 7, he recorded "The Dock of the Bay". Redding had penned the song with Steve Cropper. The latter produced the Stax / Volt Records classic. Isaac Hayes played piano on the cut, with The MGs as session musicians. The future looked ripe for Redding. Just 3 days later, tragedy abruptly ended the performer's life. His private plane crashed, killing Redding, 4 members of his band The Bar-Kays and the pilot. Redding was aged only 26. Over 4,000 people gathered for his funeral, where other R&B artists were his pallbearers. 
The single was released after Redding's death. It became the 1st posthumous #1 on the American Hot 100. It also reached the top on the US R&B chart and peaked at #3 in Britain.The track collected 2 Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Song. In 1982, The Reddings, featuring 2 of Otis' sons in the line-up, charted with a cover of this song. 

This is a list made up of the songs I enjoy the most, ranked in order of preference: the higher we go, the more I cherish them. Some were released as singles, others as album tracks. Some are obscure; others were worldwide hits or have universal appeal. They aren't always the most famous or popular, but simply a personal choice. I have excluded songs from the last few years in order to get a better idea of a song's lasting impression. I hope you find some new tracks to love, or re-discover some past favourites.
2 new songs are added each day (every 12 hours)  with a mid-week bonus every Wednesday.